📉 Money managers who loaded up on US government bonds as a bet against recession are now facing subpar returns and a deepening selloff as Treasury yields rise.
📉 The annual return on US government bonds turned negative last week as Treasury yields reach a 15-year high, suggesting that interest rates will remain elevated and the economy can handle it.
📉 Bob Michele, CIO for fixed income at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, remains undeterred and is buying every dip in bond prices.
📉 Other prominent money managers, including Allianz Global Investors, Abrdn Investments, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, and DoubleLine Capital, believe that the impact of Federal Reserve rate hikes is just starting to be felt by the economy and predict a recession.
📉 Fund managers are making adjustments to duration to hedge their positions, with some shortening duration while others maintain overweight positions.
📉 Historical patterns suggest that rate hikes often lead to slumping economies, but it remains uncertain whether yields will follow the same pattern this time.
📉 The borrowing needs of wealthy economies and the flood of debt issuance may lead to higher yields.
📉 Despite the current environment, some funds that took short bond, long stock positions have faced significant drawdowns, indicating that rates may remain elevated.
📉 J.P. Morgan's Michele is confident that bond yields will fall once the Fed finishes its tightening cycle, even before the first rate cut.
US bond-market selloff continues as resilient economy prompts investors to anticipate elevated interest rates even after the Federal Reserve finishes its hikes, leading to a 16-year high in 10-year yields and increased inflation expectations.
Investors should consider moving into longer-dated bonds as historical data shows that the broader U.S. bond market typically outperforms short-term Treasurys at the end of Federal Reserve rate hiking cycles, according to Saira Malik, chief investment officer at Nuveen.
The average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to its lowest point in three weeks, with most loan types experiencing a double-digit decline.
Mortgage rates have decreased for both 15-year fixed and 30-year fixed mortgages, while the 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage has increased; inflation and the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes have contributed to the fluctuation in rates.
U.S. mortgage rates have dropped for the first time in six weeks, due to uncertainty surrounding the possibility of the U.S. Federal Reserve increasing interest rates in September.
The 10-year Treasury bond is on course for a third consecutive year of losses, which is unprecedented in 250 years of U.S. history, as the bond's return stands at negative 0.3% so far in 2023 after significant declines in the past two years, due to factors such as rising inflation and interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve has sold about $1 trillion of its bond holdings without causing strains in financial markets, as part of its balance sheet reduction program.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note is predicted to decrease significantly for the remainder of this year and in 2024, as economists anticipate the Federal Reserve to loosen its monetary policy and inflation to fall.
Investors are growing increasingly concerned about the ballooning U.S. federal deficit and its potential impact on the bond market's ability to finance the shortfall at current interest rates, according to Yardeni Research.
Experts predict that mortgage interest rates will likely drop over the next year and reach around 5% by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.
The Federal Reserve has surpassed $100 billion in losses, and experts predict that the losses could potentially double before they start to decrease, as the central bank continues to pay out more in interest costs than it earns from bonds and financial sector services.
High mortgage rates have frozen the US housing market, but experts predict that the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates in the next 12 to 18 months, potentially leading to a decline in mortgage rates.
The Federal Reserve has indicated that interest rates will remain "higher for longer," potentially for at least three more years, in order to sustain economic growth and combat inflation.
Rising Treasury rates and oil prices are creating an unfavorable situation for consumers, investors, and the economy, making it challenging for the Federal Reserve to manage inflation without causing a recession. The potential for a "soft landing" and decreased inflation remains, but the economy should prepare for possible sector-by-sector recessions and a full-blown recession, along with government shutdowns and fiscal policy disputes becoming normal occurrences. The discrepancy between short-term and longer-term rates controlled by the Fed has gained importance, with higher borrowing costs disrupting the stock and bond markets. In this volatile period, long-term investors should hold on and ensure they have enough money saved to weather the storm. While the Fed has pushed short-term rates higher, it has also benefited savers with higher yields on money market funds, short-term Treasury bills, and high-yield savings accounts. However, a strong dollar has impacted S&P 500 earnings, leading to a struggling stock market and increased costs for imports and exports. Rising interest rates pose the greatest economic challenge, affecting consumer loans and dampening spending. Traders who bet on long-term bonds have faced losses due to rising rates, highlighting the inverse relationship between interest rates and bond prices. As a result, it may be advisable to purchase shorter-term Treasuries and keep bond durations lower. The surge in bond yields has also disrupted stock investors' expectations of controlled inflation and the Fed's tightening, leading to stock market losses. The economy and markets may experience more turmoil, as there are various factors beyond the Federal Reserve's control.
