Basis Points

This week on the Basis Point’s Podcast, Kevin Flanagan takes a trip down memory lane as he remembers the Five-and-Dime stores while discussing the recent action that’s been occurring in the treasury markets, specifically in the 5 and 10-year sectors.

Basis Points: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Is your bond portfolio prepared for the possibility that this time the increase in rates is for real? On this week’s episode of the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan revisits one of the main themes for fixed income – considering a rate hedge strategy for bond portfolios.

Distributor: Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

Basis Points: 1/100th of 1 percent.

On this week’s episode of the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan is joined by Mike Barrer, WisdomTree’s Director of Capital Markets, to answer your questions about Fixed Income ETFs. They discuss Mike’s upcoming WisdomTree blog about trading in fixed income ETFs and how they performed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Basis Points: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Bid–ask spread: the difference between the prices quoted for an immediate sale and an immediate purchase for stocks, futures contracts, options, or currency pairs.

Premium discount: a volume discount applied to premiums that acknowledges the administrative cost savings associated with larger premiums.

On this week’s episode of the Basis Point’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan is joined by Jeff Dutra from Voya Financial to discuss the WisdomTree Mortgage Plus Bond Fund (MTGP). The WisdomTree Mortgage Plus Bond Fund operates as an actively managed exchange-traded fund that seeks income and capital appreciation through investments in mortgage-related debt and other securitized debt.

Basis Points: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Distributor: Foreside Fund Services LLC

Another FOMC meeting is in the books as policymakers completed their September convocation, and for those keeping track, that leaves two more Fed meetings this calendar year. On this week’s episode of the Basis Point’s podcast, Kevin Flanagan reveals key insights about FOMC’s possible exit strategy, rate hikes, shifting economic projections, and more.

After a great weekend of enjoying the start of 2021’s football season, Kevin Flanagan uses the sport as an analogy for bonds and fixed income investing. On this week’s episode of the Basis Points podcast, Kevin compares protecting the quarterback on the football field to safeguarding your bond portfolio from rising rates.

Basis Points: 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.

After looking at the August jobs report, Kevin Flanagan can’t help but feel a bit of déjà vu. On this week’s episode of the Basis Points podcast, Kevin compares the findings in the latest jobs report to the consensus forecast and draws comparisons between the inconsistencies between the forecast and outcomes of April’s jobs report.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

One of the most anticipated events of the year for the financial markets is behind us and Kevin Flanagan weighs in on the takeaways. On this week’s episode of the Basis Points Podcast, Kevin looks back on last week’s Jackson Hole speech from Federal Reserve Chairman, Jay Powell.

Another jobs report in the books and things are getting a bit more interesting for the Fed. On this week’s Basis Points Podcast, Kevin Flanagan wonders if the heat is beginning to get turned up on Federal Reserve Chairman Powell.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated his stance that the recent spike in inflation is only transitory – so where does this leave fixed income investors? On this week’s Basis Points Podcast, Kevin Flanagan explores two overarching themes for the second half of this year and into 2022.