Breaking Down 10 Year Bond Yields

While there is certainly a lot going on in rates markets, it’s been interesting to see participants give more attention to the fiscal backdrop of the US government. It comes as no surprise that the weighted average cost of our government debt has increased...

Moody’s Downgrade: Should We Care?

Last Friday, Moody’s rating agency lowered the US credit rating from Aaa to Aa1 (their version of AA+). Technically, this doesn’t change the US’s overall credit rating because it was already split-rated AA+. This follows downgrades by S&P in 2011 and Fitch in...

May FOMC: A Pause for Thought

→ FED SAYS UNCERTAINTY ABOUT OUTLOOK HAS ‘INCREASED FURTHER’ → FED: RISKS OF HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT, HIGHER INFLATION HAVE RISEN → FED HOLDS BENCHMARK RATE IN 4.25%-4.5% TARGET RANGE   Source: Bloomberg as of 05.7.2025   The Fed has cut the fed funds...

Around the Bond Market, April 2025

President Trump Critiques the Fed   Earlier this week, President Trump indicated he thinks the Fed should be “early, or on time” cutting rates, but not “too late,” adding it is “a perfect time to lower the rate.” Pressed by a reporter asking if the President has the...

No Help From Bonds

CPI Update: Softer Than Feared   The latest inflation report showed that consumer prices cooled more than expected. The CPI fell -0.1% in March, the first monthly decline since May 2020. The median forecast expected the CPI to rise 0.1% in March. YoY, consumer prices...

FOMC is Waiting for Clarity, Too

Fed Waiting, Like the Rest of Us   The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) met this week, deciding to leave the reserve rate unchanged as expected (a unanimous decision amongst voters). The Fed’s so-called “dot plot,” which projects participants’ expectations...