Investors are buying exchange traded funds tracking high-yield bonds at the fastest rate ever, putting more than $5 billion into the ETFs this year.
“Exchange traded funds for speculative-grade bonds are drawing the biggest inflows on record from investors seeking easier access to higher-yielding assets,” Bloomberg reported Thursday.
Inflows to junk bond ETFs have nearly quadrupled in 2012 from the year-ago period. [ETF Spotlight: High-Yield Bonds]
Most of the money has gone into the two largest ETFs in the category: iShares iBoxx High Yield Corporate Bond (NYSEArca: HYG) and SPDR Barclays High Yield Bond (NYSEArca: JNK). [Investors See Best of Both Worlds in High-Yield ETFs]
Many investors have moved into dividend ETFs and high-yield funds to boost income in a low-rate environment for bonds. However, by doing so, they are introducing more risk into their portfolios.