Basis Points

Could the U.S. Treasury 10-Year yields break the 5% threshold in 2025? This week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan explains why a modest U.S. economic outlook, bumpy inflation progress and historical trends suggest a trading range of 4%–5% in 2025. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

As expected, the Fed delivered a 25-basis point rate cut at the December FOMC meeting, but what comes next is far from clear. This week on the Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan discusses why future rate moves depend on shifting economic signals and why the Fed’s definition of “neutral” may be evolving. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

With U.S. interest rates back to “normal” levels, fixed income investors face a landscape many haven’t seen in years. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan is joined by Jim Bianco, President of Bianco Research to cover how blending active and passive bond strategies — now more accessible through ETFs — may help navigate this evolving environment. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent....

Treasury Floating Rate Notes provide income without taking on duration risk—a key advantage while the 3-month/10-year Treasury yield curve remains inverted. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explores how the WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund (USFR) could fit within an active/passive core fixed income portfolio. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Navigating today’s fixed income market is about more than timing—it’s about strategy. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan highlights the Bianco Research Fixed Income Total Return Index's recent re-positioning to neutral duration, underscoring how active management adapts to steepening yield curves and credit risks. Basis Point: 1/100th of a percent Bianco Research Fixed-Income To...

The U.S. Treasury market reacted sharply to last week’s election and Fed meeting. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan unpacks why Treasury yields are likely to stay elevated in the months ahead. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

After a bold 50-basis point (bp) cut in September, the Fed dialed down to a 25-bp rate reduction at today’s FOMC meeting. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan breaks down how shifting economic data is complicating the path for future rate cuts—and why the Fed might even pause by early 2025 if inflation gets sticky and the labor markets don’t soften as expected. Basis Point: 1/100t...

A barbell strategy builds a strong foundation for a bond portfolio, but how can investors enhance that? This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explains how securitized fixed income could potentially boost investor portfolios with added income from mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

The U.S. Treasury market has experienced two significant rallies over the past year, with investors waiting for a validation of declining yields. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses the recent UST yield reversal, shifting Fed rate cut expectations, and the potential impact of upcoming economic data on the bond market. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

The private credit market may be primed for more attention with the start of the latest rate cut cycle. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan is joined by the CEO of Gapstow Capital Partners, Chris Acito to discuss the latest on this growing asset class. They also offer insight into how the WisdomTree Alternative Income Fund, HYIN, can offer strategic exposure for investors and adv...

With the Fed “recalibrating” monetary policy towards rate cuts, the uncertainty now shifts to the timing and magnitude of this easing. In the latest Basis Points episode of the Money in Motion series, Kevin Flanagan presents a barbell approach, utilizing our Floating Rate Treasury Fund (USFR) and Yield Enhanced U.S. Aggregate Bond Fund (AGGY).  Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.  Barbell: The barb...

After much anticipation, the Fed finally delivered a rate cut at today’s FOMC meeting. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan examines the Fed’s data-driven approach, the potential disconnect between market expectations and Fed actions and the crucial role employment data will play in shaping future rate cuts. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

The UST 2-Year/10-Year yield curve has recently shifted into positive territory, while the UST 3-month/10-Year curve remains deeply inverted. This week on a special episode of the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses the divergence between the curves, and highlights market expectations on future Fed rate cuts and the potential for a steepening trend ahead. Basis Point: 1/100th of a perce...

With Labor Day behind us, the focus for money and bond markets shifts to the September FOMC meeting, where Fed Chair Powell has hinted at a rate cut. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explores the implications of the upcoming September FOMC meeting and discusses the Fed’s shift in focus from inflation to labor market data. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

With rate cuts now definitively expected by the bond market for the September FOMC meeting, some perspective is in order. In the third installment of the Money in Motion series, Kevin Flanagan discusses the implications of the new rate regime in U.S. Treasury yields and highlights the advantages of floating rate notes in this investment landscape. Basis Point: 1/100th of a percent Treasury yield:...

Will we experience another case of déjà vu and witness another rally in the U.S. Treasury market? This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explains why the Treasury rally needs to be validated. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

The combination of a dovish Fed Chairman Powell post-FOMC presser and cooling labor market setting provided more fuel for Fed rate cuts. Kevin Flanagan discusses how the debate is no longer centered around the number of potential easing moves for the remainder of 2024, but rather, how large they could possibly be in his Money in Motion series. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

At yesterday's FOMC meeting, the Fed kept rates unchanged, marking the eighth consecutive meeting where policymakers decided to take no action on the rate front. Against this backdrop, Kevin Flanagan discusses the possibility of a rate cut in the next FOMC meeting in September. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

The news of President Biden dropping out of the presidential race has created a whole new layer of uncertainty into the market backdrop. Amid this volatility, we suggest honing in on an issue with more clarity: Fed rate cuts. In the first Basis Points podcast episode of the 'Money in Motion' series, Kevin Flanagan discusses how investors can strategically navigate rate cuts in their fixed...

Lately, a hot topic in the investment space has been the timing of when the UST curve could 'un'invert. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan covers the dynamics behind yield curve movements, including the timing and factors that could cause the yield curve to move out of negative territory. Basis Point: 1/100th of a percent.

It has been two years since the Treasury yield curve moved into negative territory and the U.S. economy has yet to move into recession territory. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explores the relationship between inverted yield curves and recessions and discusses the current state of the labor market and its impact on the economy. Basis Point: 1/100th of a percent.

At today's FOMC meeting the Fed kept rates unchanged, marking the seventh consecutive FOMC meeting where the policymakers decided to take no action on the rate front. With half of the FOMC meetings for the year in the books, this week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses the possibilities for the latter part of 2024. Basis Point: 1/100th of a percent.

Against the backdrop of a new rate regime in the fixed income landscape, investors have been trying to determine where to allocate funds. Kevin Flanagan dives into key trends within U.S. Credit and why investors should consider this sector of fixed income. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent. Treasury yield: The return on investment, expressed as a percentage, on the debt obligations of the U.S. gov...

Fed policy has been the primary force driving the money and bond markets for the past few years. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses how the Fed's data dependency has led to volatility in the bond market. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent. Consumer Price Index (CPI): A measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services, s...

As we entered this year, all eyes were on the Federal Reserve’s rate-cutting trajectory. The question wasn’t “if” but “when” and “by how much.” However, recent developments have turned the narrative on its head. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan discusses this shift and the effect on the markets. Basis Point: 1/100th of a percent.