10 min readDuring the weekend following Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, it became apparent that the bank run which drove SVB to insolvency was spreading, placing extreme liquidity pressures on a few regional lenders. Bank balance sheets remained fundamentally stable, although, the volume and speed of deposit outflows at some banks was overwhelming available liquid resources. Many banks…
14 min readMinutes from the December FOMC meeting indicated that some Federal Reserve officials wanted to begin discussing “slowing the pace” of securities runoffs on its balance sheet. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell confirmed after the January meeting that the Committee will begin formal conversations on the topic at its March meeting. The indication of an end…
3 min readWhat is Commercial Paper? Commercial paper (CP) is a type of short-term, unsecured debt instrument with a maturity of no more than 365 days. CP serves as an alternative to a business loan and is typically used by large corporations to finance their short-term operating needs such as accounts payable, payrolls and inventories. Generally speaking,…
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 readThe coronavirus pandemic has forced firms across industry groups to shore up liquidity in order to weather depressed revenue streams. These conditions, coupled with accommodative economic policies, led to a spur of borrowing during the first half of 2020. Due to this current climate, many companies are having trouble finding solid financial footing, leading to…
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…
12 min readDOWNLOAD FULL REPORT Abstract Extraordinary market volatility from COVID-19 led to a complete reset of portfolio strategies and expectations in cash investments. While liquidity has turned the corner, the path to recovery and a normal investment environment may be a long one. Fighting credit issues on one hand and the risk of negative interest rates…
17 min readDOWNLOAD FULL REPORT Abstract The 2014 money market fund reform brought forth drastic change to the corporate cash management landscape, significantly impacting investors, issuers and fund sponsors. While there is little doubt that money market funds are more resilient following the implementation of the reform’s higher credit, liquidity, transparency, and oversight standards, it also had…
20 min readDOWNLOAD FULL REPORT Abstract As the post-recession credit cycle matures and a period of historically low interest rates ends, investors are paying increased attention to the rise of corporate leverage. Companies have borrowed heavily in the past decade to fund M&A activity and investor payouts. This has resulted in significant growth in BBB-rated debt for…
14 min readCo-authored by: Matthew Paniati Abstract The past few years have been mostly predictable for investors, with an expanding economy accompanied by steadily rising interest rates and asset prices. In this two-part series, we examine some recent developments and their implications for the current environment. In part two, we look at the current state of fiscal…