Shows / Basis Points
Basis Points
Macro commentary and expert-led discussions highlight what’s happening now in fixed income investing, so you can prepare for what’s next. Investing involves risks including loss of principal. This material represents the opinions of the participants at a specific time and is not intended to forecast future events or guarantee future results and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Kevin Flanagan is a registered rep of Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
Episodes
- Basis Points
Fed Watch: Taking a Backseat, Kinda, Sort of…
With monetary policy seemingly on autopilot, fixed income investors have instead placed their focus on fiscal policy. On this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan…
- Basis Points
Sooner Rather than Later Happened
Following last week’s movements of the U.S. 10-Year Treasury yield, the ‘Reflation Trade’ theme has taken center stage in bond-land. Against this backdrop…
- Basis Points
"1" Is the Loneliest Number
Is there potential for the UST 10-Year yield to move higher? On this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses this possibility along with the possible return…
- Basis Points
3 for ’21: Key Fixed Income Themes for the New Year
We believe there will be three key themes for fixed income investors to focus on in the new year. On this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses these themes…
- Basis Points
Fed Watch: The Final Countdown
With the final FOMC meeting for this year now in the books, Kevin Flanagan shifts attention to what 2021 could bring from the Fed.
- Basis Points
Now the Calendar’s Just One Page…and, of Course, I Am Excited
The final jobs report of 2020 was released last week. On this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan explains that while the actual data was not outright “bad,” he…
- Basis Points
It’s “On the Line”
With the second wave of COVID-19 dominating headlines again, it’s natural to wonder what the economic impact may be this time around as compared to Q2. On this…
- Basis Points
Divided Highway Ahead?
While we believe there is potential for the 10-year Treasury yields to move higher, it will still remain low from a historical perspective. Against this…
- Basis Points
Can We Just Get Back to …. Fundamentals?
On this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan, WisdomTree’s Head of Fixed Income Strategy, gets back to market fundamentals and discusses the latest economic data…
- Basis Points
The One Common Denominator: Fed Policy
With Election Day over, there’s another force in Washington, DC, to be ever mindful of in bond land: the Federal Reserve. On this week’s podcast, Kevin…
- Basis Points
“Deficit Discipline” Is So Yesterday
The pandemic and related economic shutdowns required unprecedented fiscal action, but even before 2020, expanding U.S. budget deficits had become the norm…
- Basis Points
“Blue Wave”: The Other Side of the Trade
One potential outcome following the upcoming election is a “blue wave,” which could lead to slowed economic growth. On this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan…
- Basis Points
Does a “Blue Wave” = Higher Rates?
One potential outcome of the 2020 Election is a Democrat sweep, or the “blue wave,” whereby the presidency and both houses of Congress would be controlled by…
- Basis Points
The Bond Market Has Become Non-Labor Intensive
Last Friday was the final jobs report before the 2020 election. On this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan provides fixed income investors with a quick rundown of…
- Basis Points
U.S. High-Yield Default Rates Double…Quality Matters
While March seems like a long time ago, the repercussions of perhaps the worst two-week period in the U.S. high-yield (HY) arena is now showing through some…
- Basis Points
Riddle Me This: What Looks Like a “V” but Feels Like a “U”?
After the end of 2019, the U.S. economy went straight into negative territory, as the pandemic-related shutdowns produced unprecedented contractions in…
- Basis Points
Fed Watch: ‘New’ Policy Framework, Batteries Not Included
The Federal Reserve released its new policy framework late last month in connection with Chair Powell’s Jackson Hole speech, so, unsurprisingly, the September…
- Basis Points
What Goes Up Has Definitely Been Coming Down
The headlines surrounding the August Employment Situation report seemed to focus on the moderating pace of new hiring activity. On this week’s podcast, Kevin…
- Basis Points
Fed’s Gonna Let the Economy Run “Hot, Hot, Hot”
At last week’s Jackson Hole conference, Chairman Powell announced a noteworthy shift in how monetary policy is now going to be delivered. On this week’s…
- Basis Points
Up on the Tightrope: Powell’s ‘Balancing’ Act
Chairman Powell is scheduled to take center stage at the annual Jackson Hole conference. The focus will be on what, if any, adjustments can be expected with…
- Basis Points
Heading in the Right Direction
As we continue to be bombarded with headlines and news stories on a 24-7 basis, sometimes it is difficult to know what to focus on in terms of economic…
- Basis Points
A Fixed Income State of Affairs
As we enter mid-August and the end of summer, Kevin Flanagan takes a step back and provides an analysis on the current state of affairs in the fixed income…
- Basis Points
Cratering: A Q2 GDP Experience
When the pandemic began to shut down global economies earlier this year, there were dire forecasts for what it would mean for economic activity. Unfortunately…
- Basis Points
Fed Watch: Gonna Take Two Weeks; Gonna Have a Fine Vacation
The Federal Reserve’s current easing cycle began exactly a year ago. One year later, there is a zero interest rate policy with a revamped quantitative easing…
- Basis Points
It’s “Funding”mental
The focus of money and bond markets has been on the 3-month LIBOR–OIS spread. On this week's podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses the latest moves in the fixed…
- Basis Points
Silver Linings
The economy is two for two in terms of a better-than-expected U.S. jobs reports. Just like last month, the June numbers exceeded expectations. Kevin Flanagan…
- Basis Points
U.S. Treasuries Watch: Thinking Globally
When following rate trends here in the U.S., it’s easy to focus only on domestic factors. On this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses some interesting…
- Basis Points
Leaving a TIP
While an interest rate-hedging angle for bond portfolio is not top of mind for investors right now, maybe it should be. On this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan…
- Basis Points
High Hopes
As investors sort through the aftermath of the recent bond market turmoil, there have been questions around potential value and income opportunities in the…
- Basis Points
Fed Watch: June Gloom
It came as no surprise that the Federal Reserve left monetary policy right where it is at the June FOMC meeting. Kevin Flanagan discusses how fixed income…
- Basis Points
Don't Go All Negative on Me
There has been an increasing amount of chatter regarding whether the Federal Reserve would consider pushing the Fed Funds rate into negative territory. On this…
- Basis Points
The Fed and Fixed Income ETFs
So far in 2020, fixed income ETF inflows have been greater than flows into U.S. equities, commodities or currency. On this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan…
- Basis Points
How Bad Was It?
