The seven biggest money market funds used the Fed’s overnight repo facility to help boost their assets by 50% in just 18 months, while bank deposits have plunged. Now, with quantitative tightening, their strategy is changing.

Charting China’s real estate bond meltdown

29 August 2023Credit, Risk CommentaryChina, corporate bonds, distressed debt, real estateNick Dunbar

Our corporate bond tool shows that dollar-denominated Chinese real estate bonds are collectively worth just 12% of their total value two years ago. By analysing iBoxx departures and distressed prices, we firm up this analysis and look at the wider implications for China’s troubled economy.

The last rites of BP’s pension fund

14 July 2023Articles, Pensions, Risk Commentaryinterest rates, pensions, taxationNick Dunbar

BP’s pension scheme was once a leading stakeholder in UK companies, but now it’s been ‘de-risked’ and may soon be hived off to an insurer. The story encapsulates the slow decline of Britain’s private sector defined benefit pension system.

Inflation and the return of corporate borrowing

8 June 2023Credithealthcare, inflation, utilitiesNick Dunbar

High interest rates were a dampener on corporate borrowing but now the trend has reversed, led by two sectors with their own inflationary characteristics

ARM and the UK stock market’s addiction to foreign capital

6 February 2023Stocks, TechnologyARM Holdings, equities, regulation, semiconductorsNick Dunbar

The UK government is desperate for Softbank-owned ARM Holdings to have a UK listing. But reversing the long-term trend toward foreign ownership of UK assets requires a rethink of the regulatory and tax obstacles to UK share ownership

Spares and heirs in the capital markets

18 January 2023Creditcorporate bondsNick Dunbar

At first sight, corporate bonds did badly in 2022, but aside from a handful of exceptions, this was the result of the sell-off in government debt, our analysis shows. With yields of 4-5%, investment grade bonds are now an attractive asset class.

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