The changing role of government bonds
After a week that saw 10-year Japanese government bonds (JGBs) hit yields not seen since the late 1990’s (and record highs for 30-year and 40-year maturities), alongside one of the most interesting Davos conferences in years, which was held in the shadow of the latest push by President Trump to “acquire” Greenland, it is helpful to take stock of where this leaves the global geopolitical landscape and financial markets.
Flash Fixed Income: The Fed independence premium
For global bond investors, predictable central bank activities are an important component of long-term strategy. But the Trump administration’s unprecedented pressure on the Fed, including a criminal probe of Chair Jerome Powell, is driving investor fears about the independence of the world’s most important central bank and the reliability of monetary policy.
Credit technical to remain strong
This week we have seen the continuation of a remarkably strong technical in the credit markets. At the time when S&P 500 index was selling off by nearly 2% on the day, while government bonds were also in the red, spreads in Additional Tier 1s (AT1s), which always represent a higher beta product in the corporate bond universe, were barely changed.
Finding returns through curve positioning
With spreads well below long term averages and government bond curves pricing in what central banks are likely to do in the next few quarters, opportunities for capital gains through spread compression or sustained rallies in government bonds appear to be limited.
Multi-Sector Bond Quarterly Update – January 2026
TwentyFour Asset Management’s Felicity Juckes shares her take on volatility in Q4 and why we remain optimistic on credit heading into 2026.
Investment Grade Quarterly Update – January 2026
TwentyFour Asset Management’s Gordon Shannon explains how resilient US economic activity and evolving Federal Reserve dynamics shaped Q4 and why we remain focused on high-quality credit heading into 2026.