Posts by Mark Anderson

It seems a bit trite discussing and reflecting on one of the worst quarters in the history of the bond market while an entire country and their people face the horror of war, but we must. Our hearts and thoughts are with those in Ukraine as well as their family and friends. Just as folks…

Once again, the overall fixed income market as measured by the Bloomberg Aggregate Index was essentially flat during the quarter at 0.01% vs. the third quarter at 0.05%. Just as the market was digesting the uptick in Delta variant cases, as well as a Federal Reserve that was sounding a bit hawkish, another letter of…

Although the performance numbers don’t necessarily reflect it, the bond market experienced a dose of turbulence during the third quarter as an uptick in Delta variant cases and subsequent growth concerns brought out some sellers. The Treasury bond market was not immune from worries as inflationary concerns remain high and the debt ceiling timeline draws…

The bond market was a somewhat boring place to be during the second quarter as a mixed bag of economic news, muted job trends, tight credit spreads, and a range-bound but flattening Treasury market resulted in positive returns for the quarter. The benchmark 10-yr Treasury started the quarter at 1.74% and finished June at 1.47%,…

It is hard to believe that it has been over one-year since COVID-19 became a household word while changing the world forever. During that time, the markets sank and rebounded as investors reacted to heightened uncertainty, reassessed liquidity and risk tolerances, and finally looked forward. During the first quarter of 2021, fixed income investors finally…

Many sectors within the fixed income markets enjoyed gains as interest rates stayed relatively steady and bond spreads tightened as investors grew more comfortable with the scope and trajectory of the current economic recovery. Despite a robust new issue calendar in the middle of a usually weak season for deals, corporate bonds managed to gain…

Risk markets enjoyed a very strong second quarter as investors looked past the Covid-related human, societal and economic damage, along with meaningful social discontent and a highly partisan political backdrop. The phrase “don’t fight the Fed” has rarely seemed so true and bond investors witnessed this positive sentiment push returns almost 3% higher as corporate…

The rise of the COVID-19 Pandemic has wreaked tremendous havoc on the world’s economies and most financial markets. Investors have found few places to hide as many remain uncertain and operating primarily from their homes with shelter in place mandates being the norm. One of the few bright spots has been the quick and we…

The COVID -19 pandemic rattled markets across the globe as concerns over the impending economic slowdown prompted massive and quick selling of risk. Funds and investors of all sorts found themselves unwinding holdings in a battle for liquidity with few willing buyers. The resulting prices ranged from not great to dreadful, with the only winning…