- Fixed Income Portfolio Manager
Skip to main content
- Funds
- Insights
- Capabilities
- About Us
- My Account
The views expressed are those of the author at the time of writing. Other teams may hold different views and make different investment decisions. The value of your investment may become worth more or less than at the time of original investment. While any third-party data used is considered reliable, its accuracy is not guaranteed. For professional, institutional, or accredited investors only.
An inverted US Treasury yield curve is often viewed as a reliable recession indicator, so the significant flattening of the curve over the past few months — and in an environment of persistent inflationary pressures, to boot — has some economic prognosticators calling for an impending US recession. I say not so fast.
While I acknowledge that the economic outlook will likely deteriorate at the margin as monetary policy tightens, particularly if energy prices remain elevated, I do not believe the recent flattening of the yield curve portends a US recession in the near term. US consumer balance sheets look very healthy, household savings rates are robust, and rising worker wages may help cushion against the impact of higher goods and energy prices. Furthermore, the US should remain relatively shielded from today’s uncertain geopolitical landscape, given its lower oil imports from Russia and its greater domestic oil production compared to Europe.
The recent flattening (and inversion) between the two-year and 10-year parts of the yield curve has been primarily driven by the increase in short-term yields following the more aggressive policy tightening stance adopted by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) in response to stubborn inflationary pressures. Yet the three-month and 10-year “shape” of the curve — historically a more reliable recession indicator — still has a ways to go before inverting, given that the Fed has only just begun to hike the fed funds rate (Figure 1).
The Fed intends to tighten financial conditions in an effort to alleviate the effects of higher inflation, but it will likely be mindful of the attendant risks to the economic cycle. Specifically, I expect the Fed to remain keenly cognizant of the danger of tightening policy too aggressively against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions. This type of measured approach should further contribute to the “stickiness” of inflation and could raise the odds of a stagflationary outcome (i.e., high inflation in tandem with slowing growth).
That being said, I think a lot would need to go wrong in order for US economic growth to contract in the period ahead. All else being equal, it would likely take one to two years of steady Fed interest-rate hikes for tighter monetary policy to tip the US economy into recession. Projections by the Fed and futures markets have the policy rate increasing to 2.8% and 2.6%, respectively, by the end of 2023 — only slightly above the neutral rate and not overly restrictive, in my view.
While inflation can indeed erode the returns provided by traditional high-grade, rate-sensitive fixed income assets, I believe a number of bond sectors can prove resilient and even be net beneficiaries of higher inflation, including persistently elevated energy prices.
Obvious choices for sectors that can potentially benefit from inflation include bank loans (given the floating-rate nature of their coupons, which reset higher as interest rates rise) and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, aka TIPS (since their coupons are directly indexed to, and thus protected from, inflation). I also expect high-yield corporates, convertible bonds, securitized credit, and emerging markets (EM) local debt to outperform most traditional high-grade fixed income sectors in a rising-rate/high-inflation environment, particularly if the global economic expansion continues throughout 2022 and beyond. Some points to consider:
While my outlook for the US credit cycle has worsened somewhat on the back of tighter financial conditions and significant inflationary pressures, I still do not believe a central bank-induced recession is around the corner. I am seeing plenty of investment opportunities in today’s environment in spite of — in fact, because of — the high levels of economic uncertainty and market volatility that have characterized 2022 so far.
Extra credit for corporate plans: Advanced topics in LDI implementation
Continue readingInsurance Quick Takes: US life insurers’ utilization of private placements
Continue readingDoes the US election even matter? Thoughts on politics, Fed policy, and portfolios
Continue readingURL References
Related Insights
Stay up to date with the latest market insights and our point of view.
Extra credit for corporate plans: Advanced topics in LDI implementation
To help corporate DB plans refine their liability-hedging strategies, members of our LDI Team take a deep dive on 3 key liability risks and offer ideas to help improve the design of hedging portfolios.
Insurance Quick Takes: US life insurers’ utilization of private placements
In our latest Insurance Quick Takes video, Tim Antonelli discusses research on US life insurers’ use of private placement investments, and shares observations for insurers globally.
Does the US election even matter? Thoughts on politics, Fed policy, and portfolios
What's next for interest rates and what impact will the US election have? Head of Multi-Asset Strategy Adam Berger and Macro Strategist Mike Medeiros share their outlook and discuss the asset allocation implications.
The evolution of derisking: Assessing new and time-tested liability-hedging ideas
As defined benefit plans contemplate the best path to their eventual “end state,” members of our LDI team update their liability-hedging research with a blend of traditional benchmark ideas and new opportunities to capitalize on changing market conditions and a broader investment universe.
With the Fed on hold, is the case for bonds kaput?
Amid worries about sticky inflation, the market has scaled back its expectations for interest rate cuts this year. But even if rate cuts are on hold a while longer, members of our Multi-Asset Team still think investors should consider a move from cash to bonds.
The role of multi-asset credit in DC plans
We believe that multi-asset credit can augment a DC plan's core or core plus allocation by potentially providing diversification, real-time allocations to sector opportunities, and a stable income stream.
How to nurture a growth mindset in a higher-yielding landscape
In a higher-yield world, can fixed income deliver meaningful growth? John Mullins, Supriya Menon and Alex King explore how high-yield bonds may offer a powerful opportunity for growth - as well as a cushion against uncertainty.
Top 5 fixed income ideas for 2024
With central banks set to pivot to accommodative policy, and elevated yields still prevailing, we think fixed income offers compelling opportunities. Here we share our top five ideas.
Why income-seeking investors need to look across asset classes
Income plays an even more crucial role in portfolios than many of us realise, contributing a significant portion of returns for multi-asset portfolios. But with cash rates at around 5%, the world of income has changed. This should prompt investors to take a fresh look across asset classes to see where opportunities lie.
Learning to love (or live with) a late-cycle environment
Are we actually in a late-cycle environment and, if so, how should allocators respond? Head of Multi-Asset Strategy Adam Berger offers guidance, including on portfolio positioning, big cycle bets, and security selection.
Closing the return gap: A new set of “stepping stone” ideas
Multi-Asset Strategist Adam Berger offers incremental, flexible investment ideas that can be combined to help asset owners pursue their goals amid declining capital market return expectations.
URL References
Related Insights