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.
These charts by Bank of America show that every single episode of a local peak in UST 2yr yield was followed by some risk-negative event over the past 40 years.
These #charts by Bank of America show that every single episode of a local peak in UST 2yr yield was followed by some risk-negative event over the past 40 years. Such episodes ranged from mild (Mexican peso crisis in Dec 1995; HY +95bp) to moderate (Asia FX crisis in Oct 1997; HY +350bp ) to severe (GFC; HY all-time wides). The lag between the peak in 2yr yield and subsequent event varies from just a couple of weeks to just over a year, with an average being 7 months. Source: BofA, www.zerohedge.com
Italy Maintains Investment Grade Status: Moody's Decision Confirmed!
In a crucial development for Italy's economic landscape, Moody's has confirmed the nation's BBB- sovereign debt rating after conducting a comprehensive review of its credit profile. This decision reinforces Italy's investment grade status, providing stability and reassurance to the market. The anticipated outcome is evident in the behavior of the spread between Italian and German 10-year yields, which has remained steady, along with remarkably low volatility in this spread over the past few weeks. Source: Bloomberg
Favouring high-quality bonds over other asset classes in the coming months?
BofA's traditional monthly survey of global fund managers has been released and shows that investors are the most overweight bonds over stocks since March 2009! Investors are also the most record longs in Investment Grade vs. High Yield since inception (2015). Source: Bank of America
Largest weekly outflow since 2020 in U.S. High Yield bonds!
Last week, one of the largest ETFs tracking U.S. high yield bonds, the HYG or iShares iBoxx HY Corporate Bond ETF, had its largest outflow since 2020. Valuations are stretched in high yield despite solide fundamentals. Any spike in equity volatility could quickly negatively impact this segment. Source: Bloomberg
Global bond sales to record start!
In less than three weeks, governments and corporates raised nearly $600 billion in new financing, a record. This new record was helped by both the best start ever for global fixed income indices and the largest inflow into investment grade bonds in over a year. Source: Bloomberg