The Federal Reserve's shift towards higher interest rates is causing significant turmoil in financial markets, with major averages falling and Treasury yields reaching their highest levels in 16 years, resulting in increased costs of capital for companies and potential challenges for banks and consumers.
The Federal Reserve is expected to continue reducing its bond holdings despite the recent surge in bond yields, as key measures of volatility and liquidity in the bond market are not indicating a significant risk, and higher credit costs align with the central bank's goal of restraining growth and lowering inflation.
Despite the ongoing bear market in Treasury bonds, certain sectors of the fixed-income market, such as bank loans, short-term junk bonds, and floating-rate notes, are performing well in 2023, offering some protection from the losses in long-term Treasuries, which have slumped 46% since March 2020. The future performance of long-dated bonds depends on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy and the resilience of the economy.
Long-term bond yields have surged as the Federal Reserve reduces its bond portfolio and the U.S. Treasury sells debt, contrary to the expectations of Wall Street and investors worldwide, but a research paper written by a University of Michigan student six years ago accurately predicted this scenario.
China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and other countries have been reducing their holdings of US Treasury bonds, potentially indicating a slowdown in their economies or a strategic shift.
The bond market has experienced its worst annualized returns in 20 years, leaving investors with significant losses and challenging traditional views of bond investments as safe and fixed income.
Investors are closely monitoring the bond market and September CPI data to determine the Fed's stance on interest rates, with Seema Shah of Principal Asset Management highlighting the circular nature of market reactions to yield spikes and their subsequent declines. She suggests that while there are concerns about upward momentum, the equity market will find comfort in a continued drop in yields and could remain range-bound for the rest of the year. Diversification is recommended as the market narrative remains unclear, and investors may consider waiting until early 2024 for greater clarity on the economy and the Fed's actions.
Bond market strategists are maintaining their predictions that U.S. Treasury yields will decrease by the end of the year and that 10-year yields have reached their peak, despite recent sell-offs and a strong U.S. economy.
The risk of a crisis event in the economy is increasing as the Federal Reserve's "higher for longer" narrative is threatened by lagging economic data, with historical patterns suggesting that yield curve inversions occur 10-24 months before a recession or crisis event, and the collision of debt-financed activity with restrictive financial conditions is expected to result in weaker growth.
UBS advises investors to focus on bonds rather than stocks, predicting that the 10-year US Treasury yield will drop to 3.5% by mid-2024 due to slowing growth and the Federal Reserve's easing of policy, offering bondholders returns of around 13%.
High mortgage rates are expected to fall over the next year, with rates projected to decrease to 6.1% by the end of 2024 and the 30-year mortgage rate falling to 5.5% by the end of 2025, driven by a slowing U.S. economy and signs of a weakening economy, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
The Federal Reserve is expected to reach its 2% inflation target rate by early 2025 and is unlikely to raise interest rates in the near future, according to Mike Fratantoni, Chief Economist of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Fratantoni also predicts that the 10-year treasury rate will drop below 4% by the end of the year, leading to a decrease in mortgage rates over the next two years. The U.S. government's fiscal policy and debt limit impasse could continue to impact mortgage rates.
According to Bank of America's Global Fund Manager Survey, 56 percent of investors believe that bond yields will fall over the next 12 months, with two potential paths being a soft landing or a hard landing for the Fed.
The relentless selling of U.S. government bonds has caused Treasury yields to reach their highest level in over 15 years, impacting stocks, real estate, and the global financial system as a whole.
Rise in long-term Treasury yields may put an end to historic interest rate hikes that were meant to lower inflation, as 10-year Treasury yields approach 5% and 30-year fixed rate mortgages inch towards 8%. This could result in economic pain for American consumers who will face higher car loans, credit card rates, and student debt. However, it could also help bring down prices and lower inflation towards the Federal Reserve's target goal.
