5 min readExecutive Summary Important regulatory changes to institutional prime money market funds are forcing new ideas and new interest in prime fund alternatives. With the SEC Form PF aggregate data, we reconstructed a profile of unregistered private liquidity funds promising investors stable $1.00 NAVs without liquidity gates. We discuss the drawbacks with private funds as being…
2 min readAbstract Policy, geopolitical, and idiosyncratic risks are real under the new administration. It is too soon to tell if the next four years will be friendly to cash investors. The economic drag from trade barriers and immigration control may offset some benefits from a federal stimulus and a pro-business Republican agenda. A potentially bifurcated outcome…
1 min readAbstract In this research commentary, we offer a behind the scenes look at the credit approval process for cash investment portfolios. We discuss nine essential components to help clarify a process that can sometimes seem mysterious and intimidating. Beyond Ratings – What Makes Cash Unique The Credit Universe – It’s All About Supply Preliminary Screening…
1 min readAbstract For institutional cash investors unsure of separately managed accounts in a rising interest rate environment, our scenario analysis suggests that a laddered portfolio of agency and corporate securities with a modest WAM could outperform the government money market fund proxy with negligible unrealized loss concerns in a rising rate environment. Both agency and corporate…
1 min readAbstract Greater vigilance is required of today’s treasury investment professionals. Neither bank deposits nor money market funds alone 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…
1 min readAbstract 2016 will be a year of transition on many fronts for corporate cash investors. The Federal Reserve is expected to remain accommodative in removing monetary stimulus. There will be increased clarity following money market fund reform in October. Credit markets should also manage well through moderate credit deterioration and wider spreads. The primary job…
2 min readThis book provides chief financial officers and corporate treasury executives with an overview of changes in the cash investment landscape and a guide to more effective hands-on management of corporate cash portfolios. Its three chapters explain: 1) why many investment managers are migrating to separately managed accounts (SMAs); 2) what investment policies for cash management…
2 min readA supply shortage of investments suitable for short-term corporate cash management is looming, exacerbated by new Dodd-Frank and Basel III banking regulations and upcoming money market fund reforms. As bank deposits and money funds become less available and less attractive, treasury professionals will be considering other investment-grade securities. However, they can expect to find a…
2 min readExecutive Summary ABCP can still be a good investment choice in large corporate treasury accounts due to the liquidity, flexibility, and yield potential of the asset class. Most traditional multi-seller conduits persevered through the recent financial crisis. Despite low issuance and investor skepticism, the mechanism of ABCP structures improved due to new regulatory measures. Potential…
2 min readIntroduction At first glance, the task of measuring investment returns of corporate cash portfolios seems relatively straightforward, since they most typically invest only in “plain vanilla” securities and have limited numbers of transactions. Treasury practitioners, however, often tell a different tale of performance measurement. One frequent complaint involves apples-to-oranges performance comparisons between money managers. Another…