By Peter Bergman (MoneyAmped.com)
The U.S. corporate bond market is poised to surpass previous levels of issuance as companies capitalize on more favorable financing rates compared to last year. Investors, buoyed by the possibility of a stable economic outlook, are flocking to this asset category.
Market Expectations for Lower Interest Rates Are Declining
The Federal Reserve recently dampened market expectations of immediate interest rate reductions despite projecting that rates will decrease this year due to a slowdown in inflation, despite the ongoing strength of the economy.
For investors, this presents a chance to acquire corporate bonds that offer attractive yields while maintaining a relatively low risk of default in the absence of an economic downturn.
“It’s an excellent period to engage in fixed income,” expressed Lindsay Rosner, the leader of multi-sector fixed income putting at Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
“It’s an excellent starting point when it comes to overall yields; an ideal position to consider the future direction of monetary policy, which is focused on reducing rather than increasing rates; and there is a more favorable outcome as the likelihood of a recession has significantly diminished,” she stated.
In the past month, more than $196 billion worth of bonds were issued by companies that have investment-grade ratings. This represents a significant increase. This marked the most active January in history.
This record issuance could be replicated this month, as BofA Global predicts a substantial supply of investment-grade rated bonds, amounting to approximately $160 billion to $170 billion. If this estimate holds, it would mark the busiest February on record.
It is uncommon to witness consecutive months of record-breaking performance at the beginning of the year, especially in a highly productive investment-grade market. Analysts predict that bond issuance in this market will reach approximately $1.3 trillion by the end of the year.
Data That Is Strong
The possibility of declining rates of interest and an “easy landing” for the global economy – a situation where inflation decreases without a severe recession and a significant increase in unemployment – is also driving the pursuit of higher returns and increasing the demand for the bond market with lower credit ratings. In January, the issuance of junk bonds reached a staggering $31 billion, marking the highest level seen since November 2021.
In the week ending on January 31st, there was a shift in the flow of funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that invest in investment-grade bonds. The inflow of $3.298 billion from the previous week turned into an outflow of $1.702 billion.
According to a report by TD Securities, there was a significant increase in inflows for those investing in high-yield bonds. The amount jumped to $2.373 billion from $411 million the previous week, as stated by EPFR Global data.
One reason for this is that companies with good credit ratings have been selling bonds with interest rates that are very close to or even the same as the benchmark Treasury rates and their current bonds.
In a recent example, Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) successfully issued $1.35 billion in five-year and 10-year bonds at a spread over U.S. Treasuries that reached one of the lowest levels ever recorded, as reported by Informa.
The typical additional cost for newly issued investment-grade bonds during the month was negligible, in contrast to the 3 to 4 basis points observed in previous months.
Brandon Swensen, a seasoned portfolio manager on the BlueBay Fixed Income team at RBC Global Asset Management, expressed optimism about investment-grade and high-yield credit. He cited robust demand and solid fundamentals as the driving factors behind his positive outlook. However, he mentioned that valuations are “slightly inflated. “
The expansion of credit spreads has been observed in recent days, although they continue to be predominantly lower than the levels witnessed in the previous two years.
According to the U.S. Labor Department, there was a notable increase in U.S. job growth in January, accompanied by a significant rise in wages that hasn’t been seen in almost two years.
