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Here's an ETF strategy for riding the coattails of the Fed

Published Fri, Apr 17 202012:49 PM EDTUpdated Fri, Apr 17 20201:26 PM EDT

Fred Imbert @foimbert

(This story is for CNBC PRO subscribers only.) Exposure to corporate bonds through exchange-traded funds can give investors' portfolios a boost as the Federal Reserve takes up unprecedented stimulus measures amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to portfolio manager John Davi. Davi, chief investment officer at Astoria Portfolio Advisors and a specialist in ETF portfolio construction, highlighted the iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) and the iShares Aaa-A Rated corporate bond ETF (QLTA) . LQD is more than 80% weighted toward BBB and BB-rated corporate debt and provides exposure to bonds from JPMorgan Chase , AT & T and Apple . QLTA consists of more than 98% A-rated debt and includes bonds from Microsoft , Oracle and Citigroup . "When I look across all the different kinds of risk assets, I think investment grade corporate bonds are probably the most interesting," said Davi. "You can get equity like exposure and there is this implicit Fed put." Last month, the Fed cut interest rates to zero and launched an open-ended asset-purchase program. The U.S. central bank also started buying corporate bonds through exchange-traded funds in an effort to stabilize the credit market. Specifically, the Fed is buying shares of the LQD fund. The central bank also said it will start buying junk-bond ETFs. Ratings agencies have slashed debt ratings on a slew of publicly traded companies amid concerns the coronavirus outbreak will hinder their ability to meet their debt obligations. Last month, Standard & Poor's cut its Ford Motor debt rating to junk status. But this move by the Fed makes corporate debt an attractive addition to a portfolio, Davi said. "It's a little bit of a risk-on play," he noted. "You don't have the volatility of stocks, but you still get upside exposure. So I like that as a way to play it." The S & P 500 is down more than 16% year to date. However, the LQD and QLTA ETFs are up 2.2% and 4.2%, respectively, in that time.