Credit

Investors are moving back into higher-rated fixed income after years of comparative neglect, and we noted that asset- and mortgage-backed securities (ABS and MBS) offered diversified risk exposures, together with relative value caused mainly by technical supply-and-demand factors.

Despite a pullback in bond yields, clients at our Solving for 2024 event were still uncertain about how to invest in a world of runaway government debt.

With this transaction on a 5-year maturity, Sfil extends its dollar reference curve by a further 2 years and contributes to diversifying its medium- to long-term financing sources after 2 euro transactions launched during the 1st half at 5 and 7 years.

The last decade has seen a growth bias among financial assets, one that has become entrenched in equity indices. At the same time, bonds seemingly shed much of their protective qualities, offering investors very little by way of diversification.

As an ever-more-aggressive rate-hiking cycle rocks the financial markets, might corporate credit offer a space that is both remunerative and relatively calm? Last week brought the third consecutive 75-basis-point rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve. The market had even priced in a meaningful risk of a full percentage point.