FALN ETF

iShares Fallen Angels USD Bond ETF (FALN) invests in junk bonds whose issuers previously had an investment grade rating. FALN has outperformed other junk bond ETFs and its closest competitor ANGL. However, FALN has lagged inflation in value and suffered a decay in distribution.

We believe the iShares Fallen Angels USD Bond ETF illustrates a good blend of credit risk and yield curve exposure, allowing a stable pricing environment. Furthermore, FALN ETF provides lucrative dividends, which could be sustained if our outlook on credit risk and the yield curve pans out. Although debatable, our models forecast an all-in return above 10%.

SPHY and FALN are my top two high-yield corporate bond ETF picks.

FALN invests in recently downgraded bonds, known as fallen angels, which have historically outperformed high-yield corporate bond benchmarks. The fund has outperformed since inception and will, I believe, continue to outperform moving forward. I am assigning a buy rating to the fund based on its investment strategy and track record.

High-yield bonds offer higher yields as compensation for higher risks associated with lower credit ratings. The U.S. economy is in a stage between late cycle and recession, but there are signs of recovery in the near future. Understanding how bonds perform in different stages of the business cycle is key to investing in bonds successfully.

Federal Reserve hikes have caused yields to increase across fixed-income asset classes. High-yield bonds and bond funds offer particularly high, growing yields. An overview of four of these funds follows.

The iShares Fallen Angels USD Bond ETF seeks to provide investors with exposure to high yield corporate bonds that were previously rated investment grade. FALN has a reasonable management fee of 0.25% compared to other high yield fixed income ETFs. FALN has a very strong historical performance and has outperformed traditional high yield ETFs such as JNK and HYG on both an absolute and risk-adjusted basis.

iShares Fallen Angels USD Bond ETF invests in high-yield bonds whose issuers previously had an investment grade rating. Since FALN's inception in 2016, it has outperformed all kinds of bond ETFs. An exception in the bond bear market, it is still above its 200-day moving average.

High-yield corporate bond ETFs offer strong, growing dividends, with HYGV, FALN, and SPHY standing out as strong investment opportunities. HYGV provides a particularly strong 8.4% yield, FALN offers a strong performance track-record due to focusing on Fallen Angels, and SPHY has the lowest 0.04% expense ratio. These funds share characteristics such as strong yields and dividend growth, low interest rate risk, and high credit risk, making them suitable for income investors.