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iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF

5/21/2013, 2:24 AM ET

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Monday, May 20, 12:30 PM The hot market for corporate junk (HYG, JNK) has pushed the yield on high-yield corporates (4.88%) well below that of high-yield municipals (5.22% nominally, over 8% on a tax-equivalent basis). The nominal spread of 34 bps is down from 56 bps a week ago as investors take notice of the anomaly. High-yield muni ETFs: HYD, HYMB, XMPT. 3 Comments
Monday, May 20, 9:47 AM UBS' 5 "suspected" asset bubbles: 1) Risk-free rates - specifically Treasurys (TLT), Bunds (BUND, BUNL), JGBs (JGBL, JGBT, JGBD, JGBS) 2) Credit (HYG, JNK) 3) Real estate in Asia (WPS) 4) Certain EM equity markets (EIDO, IDXJ, EPHE, THD, EWW) 5) Australian banks (WBK, NABZY.PK, ANZBY.PK, CMWAY.PK). Comment!
Saturday, May 18, 9:15 AM Leon Cooperman and partner Steve Einhorn keep it simple: Stocks (VTI) are cheap relative to interest rates and inflation. The guy who bought T-bills (SHY) has migrated to T-bonds (TLT), the guy who bought T-bonds has moved to investment grade corporates (LQD), the guy who bought IG is now in high-yield (HYG, JNK), and so on (glasses clink in the FOMC board room). Their largest position is Sprint Nextel (S) - as fans of Masayoshi Son and long-time owners of DISH, the duo like seeing two industry titans both wanting the same asset. New Citigroup (C) management should be able to double ROE over the next 2-3 years, and Transocean (RIG) sells for a significant discount to asset value. 4 Comments [Quick Ideas]
Friday, May 17, 12:53 PM The bull move in the greenback (UUP, UUPT) is just getting started, writes Vince Cignarella, believing the dollar's about to get another boost from safe-haven flows. The catalyst will be a selloff in fixed income taking yields on junk bonds (HYG, JNK) - now at all-time lows - to more realistic levels. The catalyst for the catalyst? It won't be 2007 all over again, he says, but instead maybe the dreaded "tapering" move from the Fed, or perhaps Syria flaming up higher. Comment! [Global & FX]
Thursday, May 16, 12:07 PM Bill Gross pokes some fun at himself, telling Bloomberg TV "We are not always right, but we are always certain." He reiterates his belief that the 30+ year secular bond bull market is over, but isn't expecting a 1994-like meltdown in Treasurys. He instead thinks Treasurys (TLT) and corporates - both investment-grade (LQD) and high-yield (HYG, JNK) - won't move much over the coming 12 months. 4 Comments [U.S. Economy]
Friday, May 10, 5:57 AM Don't panic, Moody's says, there's "no strong evidence that recent [corporate debt] issuance levels presage a damaging correction." The notion that a bubble is building in the corporate bond market isn't reflected in credit spreads which, for both investment grade (LQD) and high yield (HYG, JNK), are closer to long-run averages than they are to alarmingly tight. Furthermore, the ratings agency says a surge in issuance reflects the "disintermediation of the banking sector" and notes that the proportion of total corporate liabilities comprised of debt securities hasn't significantly increased over the past two years." We can all rest easy now. (previous) 2 Comments
Wednesday, May 8, 11:38 AM The 5% yield barrier on junk bonds (HYG, JNK) is broken for the first time ever, the Barclays U.S. High Yield Index sliding to 4.97% (prior to Jan., the yield had never fallen below 6%). Spreads to Treasurys remain at a not-unreasonable 406 bps, far wider than the record-tight 223 points reached just as the gates of financial heck were about to open in 2007. In the meantime, the equity of highly non-wobbly companies like RDS.A, VOD, and GSK yields in the area of 5%. "We don't want to question the market," writes the FT's David Keohane, "but: what the (heck)?" 7 Comments
Wednesday, May 8, 11:20 AM Coupons continue to shrink on fixed-rate U.S. corporate bonds reports Fitch, with the average falling to 5.6% in March, down from 5.7% at year end, and 6.1% a year ago. Investment-grade paper (LQD) came in at 3%, speculative (HYG, JNK) at 6.3%. New issuance in Q1 was $259.5B, putting 2013 on pace with 2012's record activity. Rating activity remains subdued, with downgrades affecting just 1% of issuance, upgrades 1.8%. Comment!
Monday, May 6, 1:04 PM It's an easy market to hate, but junk bond prices (HYG, JNK) keep going higher, the yield on the benchmark BAML index hitting an all-time low of 5.084%. The spread to Treasurys - treading water for awhile at 475 bps - has broken through that resistance, and is now at 4.33%. The Fed's role here is well-documented, but the latest meme has the BOJ's easing efforts as forcing a fresh wave of cash into the sector. 8 Comments
Wednesday, May 1, 2:54 PM iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) announces monthly distribution of $0.4681. 30-day SEC yield of 4.66% (as of 4/30/2013). For shareholders of record May 03. Payable May 07. Ex-div date May 01. Comment! [Dividends]
Monday, April 22, 10:46 AM A selection of BDCs (HTGC, GBDC, NMFC, ARCC, FSC) are on the rise after a weekend Barron's article suggests high-yield fans (HYG, JNK) receiving around a 5% yield might consider a bit of "valuation arbitrage." BDCs yielding north of 8% loan money to non-IG companies, but their paper is better-protected than junk bonds. Rising recognition of this could narrow the gap, suggests Wells' Jonathan Bock. BIZD +1.2%. 4 Comments [Financials]
Friday, April 19, 10:45 AM It's the dreaded "impossible trinity." Commodities, stocks, and bonds are all giving conflicting signals on the global economy, says BAML's David Woo, and their resolution could be a source of a "major realignment" of prices. Commodities (DBC) signal slow down, stocks (VTI) price in strong consumer spending, and bonds have completely lost it - government paper (TLT) says run for the hills, while credit spreads (LQD, HYG, JNK) say things are rosy. 11 Comments
Tuesday, April 16, 11:21 AM High yield funds (HYG, JNK) may be out of favor, but senior bank loan ETFs are getting the business, having grown AUM by $18B so far this year, more than the $11.5B for all of 2012. Senior bank loans (BKLN, SNLN) are of similar credit quality to junk bonds, but have the attraction of being floating rate and higher up in the corporate structure. Investment grade funds are available too: FLOT, FLRN, FLTR. Comment! [Financials]
Friday, April 12, 12:28 PM Fixed-income may not be being given away as it was in 2010, but there's still value, says Jeff Gundlach, scoffing at talk of a bond bubble. "Raise your hand" if you own Treasurys for yourself or a client, he asked a room full of advisors (none went up). Bonds are not "over-owned" in the U.S., he says, showing cash and fixed income make up a higher percentage of household financial assets in other countries. 5 Comments [U.S. Economy]
Monday, April 1, 4:59 PM iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) announces monthly distribution of $0.488. 30-day SEC yield of 4.89% (as of 3/28/2013). For shareholders of record Apr. 03. Payable Apr. 05. Ex-div date Apr. 01. Comment! [Dividends]
Wednesday, March 27, 11:47 AM The U.S. high-yield default rate slipped slightly to 1.8% in February, according to Fitch. Through 2013's first two months, 6 issuers have defaulted totaling $2.8B, compared to 7 and $2.5B a year ago. March has added 2 more filings and $1.5B, including Atlantic City's Revel Casino. Comment! [U.S. Economy]

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