FICC Focus

Cash is not on the sidelines. An investment in a money market fund is an actual investment, says Robert Sabatino, head of Global Liquidity Portfolio Management at UBS Asset Management. Sabatino is joined by host and Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief US rate strategist Ira Jersey and senior US and Canada rate strategy associate Will Hoffman to discuss all things money markets. The trio examine shifts in the relationship between the Federal Reserve’s facilities and the money-fund industry, as well as how recent SEC regulatory changes have affected portfolio-management decisions. They also touch on drivers of volatility in the repo market, such as the growth of the Treasury market relative to intermediation capacity, as well as how money-fund assets may evolve as offering yields fall.The Macro Matters podcast is part of BI’s FICC Focus series.

Investors have poured $13 billion into high-yield municipal bond funds in recent weeks, a move that underscores the need for credit analysis and active investing, says Alex Petrone, managing director and head of fixed income at Rockefeller Asset Management. In this episode of Bloomberg Intelligence’s Masters of the Muniverse podcast, hosts Eric Kazatsky and Karen Altamirano talk with Petrone about using technology to assist in credit research in the highly fragmented muni market, how quickly fixed income asset management is changing and what 2025 may bring.

Reports of active management's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Active continues to grow and evolve in ETFs while mutual funds prosper and define benefit plans. Bloomberg Intelligence strategy team uncover active opportunities and glean insights from active managers and those who cover the industry. Listen to Inside Active by Bloomberg Intelligence.

By engaging across multiple sectors of the structured product markets, 400 Capital Management has the flexibility to independently deal with the unique cycles and phases of the various asset classes. Founder and Managing Partner Chris Hentemann joins Noel Hebert and Sam Geier of Bloomberg Intelligence on this episode of Credit Crunch to talk through the process of navigating through those cycles. The conversation touches upon asset class allocations, the risk-transfer market, joint venture benefits, the attraction of commercial real estate, and more. Credit Crunch is part of the FICC Focus podcast.

Real Estate remains highly localized, a feature which contributes to its noncorrelated and rate-sensitive nature, says Barings Head of US & European Real Estate John Ockerbloom. He joins Damian Sassower, Bloomberg Intelligence’s fixed income strategist, to discuss opportunities and risks facing real estate markets across the globe in this episode of BI’s FICC Focus podcast. Ockerbloom identifies opportunities in data centers, self-storage, health care and multiuse real estate. They also talk about what comes next for out-of-favor sectors such as office and retail.

With plenty of private equity dry powder and a growing supply-demand imbalance, direct lending is well positioned to grow, according to Antares Capital Director of Asset Management, Vivek Mathew. Vivek joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert and Sam Geier on another special edition of Credit Crunch, recorded at the Greenwich Economic Forum. They discuss the benefits of being under the wing of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, the refinancing cycle, Antares’ co-investment approach, secondary-market viability and more.

The record growth in municipal bond ETFs, and more specifically actively managed muni ETFs, has led to more innovative alternative strategies. In this episode of Bloomberg Intelligence’s Masters of the Muniverse podcast, hosts Eric Kazatsky and Karen Altamirano are joined by Harley Bassman, managing partner at Simplify Asset Management. They discuss Simplify’s ETF strategies and how option selling can improve a portfolio’s risk-adjusted returns.

It does look like the Fed is nailing this soft landing, so we’re feeling quite positive around where we’re going, says James McCann, Deputy Chief Economist at Abrdn. McCann joins host and senior US and Canada rates strategy associate Will Hoffman to unpack rapidly shifting economic narratives. The pair discuss changes in the the medium-term economic outlook, as well as recent developments regarding the state of labor markets and inflation. They also dive into the implications of strikes and hurricanes on near-term economic data, in addition to the balance of risks surrounding the upcoming US election cycle.

Polen Capital, with deep roots in the world of growth equity investing, has expanded into the opportunistic high yield bond market, leveraging its acquisition of DDJ Capital in 2021. Polen CEO, Stan Moss, and Head of Credit, Dave Breazzano, join Noel Hebert and Sam Geier on this special edition of Credit Crunch, live from the Greenwich Economic Forum. The conversation dives into the firm’s focus on growth, the benefits of a flexible high yield investment approach, leadership through uncertain times, the credit cycle and more.

High yield credit had a strong year (to date), as yields rallied and spreads followed, while defaults didn't blow up as feared. In Europe, the index default rate stands at 2.7% and the US at 1.2% but the share of stressed and distressed bonds has come down. Will 4Q sustain those gains, and why? Listen to Mahesh Bhimalingam, Bloomberg Intelligence's Chief European Credit Strategist, discuss the results of the 4Q High Yield Survey, along with market outlook, with Peter Khan, Global High Yield Portfolio Manger at Fidelity Investments.They discuss the BI 4Q investor survey report, which covers investor positioning, sentiment, key return drivers, default and supply forecasts and relative-value opinions by geography, rating and sector. They discuss deeply how high yield prospects differ between Europe and the US.