Max Severijns

The suggestion that the Federal Reserve will maintain elevated interest rates is wavering after Tuesday’s unexpected declines in U.S. inflation figures, much to the delight of stock and bond markets.

Italian government bonds face a downgrade to “junk status”. Nevertheless, after years, the interest of foreign investors in this “ticking time bomb” is increasing.

The prolonged exodus of foreign investors from Italian government bonds has halted this year. According to research by Amundi Investment Institute, the asset class saw positive inflows of 35 billion euros in the first seven months, driven by foreign interest.

Predicting future interest rates is a favorite activity among economists and strategists, but Dimensional Fund Advisors takes a unique stance. “Forward rates are the best guide when positioning bond portfolios for higher expected returns,” they assert, dismissing the predictions of journalists and other ECB/Fed watchers.

Prices of small-cap stocks remain significantly adrift from their historical performance at the onset of a Fed hiatus, now offering a golden chance for value seekers. While a new study hails the performance small-caps during Fed pauses, critics cast doubt and warn that this historical trend is difficult to time precisely.

Despite the resilience of the American economy, investors in Treasuries and bonds harbor stiff hopes for a quick Fed pivot during the third losing year. “But we aren’t there just yet,” said Fidelity’s global fixed income CIO Steve Ellis. 

The escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas challenges the appeal of US government bonds as a traditional safe haven. 

Typically, geopolitical tensions drive short-term market moves towards safer assets like cash and US government bonds. However, on Wednesday, the yield on ten-year US government bonds increased by 0.07 percentage points to 4.9 percent, its highest since 2007. The 30-year bond yield also rose to 5 percent. 

Senior loans, currently the highest-yielding bonds, witness substantial inflows in tracker funds. 

Despite posting impressive gains in 2023, Japanese equities seem under-appreciated among global investors. What’s behind this discrepancy in the world’s third-largest economy?

European ESG funds face a record number of closures as greenwashing scrutiny intensifies and the allure of higher fees diminishes, data shows.

Market participants are bracing for an unexpected — and for a long time, unthinkable — interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan (BoJ). In an interview on Saturday, BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda indicated that he is considering raising rates “provided wages and prices continue to rise sustainably.”