Flagship Research

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Six Advantages of Separately Managed Accounts Over Ultra Short Bond Funds

12 min readAbstract In a falling interest rate environment, sensitivity related to  uninsured deposits and income preservation argues for consideration of cash management vehicles outside of bank deposits and money market funds. While ultra short bond funds (USBFs) hold promise as potential yield enhancing tools, they may exhibit many of the same issues as prime funds, with…

Coming to Terms with Banking System Liquidity

Coming to Terms with Banking System Liquidity

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…

Venture Debt

Venture Debt

5 min readWhat is Venture Debt, why it may be applicable to you and how Capital Advisors Group helps to support Venture Debt raises.   What is Venture Debt?  Venture debt is a broad term but is often referred to as growth debt or term debt. It is a loan that is commonly offered by venture banks…

How to Position Corporate Cash Portfolios for the Debt Ceiling Showdown

How to Position Corporate Cash Portfolios for the Debt Ceiling Showdown

15 min readOnce again, it’s time for CFOs and corporate cash investors to start focusing on another debt ceiling showdown in the United States Congress. On May 1st, 2023, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen updated Congressional leaders that the United States would not be able to pay all its bills by June 1st, 2023.1 Secretary Yellen had previously…

Do BBB Corporate Bonds Belong in Treasury Management Portfolios?

Do BBB Corporate Bonds Belong in Treasury Management Portfolios?

13 min readCo-authored by: Matthew Paniati, CFA® DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT Abstract BBB-rated debt continues to offer new possibilities for cash investors. Though it involves taking on incremental credit risk, allowing the purchase of these securities may help alleviate supply shortages while also offering additional return opportunities. Should investors investigate adding BBB names to their portfolios, we recommend…

Counterparty Risk Management for Corporate Treasury Functions

Counterparty Risk Management for Corporate Treasury Functions

11 min readAbstract Experience has taught us that counterparties can fail with little warning. Counterparty risk management has become more challenging in recent decades due to concentrated exposures, complex financial instruments and evolving bank credit. Corporate and treasury organizations should manage this risk proactively, have an integrated risk policy across business lines, diversify risk by setting exposure…

Demystifying Asset-Backed Commercial Paper

Demystifying Asset-Backed Commercial Paper

4 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…

The New Era of Cash Management

The New Era of Cash Management

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…

Make Whole Calls

Make Whole Calls

2 min readAbstract Make whole calls caused little investor concern until the low yield environment resulted in unexpected losses. Make whole provisions fail to protect short-term investors when bond spreads fall below make whole levels. Yield volatility in Treasury securities complicates matters and increases risk for cash investors. Make whole bonds are generally not considered callable, and…

Forecasting a Perfect Storm: New developments aggravate the potential fall of the auction rate securities market

Forecasting a Perfect Storm: New developments aggravate the potential fall of the auction rate securities market

2 min readExecutive Summary The auction rate securities (ARS) market may be on the verge of a systemic meltdown after the recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ FAS 95 & 115 interpretations of ARS as long-term investments. Corporate cash managers may exit the ARS market. At a minimum, firms will likely scramble to comply with the new interpretation, experience technical defaults…