5 min readInflation, it’s all the rage in financial market commentary of late. After being dormant for the better part of a decade, the CPI came roaring back to life in April, with the headline index posting a 4.2% year-over-year rise and the core index posting a 3% increase. This has resulted in a lot of talk…
5 min readThe COVID-19 pandemic produced the first major test for the U.S. banking system since the 2008 global financial crisis. At the start of the pandemic, questions were posed about how bank balance sheets would hold up amidst a period of social isolation, lockdowns, elevated job losses and a severe contraction in output. Would the banks’…
5 min readThe 2020 election was an arduous and, in some ways, incredible process, with the unprecedented number of mail-in ballots resulting in record turnout, but also a significant delay in announcing the winner. Nevertheless, we know that Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States come January. In all likelihood he will face…
5 min readFunding markets are back from the dead. A little over two months ago, liquidity in short-term markets all but dissipated amidst a broader market panic in reaction to COVID-19. But fast action by the Fed prevented what might have turned into a full-blown liquidity freeze reminiscent of the one that helped precipitate the 2008 financial…
5 min readThe coronavirus has been the major event in the global economy so far this year. With more than 40,000 confirmed cases globally as of 2/10/2020, it has already surpassed prior flu pandemics. It has resulted in the effective quarantining of the city of Hubei, along with severe travel restrictions in and around mainland China. There…
4 min readThe 2019 mid-September liquidity squeeze in overnight repo markets was perhaps the single most noteworthy event in the cash markets last year. As we noted at the time, the event posed major questions about the post-crisis banking regime and its impact on banks’ ability to lend out reserves. It also asked important questions of the…
4 min readIn a move that surprised no one, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut rates by 25 basis points at its October meeting, the third cut in as many months. The current Federal Funds rate range now lies at 1.50%-1.75%, still relatively high compared to short-term rates in other G8 economies and still well off…
5 min readThe interest rate blues are well in effect. For those with enough foresight to see this coming (and thus to load up on long-duration Treasury bonds) it has been an absolute riot. For the rest of the fixed income investment community, it’s been a bit of a bloodbath. Figure 1: Yield Curve Source: Bloomberg Over…
10 min readCo-authored by: Spyros Qendro, CFA®, and Carter Bourassa DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT Abstract In an environment characterized by limited forward visibility, it’s more crucial than ever for cash investors to understand the landscape and the risks and opportunities it creates. In this paper, we will evaluate what makes a successful cash management strategy while underscoring the…
8 min readDOWNLOAD FULL REPORT Abstract The era of LIBOR (the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate) is coming to an end. The rate, which underpins some $200 trillion in floating-rate bonds, loans, securitizations, and derivatives contracts, is broken—at least according to the international regulatory community. In the U.S., this has led to the introduction of SOFR (the Secured…