2 min readExecutive Summary The complementary use of commingled and separate accounts may help in optimizing corporate cash management. The percentage of corporate investors considering money market funds as permissible investments has been declining since 2009, while the permissible use of separately managed accounts has been climbing. Six Advantages of Separately Managed Accounts: Tailored Risk Management Transparency…
1 min readAbstract The GE announcement should be a positive credit event for creditors and bondholders. The divestiture is an event that has been seven years in the making and it will result in a significant reduction of commercial paper outstanding, especially for the direct issue CP market. Short-term corporate bond supply also will suffer. As higher…
2 min readAbstract As the money market fund industry moves to comply with the SEC Rule 2a-7 amendment, the 60-day maximum maturity prime fund concept has received much public attention. For institutional cash managers faced with a chasm between government and prime funds, the 60-day prime fund may represent a viable middle ground and a market-based solution…
2 min readAbstract As large money market fund sponsors begin to release their new fund directions, the wait may be over for cash investors to get their own strategies in place. The recent announcements allow us to gauge different paths forward for the industry and help investors gain insight into what to expect. Among a lineup of…
2 min readAbstract Lower oil prices and easier central bank policies outside the U.S. led the market to question the Fed’s timetable for raising interest rates. While both disinflationary and expansionary forces are present, financial markets appear to be focusing on the former, as the latter is still materializing. The net effect may allow the Fed to…
2 min readAbstract The three new trends we watch out for in 2015 include the start of an interest rate tightening cycle, consequences of worsening supply shortage, and resurging geopolitical uncertainties. We recommend moderate portfolio duration and a laddered portfolio structure. Other suitable tools may include callable securities, floating rate notes and bonds with putable and callable…
2 min readAbstract A well-structured separately managed account may serve liquidity investors better than money market funds, especially when faced with uncertain interest rate prospects and opportunity costs. Given historical fed funds and LIBOR rates, a moderately structured hypothetical SMA portfolio outperformed a hypothetical MMF in each of the last three rate tightening cycles. Today, SMAs may…
2 min readAbstract An effective counterparty strategy must provide clarity on counterparties’ credit strength, individually and collectively, and have a desired “benchmark” level. Changing credit landscapes, aggregation challenges and inconsistent and irregular policy practices are just some of the challenges facing treasurers transitioning from a reactive counterparty risk management practice to a proactive benchmarked approach. The difficulty…
2 min readAbstract This research commentary discusses liquidity in the context of corporate cash portfolios, coming challenges in the post-crisis era, why liquidity reversal may be a systemic concern, and how investors should prepare for the new liquidity equilibrium in a normalized interest rate environment. Our suggestions for corporate cash professionals include the following: Review and Revise…
2 min readAbstract Greater vigilance is required of today’s treasury investment professionals. Neither bank deposits nor money market funds may be appropriate in the post-crisis, post-regulatory environment. As yields start to rise, cash investment strategy decisions that may have been delayed will require serious consideration. Direct purchases in separately managed accounts may become the primary alternative cash…