
Carmignac Sécurité: Letter from the Fund Managers
In the first quarter of 2025, Carmignac Sécurité posted a performance of +0.73%, compared with +0.70% for its reference indicator.
Market review and portfolio allocation
Volatility has returned to the markets, fuelled in particular by a Donald Trump who has shed his inhibitions and is determined to reshape the world order with his 'America first' slogan. First, by forcing Volodymyr Zelensky to the negotiating table in the humiliating absence of Europe. Then by unleashing a trade war unprecedented in modern history. These two major electric shocks to Europe can only lead to more European independence, especially in military terms, and therefore to more spending. This surge has already begun in Germany. The new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has succeeded, against all odds and before the new parliament has been formed, in pushing through a fiscal stimulus package second only to the post-war Marshall Plan and the reunification plan of the 1990s. After sixteen years of budgetary orthodoxy and two years of recession, it has unleashed EUR 500 billion of infrastructure spending and significantly eased the constitutional budgetary constraints on defence. For its part, the ECB has continued its cycle of interest rate cuts, bringing them down to 2.5%. It is encouraged by the return of inflation to target by the end of the year and is wary of the downside risks to European growth from the trade war.
In this context, German interest rates experienced a record spike following the announcement of the new Merz plan. The 10-year rate jumped by more than 40 basis points in 24 hours, roughly equivalent to the increase recorded over the quarter. The curve steepened sharply, with the two-year rate remaining relatively stable over the period. Indeed, the German budgetary measures mark a real turning point for growth in Germany, which could now reach 2% by 2027. However, these will take time to unfold and the tariffs threaten the near-term growth outlook, paving the way for further rate cuts by an ECB that is more reactive than proactive.
Supported by upward revisions to medium-term growth in Europe, credit spreads have also shown resilience, rising just 5bp on high yield and even falling 5bp on 10-year Italian government bonds. By contrast, US rates have fallen sharply, by 37 basis points on the 10-year, as budget cuts and the trade war erode the American exceptionalism that has prevailed in recent years.
Performance Review
The carry remains the main source of performance for Carmignac Sécurité. With a yield at maturity fluctuating between 3.5% and 4% during the quarter, it contributed to the bulk of the quarterly performance. The Fund's duration remained within a narrow range, between 1.6 and 2.2, concentrated mainly on short maturities, i.e. less than 5 years. Thus, the rise in long-term interest rates had little impact on the Fund's performance. This was even more than offset by the compression of credit spreads within the credit component, which favoured the finance and energy sectors, as well as CLOs to a lesser extent.
What is our outlook for the coming months?
The first days of the second quarter were marked by Donald Trump's outburst on Liberation Day. The announced tariff barriers are finally higher than expected, with 20% in Europe and 74% in China, raised to 104% a few days later, to which China responded with tariffs of 84%. The trade war is therefore underway, creating a rush to safe havens, mainly German short-term bonds and gold, and massive sales of risky assets, including equities, credit and emerging markets. US Treasury bonds, meanwhile, are caught between the risk of inflation and the risk of recession. In this historically uncertain and volatile environment, Carmignac Sécurité relies on two sources of stability/visibility. Firstly, a balanced portfolio construction combining almost two-thirds of assets invested in corporate bonds offering an attractive yield, mainly with a good rating and short maturity, offset by almost 30% invested in money markets or cash equivalents, curve steepening positions, a duration of slightly less than 2 and credit protection on high yield. And finally, the carry is still attractive, with the Fund's average yield to maturity close to 4%.

Carmignac Sécurité
Carmignac Sécurité AW EUR Acc
- Recommended minimum investment horizon
- 2 years
- Risk indicator*
- 2/7
- SFDR - Fund Classification**
- Article 8
*Risk Scale from the KID (Key Information Document). Risk 1 does not mean a risk-free investment. This indicator may change over time. **Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) 2019/2088. The SFDR classification of the Funds may change over time.
Main risks of the fund
Fees
- Entry costs
- 1.00% of the amount you pay in when entering this investment. This is the most you will be charged. Carmignac Gestion doesn't charge any entry fee. The person selling you the product will inform you of the actual charge.
- Exit costs
- We do not charge an exit fee for this product.
- Management fees and other administrative or operating costs
- 1.11% of the value of your investment per year. This estimate is based on actual costs over the past year.
- Performance fees
- There is no performance fee for this product.
- Transaction Cost
- 0.11% of the value of your investment per year. This is an estimate of the costs incurred when we buy and sell the investments underlying the product. The actual amount varies depending on the quantity we buy and sell.
Performance
| Carmignac Sécurité | +0.7 | +5.3 | +4.1 | −4.8 | +0.2 | +2.0 | +3.6 | −3.0 | +0.0 | +2.1 |
| Reference Indicator | +0.7 | +3.2 | +3.4 | −4.8 | −0.7 | −0.2 | +0.1 | −0.3 | −0.4 | +0.3 |
| Carmignac Sécurité | +3.2% | +2.4% | +0.9% |
| Reference Indicator | +1.1% | +0.4% | +0.1% |
Source: Carmignac at Mar 31, 2025.
Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance. Performances are net of fees (excluding possible entrance fees charged by the distributor). The Fund presents a risk of loss of capital.
The return may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations, for the shares which are not currency-hedged.
Reference Indicator: ICE BofA 1-3 Year All Euro Government index