The TwentyFour Blog
Beware a Second Wave of Treasury Selling
Crucially while the Fed may wait to see the evidence, markets won’t, and we therefore expect a ‘second wave’ of Treasury selling to happen well before then.
CoCo Re-rating Underway as Euro Banks Prove Mettle
Having been at the heart of the GFC and then contributing to the Eurozone sovereign crisis, we have long argued the European banking sector would have to prove its newfound resilience to investors by successfully navigating a challenging period.
Tobacco Bonds Volatile as Investors Chew On ESG Risks
Tobacco company bond spreads were volatile last week on news that the Biden administration is exploring a ban on menthol cigarettes and may pursue a policy to reduce nicotine levels in all cigarettes to non-addictive or minimally addictive levels. Rumours about an increased tobacco tax also surfaced, further shaking up the industry.
Credit Suisse Pulls Levers to Shore Up Capital
What is most interesting about the CS situation though is that to us it illustrates the ability of large banks to bolster capital when such events occur, and the range of options they have to do it.
A Taper Without a Tantrum
Had this happened a month ago, we suspect the move would be materially more pronounced, and the muted reaction indicates to us that markets are now quite comfortable with the current levels of expected growth, forecast inflation, and yields.
Barclays' Prison Break
ESG conscious investors, ourselves included, of course, are applauding this brave decision by Barclays to put their conscience before profit, but they are not the first to do so.
Volatility in Rates Eased For Now
This recent stability in the rates curve suggests to us that for now the market is listening to the Fed’s rhetoric and as a result the UST market feels better balanced.
Negative ‘Bond’ Headlines Belie the Reality of Credit’s Strong Performance
With treasury yields moving aggressively higher this year, anyone reading or listening to the financial press will have become very accustomed to headlines highlighting the negative performance of “Bonds”.
Sustainability To the Fore as SFDR Kicks In
There are many other aspects of SFDR to discuss and we expect the market to take some time to fully adjust.
A New Low for Investor Protection in Euro High Yield
Primary deals launched in the European high yield market over the last two weeks have been diverse, and at times opportunistic.
Brass Builds Momentum in ESG ABS
In terms of execution, it is difficult to assess any ‘ESG premium’ in Brass 10 given the overall strong demand, and in our view it’s still early to weigh the importance of a ‘social’ label for ABS investors.
The Fed Shows Little Resistance to Higher Yields
The Fed maintained its dovish stance on Wednesday and offered very little in the way of resistance to the ongoing rise in US Treasury yields.