European insurers: the case for going global in the credit allocation

In the hunt for yield, some years ago European investors started to allocate part of their credit exposure to dollar assets. However, many then put a stop to this diversification due to high hedging costs. In the context of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Fed cut rates to post-Lehman lows. Consequently, euro and dollar interest rates converged significantly, reducing hedging costs and making a case for broadening the investment universe from a European to a global base more attractive.