Hasenstab, who oversees more than $58 billion between the domestic and non-U.S. versions of the fund, shunned debt-laden countries including the U.S., Japan and much of Europe even before the Greek debt crisis undermined confidence in the euro. He favors the bonds and currencies of faster-growing Asian and Latin American nations with smaller budget deficits.
“Sitting here in the U.S., we are focused on massive debts,” he told investors at a presentation in New York this month. “In other places the opportunities are more compelling.”
The strategy is working, with the $34 billion Templeton Global Bond Fund outperforming all world bond rivals during the past decade.
....
Templeton Global Bond returned 12 percent annually in the 10 years ended April 30, compared with an average 6.6 percent for the world bond category, Morningstar data show. World bonds have at least 40 percent of their assets invested outside the U.S., according to Morningstar’s definition of the group.
...
Templeton Global Bond, which Hasenstab has managed since 2001, held no government bonds from the U.S., Japan or the U.K. as of Feb. 28, according to an April
rregulatory filing. Its largest holdings were in South Korea, Australia and Poland.
...
On the bond side, Hasenstab likes countries such as Indonesia and Brazil, which have manageable debt and the prospect of stable or declining long-term interest rates, he said.
On the currency side, he looks for countries where he expects interest rates to rise, such as Norway, Australia, China and India. “Despite global problems, these economies are robust,” he said.
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Australia, which represented 9.8 percent of Hasenstab’s portfolio, was one of the few economies, along with China and India, to skirt last year’s global recession. The Australian dollar, which was worth 63 U.S. cents in March 2009, currently trades for 86 cents, Bloomberg data show.
Hasenstab’s uncommon strategy of making bets on both bonds and currencies distinguishes him from most rivals, said
Kevin McDevitt, an analyst with Morningstar.
“He is willing to do things others would not be comfortable doing” said McDevitt in a telephone interview.
...
Templeton Global Bond fell 4 percent in the week before the European plan was announced as bonds tumbled around the world. In times of panic, investors don’t make distinctions and sell everything, Hasenstab said.
“Once things settle out you will see that differentiation return,” he said.
Last Updated: May 18, 2010 19:00 EDT
Templeton?s Hasenstab Avoids Europe Debt Trap in Top Bond Fund - Bloomberg.com