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14 Sep 2023

Rising Italian Yields and the Looming Debt Question: What Lies Ahead for Eurozone?

The 10-year Italian yield has reached its highest level since March, while the difference between the 10-year Italian and German yields is trading above 180bps for the first time since June. Beyond speculating on whether the ECB will raise interest rates to 4% or not, the significance of Italy's debt burden should be a fundamental concern, especially if they announce a new tightening of their monetary policy by ending reinvestments in their PEPP program or, worse still, making further disinvestments under the APP program.

6 Sep 2023

Despite the rise in bond yields, the Nasdaq 100 held up better than the Dow and other US indices on Tuesday

Tuesday was the way the Nasdaq's second best performance relative to the Russell 2000 since November 2021, breaking out to a new cycle high. The last time Nasdaq/Russell 2000 traded here was March 2000 - the very peak of the dotcom bubble... Source: Bloomberg, www.zerohedge.com

4 Sep 2023

More or less in tandem: US 10y yields and WTI oil price

Source: Bloomberg, HolgerZ

1 Sep 2023

China's holdings of US Treasuries just reached its lowest level in 14 years

Now down almost $481B from peak levels. Source: Crescat Capital, Bloomberg

31 Aug 2023

We are now seeing the widest spread between mortgage rates and 30-year risk-free rates in history

Should we see this as another barometer of credit tightness in the system? Source: Crescat Capital, Bloomberg

31 Aug 2023

Recent Developments in the AT1/CoCo Bond Market: ZKB Unexpectedly Skips an AT1 Call!

After the Credit Suisse turmoil, the AT1/CoCo bond market is witnessing intriguing dynamics as Zürcher Kantonal Bank (ZKB) takes an unexpected turn by choosing to bypass an AT1 call. In a landscape where banks are carefully navigating refinancing challenges, this move adds a new layer of complexity to the market. ZKB's decision to forego the AT1 call comes in the wake of Banco Santander's similar choice, signaling a trend toward cautious financial strategies in the face of fluctuating market conditions. These recent developments are shedding light on the intricate decision-making processes that banks are employing to balance their financial stability and growth prospects.

29 Aug 2023

The last time 10Y yields were this far above $SPX dividend yields was September 2007, the month stocks peaked

Source: zerohedge

25 Aug 2023

Turkey's Aggressive Rate Hike Triggers 5-Year CDS Drop!

The Turkey Central Bank has taken a significant step in its battle against inflation by implementing a supersized rate hike of 750bps, bringing rates to 25%. This move was unexpected, as the market had anticipated a more "modest" hike to 20%. Turkish fixed income assets have responded positively, with the Turkey 5-year CDS retreating below 400bps. Even Turkey's US Dollar-denominated bonds saw a boost from the news. With the Central Bank of Turkey adopting a more orthodox approach to its monetary policy, the question arises: can they successfully bring inflation back to reasonable levels? To provide context, the latest inflation figure for the month of July was at a staggering 47.8%... Source: Bloomberg

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