Fixed Income

George Curtis (Portfolio Management), from our Multi-Sector Bond team provided a comprehensive understanding of the key aspects of yield curves.

In this inaugural edition of Flash Fixed Income, we look at the highly unpredictable US presidential election and explain why a potential second Trump administration could limit the Federal Reserve’s ability to deliver more rate cuts.

Over the past decade, private credit has grown from a $400bn niche industry into a $1.6tr market that competes with more traditional asset classes for significant investor allocations.

George Curtis from the Multi-Sector Bond (MSB) team at TwentyFour Asset Management reflects on the third quarter of 2024 and its impact on credit and equity markets. Despite some mid-quarter volatility, overall performance remained strong, with government bonds leading the way.

As the third quarter of 2024 comes to a close, TwentyFour Asset Management's Aza Teeuwen reflects on what this has meant for the Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) team. Not only were volumes across European ABS elevated throughout July and August, we also saw €34 billion in primary issuance – a significant increase from previous years.

Chris Bowie at TwentyFour Asset Management describes the third quarter of 2024 as a significant turning point in fixed income markets, marked by the Federal Reserve (Fed) cutting interest rates by 50 basis points (bps) for the first time in many years. This followed an earlier 25bp cut by the Bank of England (BoE), setting the scene for further rate cuts over the coming years.

With cracks starting to show in the US economy, many are wondering whether tight corporate bond spreads leave investors vulnerable. But with corporate balance sheets holding firm and yields on higher quality bonds looking attractive, staying invested in credit should continue to reward investors.

Douglas Charleston (Partner, Co-Head of ABS) and Pauline Quirin (Portfolio Management), from our Asset-Backed securities team provided a comprehensive understanding of the key aspects and trends within the Significant Risk Transfer (SRT) market.

The quantity of cash parked in money market funds has been at the forefront of investors’ minds for some time now. The surge of inflows for these short term risk-free instruments as rates rose was no surprise considering they now yield more than a single-B rated high yield corporate was offering just a few years ago.

Our investment grade team discussed social bonds in more detail and TwentyFour's approach to considering social factors in the companies that we invest in.

Our investment grade team discusses our longstanding carbon emissions engagement policy and its focus on collaborating with companies we believe we can influence. Our goal has been to shape their environmental journey over the medium to long term, leading to a reduction in carbon emissions.

Recent economic news may have created a sense of uncertainty across Europe, but Ellie Aylen from our Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) team offers a more optimistic view. According to low-level data from the Bank of England (BoE) and the European Central Bank (ECB), the actual performance is much more reassuring than what the headlines might suggest.