Bond investing: Applying a systematic approach to “fallen angels”
INTERVIEWSERIES
Syed Zamil, Senior Investment Strategist, Insight Investment
June 2025
In this exclusive interview Syed discusses the benefits of a systematic approach to bond investing and how it can be applied to capitalise on the tailwinds driving opportunities in “Falling Angels”.
Watch the full interview which covers:
00:23 - Can you run us through the difference between a ‘fallen angel’ and ‘falling knife’ and how you can tell the difference when purchasing those bonds?
01:58 - Systematic equities have been popular for a long time, but systematic fixed income isn’t as popular. Why is that and why is systematic fixed income on the rise now?
03:33 - What are the benefits of a systematic approach, compared to a traditional discretionary approach, when accessing fallen angels
05:09 - What technological advancements have allowed Insight to be more efficient and effective in the way you invest?
07:03 - Tariffs are affecting all areas of global markets, is this dislocation a good thing for fallen angels (bonds) and, if so, why?
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Syed Zamil, Senior Investment Strategist, Insight Investment
Syed is part of Insight’s Systematic Fixed Income team, based in San Francisco. In his role as a senior investment strategist, he has responsibility for bringing innovative solutions to client portfolios, understanding and articulating the opportunity available through systematic fixed income markets, and staying at the forefront of developments in quantitative fixed income trading.
Syed joined Insight Investment in September 2021, when Mellon Investment’s fixed income strategies formally joined Insight. He joined Mellon Investments in 2015, and began working in the industry in 1987.
Syed’s investment experience spans more than 30 years and across most asset classes. Syed began his career as a software developer at Vestek Systems before moving on to Barra where he helped institutional clients understand and incorporate multi-factor risk models. He then joined a start-up hedge fund Innovest Capital where he managed and traded long/short equity strategies for institutional and high net worth clients. Then he spent 10+ years at AXA Rosenberg as the Director of portfolio management followed by shorter stints at BlackRock and American Century investments as an investment strategist focusing on equity and multiasset solutions.
Syed is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute. He earned an MBA in Finance from San Francisco State University and a BA in Applied Math from the University of California at Berkeley.
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