Displaying items by tag: fixed income

Investing in bonds has gained popularity, facilitated by platforms like Webull and Public. Bonds come in three main types: U.S. Treasury bonds, corporate bonds, and municipal bonds, each with distinct tax implications. 

U.S. Treasury bonds are state and local tax-exempt, corporate bonds are fully taxable, and municipal bonds often enjoy federal and state/local tax exemptions. Credit quality is vital, with investment-grade bonds rated BBB- or higher by S&P and Baa3 or higher by Moody’s. 

Comparing after-tax and taxable-equivalent yields helps investors decide the best options based on their tax brackets. Additionally, understanding the yield to maturity and coupon rates of bonds, such as those from can aid in making informed investment decisions

Finsum: Alternatively, ETFs and other products can make a wider exposure to bonds a little easier.

Vanguard, managing over $9 trillion in assets, favors high-rated corporate debt over riskier high-yield bonds to guard against potential economic downturns caused by high borrowing costs. 

Despite expectations of the Federal Reserve cutting rates by September due to cooling inflation and labor market weakness, Vanguard predicts rates will hold steady this year. 

High demand for investment-grade bonds has compressed credit spreads, but Vanguard's defensive strategy, along with its active fixed income management, is poised to perform well if the economy weakens, allowing for credit additions at more attractive prices.

Finsum: Active managers will be eyeing fall fed decisions closely as they have a huge impact on bonds.

Goldman Sachs exceeded profit and revenue estimates with $8.62 earnings per share and $12.73 billion in revenue, driven by strong fixed income results and reduced loan loss provisions. The bank’s Q2 profit surged 150% to $3.04 billion compared to the previous year. 

Fixed income revenue rose 17% to $3.18 billion, while provisions for credit losses fell significantly. The asset and wealth management division saw a 27% revenue increase, and platform solutions revenue rose 2%.

However, investment banking fees were slightly below expectations, unlike rivals JPMorgan and Citigroup. Shares of Goldman Sachs increased by more than 1% in midday trading.

Finsum: This is evidence of the good climate for fixed income markets during extreme economic stress. 

Bond investors should closely monitor their allocation and management strategies, given the current favorable real Treasury bond yields above 2% and even higher yields on investment-grade bonds. 

Bonds are now competitive with other asset classes, a situation not seen in decades due to historically low central bank policy rates. Despite this, many investors continue to neglect their bond allocations, possibly due to poor returns over the past decade. Passive bond index funds and ETFs, like the Vanguard Total Bond Market II Index Fund and iShares Core U.S. 

Aggregate Bond ETF, have gained popularity but may not align with all investors' objectives. Active bond management, which can better match investment goals and risk tolerance, often outperforms passive strategies even after fees. Investors should consider a more active approach to bond investing to optimize their portfolio performance and risk management.

Finsum: A rate cut seems more likely given the economic outlook and investors should plan accordingly

When considering fixed income ETFs, active strategies offer notable advantages over passive ones. Unlike equity indexes, replicating a bond index like the U.S. Agg is "impossible" due to smaller bond quantities, infrequent trades, and varying maturities and credit ratings.

 Active management allows flexibility to adapt to shifting bond markets and interest rate environments. The T. Rowe Price QM U.S. Bond ETF (TAGG), for example, charges eight basis points and seeks to outperform the U.S. Agg through a diverse range of investment-grade U.S. bonds.

 As fixed income ETFs grow in popularity, active strategies present a valuable alternative. This trend reflects a broader move towards active management within the ETF space.

Finsum: When thinking about the advantages of active bonds its important to consider this index replicability that you can’t get in fixed income.