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Fixed Income Insights
Webcast: Navigating A New Rates Regime
The stimulus actions employed by central banks since the start of the pandemic have dramatically altered the fixed income landscape. Are rates stuck near zero for the foreseeable future, or will inflation and a growing debt mountain force a change?
Fixed Income Insights
“No Jules, It’s High-Yield Bonds”
If you think back on Wall Street in the ‘80s, a few things come to mind: the ‘87 Crash (the S&P 500 was up that year), a secular bull market, interest rates in the teens, the movie Wall Street, corporate raiders and junk bonds.
Fixed Income Insights
Positioning for Higher Yields
This piece is approved to use with clients.
With higher government bond yields looking increasingly likely, Head of U.S. Fixed Income Greg Wilensky explains why investors should consider how much interest rate risk they have in their portfolios, and make sure it is appropriate for their needs.
Fixed Income Insights
The Shape of Credit
This piece is approved to use with clients.
In this Q&A, Portfolio Managers Jason England, Nick Maroutsos and Dan Siluk discuss the factors shaping credit markets, from central bank support to potential resilience from financials.
Key Takeaways
- Corporate earnings and cash flows are under strain, but while defaults are likely to increase, they should continue to be largely contained to sub-investment-grade issuers.
- Massive and proactive central bank support measures have injected confidence into markets, but this does not preclude sporadic bouts of future volatility and warrants a selective approach.
- We believe more resilient opportunities are likely to be found in higher-quality, shorter-dated investment-grade issues and continue to favor financial sector bonds and corporates with defensive attributes.
Fixed Income Insights
Building Bond Portfolios on a Strong Housing Market
This piece is approved to use with clients.
Conventional wisdom would suggest that rising unemployment would have discouraged consumers from making large contractual obligations like buying a new home, but the pandemic has affected the way many Americans think about housing. Portfolio Managers John Kerschner and Nick Childs discuss why this is happening and what it could mean for bond investors.
Fixed Income Insights
A Mostly Benign Outlook for U.S. Inflation
This piece is approved to use with clients.
The stabilization of U.S. economic growth amid unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus has raised questions about the likelihood of inflation returning. Global Head of Fixed Income Jim Cielinski explains why he does not see significant risk of sustained higher inflation materializing in the next few years – but cautions that short-term spikes are possible and that investors should evaluate the diversification that their fixed income portfolios provide.
Fixed Income Insights
The US 10-Year Note Yield – the good, the bad, and the (possibly) ugly
The US 10-Year Note is the most important fixed income instrument in the world. Its yield determines the borrowing costs for countries, companies, and consumers while the Note itself acts as a haven asset during periods of market and economic stress.
Behavioral Finance
Focused expertise
There have been many restrictions placed on the normal rhythms of life in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The interactions we typically take for granted such as going to restaurants, spending time with friends, working out at the gym, and traveling on vacation have all been curtailed in an effort to tame the pandemic.