Basis Points

We believe investors are being faced with a new rate regime as we get ready to enter 2024. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan surveys the state of the U.S. Treasury (UST) market and outlines how investors can prepare.

Basis Point: 1/100th of a percent.

As we approach the end of 2023, investors may want to take stock of their fixed income portfolio and consider how to position for the new year. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses tax-loss harvesting and how to implement a barbell strategy with a few of our fixed income ETFs.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Duration: A measure of a bond’s sensitivity to changes in interest rates. The weighted average accounts for the various durations of the bonds purchased as well as the proportion of the total government bond portfolio that they make up.

One takeaway from the November FOMC meeting is that tighter financial conditions are now a key monetary policy input. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan analyzes the Chicago Fed National Financial Conditions Index to gauge the current state of the markets.

At today’s FOMC meeting, the Fed voted to keep interest rates unchanged. As a result, the trading range remains at 5.25%–5.50%, a more than 20-year high watermark. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan analyzes the impact of the rise in Treasury yields, the ongoing quantitative tightening and the new rate regime on fixed income investors. 

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

We believe investors are being faced with a new rate regime as we get ready to enter 2024. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan surveys the state of the U.S. Treasury (UST) market and outlines how investors can prepare.

Basis Point: 1/100th of a percent.

The U.S. economy has been resilient despite the inverted yield curves, but is it too early to celebrate? This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses how the recent surge in UST 10-yr yield has changed the shape of the curves and what it means for the future of the economy.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Halloween season is now upon us and if you look at recent price action within the U.S. Treasury (UST) market, it looks as if the ‘spooks’ have already started. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses why this is happening and how investors can position their bond portfolios as the U.S. Treasury market 10-year yield hits a 16-year high.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Barbell: The barbell is an investment strategy applicable primarily to a fixed income portfolio.

The Fed left the interest rates unchanged at today’s FOMC

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

One of the more surprising outcomes so far this year is that markets have yet to see a recession. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan examines two indicators of economic growth, GDI and GDP, and discusses what to anticipate in Q3 and the rest of 2023. 

Basis Point: 1/100th of 1 percent. 

While the Fed has emphasized that future policy decisions would be based on the “totality” of upcoming economic data, make no mistake, employment reports go to the front of the line. As the September FOMC meeting approaches, Kevin Flanagan analyzes the latest jobs numbers on this week’s episode of the Basis Points podcast.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.