All eyes were on Friday’s jobs report to see just how bad it really was. As expected, it was bad, the worst report of our lifetime, as a matter of fact. On…
- Basis Points
Should We Care About the Yield Curve Going Forward?
Recently, it has been argued the Fed’s balance sheet altered the historical relationship between inverted yield curves and recessions. Given the Fed’s recent…
- Basis Points
Fed Watch: At the Ready
Unlike other Federal Reserve related news since the beginning of March, the April FOMC meeting did not provide any groundbreaking headlines. That being said…
- Basis Points
The Fed Goes Bond Buying
With the alphabet soup of facilities that have all been announced by the Fed over the last month, Kevin Flanagan narrows down the scope and focuses in on the…
- Basis Points
Dazed and Confused? We Got You Covered
Over the last month, the combination of U.S. monetary and fiscal support has not only come at breakneck speed, but perhaps more importantly, at almost…
- Basis Points
Money in Motion: What's in the Price?
Recently, the overarching question for fixed income investors has been whether current valuations represent a renewed buying opportunity for the U.S…
- Basis Points
Money in Motion: Yield Ahead
Both the Fed and the U.S. federal government provided unprecedented responses to the market turmoil last week. The natural question on investors’ minds is…
- Basis Points
Money in Motion: It’s Not about Return on Principal, but Return OF Principal
The current money and bond market environment has afforded investors the opportunity to review their fixed income asset allocations. So, what are fixed income…
- Basis Points
Fed Goes Nuclear
The Fed has responded yet again, but this time around, the policy makers made sure their message was heard loud and clear around the globe. Kevin Flanagan…
- Basis Points
It Just Doesn't Matter
What if a U.S. jobs report came out and nobody cared? This is the case in the current investment universe that we are now confronted with. In what normally…
- Basis Points
Going Viral: The Sequel
In this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan provides another update on the coronavirus from a bond market perspective.
- Basis Points
19th Nervous Breakdown
Looking at the U.S. Treasury market’s reaction to the coronavirus news, there was one by-product that captured the lion’s share of the headlines: the yield…
- Basis Points
Once Upon a Time...in DC
With impeachment and State of the Union fireworks receding in the background, a fixed income strategist’s dream would be to return the focus to the normal…
- Basis Points
Going Viral
This year has gotten off to an unusual start in the financial markets. Typically, the focus would be on the Fed and/or economic developments, but unfortunately…
- Basis Points
No Attack of the Killer BBBs
Many investors have been wondering about recent downgrade trends in the U.S. investment grade space. Kevin Flanagan discusses.
- Basis Points
Could the Tail Wag the Dog?
There are many factors that investors consider when looking for forward guidance on global interest rate trends. In this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan…
- Basis Points
Well I Told You Once and I Told You Twice...
Last Friday marked the first ‘real’ data day for the bond market with the release of the final jobs report for 2019. In this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan…
- Basis Points
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
The end of December brings “the turn” to fixed income investors’ minds. “The turn” represents the period around the final business day of the calendar year…
- Basis Points
Fed Watch: No Lump of Coal This Year
After three consecutive rate cuts, the Fed decided to stay on the sidelines at their final gathering for 2019. Kevin Flanagan discusses the results of today’s…
- Basis Points
Don't Fight the Tape
Should U.S. Treasury yields be this low, given the current investment landscape? In this week’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses why he believes investors…
- Basis Points
The Barbell Solution: Q4 Update
While generally 2019 thus far has been a year of falling rates, going forward, the path seems less certain for a host of reasons. Kevin Flanagan discusses.
- Basis Points
As the World Turns
What a difference a month makes in bond-land. Just when investors thought U.S. Treasury yields were on the verge of moving even lower, a rather visible…
- Basis Points
ROS: Recession Obsession Syndrome
With yield curves inverting, trade wars heating up, data on manufacturing softening and the ultimate Federal Reserve change in monetary policy resulting in…
- Basis Points
Fed Watch: Third Time's a Charm?
As widely expected, the Federal Reserve once again voted to cut rates at its October FOMC meeting, the third time in 2019. The question that now comes to mind…
- Basis Points
The Yield Curve 'Un-Inverts'
Without much fanfare, an interesting development has occurred in the bond market thus far in October: The Treasury yield curve ‘un-inverted’. Does this flash…
- Basis Points
The Price is Right
Reports on inflation have essentially been ‘stealth-like’ and garnered little to no attention. Throughout most of 2019, inflation has had no reason to grab the…
- Basis Points
Clear and Present Danger?...Not So Fast
Before the release of last week’s jobs report, investors were inundated with headlines seemingly suggesting that it wasn’t a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when’ would…
- Basis Points
Markets to the Fed: Go Fund Me
In an interesting turn of events, the big news in Fixed Income has not been the recent rate cut. Instead, the dislocations that were witnessed in the funding…