Bonds
The global bond selloff is not over, but opportunities are emerging. US Treasuries and French OATs remain vulnerable to further selling, while other European government bonds look increasingly attractive. Investors should favor German Bunds and peripheral bonds, particularly on a currency-hedged basis.
Forced selling may be approaching a pause, but France’s fiscal and political adjustment has barely begun. Maintain an underweight in OATs and use relief rallies to reduce exposure. Contained contagion is reassuring for Europe; it is not a buy signal for France.
As the 10-year yield surged in September, the S&P 500 slipped but only by 0.3%, supported by Technology and Communication Services. We see upside into year end, with bond yields remaining the key risk.
Rising rates don’t halt bull markets but real yields exceeding the economy’s potential long-run growth rate could. That relative level could lead to a stock-bond collision if it persisted long enough to slow the economy.
Core US inflation is still running above target. But this morning’s data revisions reveal that the gap is not nearly as large as it appeared yesterday.
US corporate balance sheet health looks strong overall, and credit metrics aren’t showing any significant negative impact from the AI issuance boom.
Inflation, not valuation, is the real threat to this bull market. This four-report series lays out where BCA's strategists agree, where they don't, and what to watch for next.
We remain constructive on US equities, but higher yields, slower EPS growth and heavy IPO issuance remain significant risks to valuations, leaving the path to our year-end target increasingly dependent on earnings. Tactically, there has already been a significant, but benign, compression in multiples, as earnings have outpaced prices. A well-communicated Fed hike could ease rather than intensify bond-market uncertainty.
We propose a unified framework for predicting the direction of short-term interest rates and long-term bond yields that brings together three approaches: 1) the saving-investment approach; 2) the Taylor rule approach; and 3) the portfolio balance approach. Our analysis suggests that bond yields in the US and many other countries have increased mainly because of a higher neutral interest rate and a larger term premium. Given the risk of a further rise in inflation expectations, investors should overweight inflation-linked bonds.