Multi-Sector Bonds

In this month's Flash Fixed Income, we look at how bond markets are reacting to Donald Trump's victory in the US election. With Trump's stated policies widely regarded as being inflationary, we expect a bigger divergence in the path for interest rate cuts between the US and Europe that might favour higher quality European credit.

George Curtis (Portfolio Management), from our Multi-Sector Bond team provided a comprehensive understanding of the key aspects of yield curves.

George Curtis from the Multi-Sector Bond (MSB) team at TwentyFour Asset Management reflects on the third quarter of 2024 and its impact on credit and equity markets. Despite some mid-quarter volatility, overall performance remained strong, with government bonds leading the way.

With cracks starting to show in the US economy, many are wondering whether tight corporate bond spreads leave investors vulnerable. But with corporate balance sheets holding firm and yields on higher quality bonds looking attractive, staying invested in credit should continue to reward investors.

In his latest update on the European high yield market, a member of our Multi-Sector Bond team discusses two key topics: the Maturity Wall and Default Rates. He highlights that as interest rates continue to rise, default rates are projected to increase from 2.5% to around 3%.

We have consistently highlighted the benefits of higher interest rates for the European banking sector. However, the current outlook suggests that lower rates are anticipated going forward.

While the majority of headlines have concerned whether the Fed will do 25bp or 50bp to kick off its cutting cycle, we think this is only one part of the discussion – and not necessarily the most important one.

If you were on vacation last week, your holiday blues wouldn’t have been helped when you looked at your screens this morning, given how quickly sentiment has changed, mainly on the back of one data point.

Positioning and fixed income markets have remained quite tricky this year, however credit markets have continued to perform very strongly. TwentyFour Asset Management's Eoin Walsh, discusses why he thinks there is opportunity within European credit despite the rate headwinds and pull back on some of the aggressive rate cutting expectations markets had at the start of the year.

A member of our Multi-Sector Bond team takes us on a journey through market sentiment. He highlights its strength in Q1, the reversal in Q2, and the pivotal role of upcoming data as the main driver of risk sentiment moving forward.

There is little disagreement among investors and economists that the last few years have been highly unusual in many respects. An inflationary shock in developed markets, one of the fastest rate hiking cycles on record, the worst year in decades for government bonds (2022), and mild recessions with no movement in unemployment are just a few of the dynamics that have strayed from recent norms.

For any fixed income investors that follow the England football team, the plan for H2 2024 may feel somewhat familiar – no substitutions in the second half.