FICC

In this report, we present our review of the BCA Research Global Fixed Income Strategy (GFIS) model bond portfolio for the full calendar year 2022 and the initial outlook for 2023. We envision a changed game plan for fixed income investing this year, as the focus of bond investors begins to shift from high inflation to slowing global growth. In this environment, asset allocation decisions between government bonds and spread product – rather than duration management – will represent the more important expected driver of bond portfolio performance.

This week we present our Portfolio Allocation Summary for January 2023.

In this, our final report of a tumultuous year, we summarize our policy outlook for the “Big 4” central banks – the Fed, the ECB, the Bank of England (BoE) and the BoJ – and the associated bond market implications for 2023.

Special Report

This week we present our outlook for the Fed in 2023.

Special Report

In this report, we discuss our most important investment themes for global fixed income markets in 2023, and present our main investment recommendations based on those themes. Our broad conclusion: an environment of slowing global inflation, much weaker global growth and less hawkish central banks will be positive for global government bond returns, but problematic for growth-focused spread products like corporate bonds.

This week we present our Portfolio Allocation Summary for December 2022.

Special Report

This week we present six key investment views for 2023.

Special Report

In this Special Report, we consider what some common monetary policy rules are recommending for the major central banks and derive conclusions on duration strategy and country allocation for bond investors. We conclude that rate hike expectations in most countries may appear appropriate given the current global backdrop of high inflation and low unemployment, but look elevated on a forward-looking basis versus slowing global growth and peaking global inflation.

The messages from the deteriorating fundamental backdrop (tight monetary policy, slowing global growth) and improved credit valuation (elevated 12-month breakeven spreads) are giving conflicting signals on corporate bond strategy. We are putting more weight on the fundamentals and are staying with an overall underweight stance on global investment grade corporates, with a slight bias towards Europe given more attractive spread valuations. At the same time, we see selective opportunities in sectors where risk-adjusted spreads are wide as signaled by our individual country sector valuation models, like US Energy and euro area Financials.

Central banker messaging after the latest rate hike announcements in the US, UK and Australia indicates a shift in focus from the pace of hikes to how high rates must rise to slow growth and bring down inflation. This represents the next stage of the global tightening cycle, where rates will go higher in countries where neutral rates are higher, like the US, compared to countries with lower neutral rates like the UK and Australia.