PGIM High Yield Bond Fund (ISD) Stock

PGIM High Yield Bond Fund is downgraded to 'Sell' due to tight NAV discount, low true yield, and high ROC utilization. The fund's 9% distribution is misleading, with an actual yield of around 6.3% due to high ROC and floating rate leverage costs. U.S. high yield spreads are at decade lows, making the risk-reward profile unattractive for ISD compared to unleveraged alternatives.

ISD fund continues to deliver steady performance with long-term above-average returns. However, I remain concerned about the fund's distribution, currently set at 9.2% of NAV, compared to long-term fund returns. Furthermore, a yawning gap between credit defaults and credit spreads suggests investors are not being compensated for elevated credit risks.

Credit spreads have tightened significantly, reaching historic lows, indicating a risk-on market and potentially inadequate compensation for credit risk. The discount to NAV for the PGIM High Yield Bond Fund has narrowed, approaching decade-long highs, suggesting a less attractive entry point. Despite the less appealing entry point, the fund has performed well and represents a solid choice to hold due to its high dividend distribution and successful management team.

The PGIM High Yield Bond Fund, Inc. seeks to provide a high current income by investing in junk bonds with a yield of 10.81%. The ISD closed-end fund's total return of 5.82% this year is lower than the Bloomberg High Yield Very Liquid Index and the S&P 500 Index. The fund does not completely ignore investment-grade securities, although it is mostly in high-quality junk debt.