The iShares S&P/Citigroup 1-3 Year International Treasury Bond Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the S&P/Citigroup International Treasury Bond Index Ex-US 1-3 Year.
See more details on sponsor's website
Monday, March 18, 4:57 AM
Ron Rowland offers additional highlights on the recently expanded lineup of commission-free ETFs over at Fidelity including the following caveat: Funds not held for 30 days by retail investors or 60 days by RIAs using Fidelity as a custodian will be subject to a $7.95 per-trade commission. Some RIAs have complained that the longer holding period directed at them is unfair. Rowland spells out the full list of affected ETFs here.
Comment!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012, 1:05 PM
Stable or shrinking yield premiums to Treasurys suggest some emerging market sovereign debt is emerging as a safe-haven play. Of note are Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia, but the Philippines and Indonesia are also on the list of those not necessarily selling off every time markets go into "risk off" mode.
Comment![Global & FX]
Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 10:44 AM
The IMF warns fiscal concerns are cutting the supply of "safe" government debt just at the time when demand for such assets are rising. Such scarcity risks raising the price of safe assets to worrisome levels (witness Germany yesterday).
1 Comment[Global & FX]
Tuesday, January 3, 2012, 5:55 AM
G7 countries will need to refinance over $7.6T of debt this year, with the amount increasing to more than $8T when interest payments are included. Japan leads the way with $3T, followed by the U.S. with $2.8T. Crucially, Italy will need to raise $428B and pay another $70B in interest.
2 Comments[U.S. Economy, Global & FX]
Friday, August 5, 2011, 4:53 AM
Italian and Spanish bond yields are rising ever higher and world markets are being routed, but for the ECB to step in would be "like pouring water into a bucket with a hole in it," says governing council member Luc Coene. Seems like he's pouring water onto an electric fire.
1 Comment[Global & FX, Top Stories]
Friday, August 5, 2011, 4:22 AMFurther increases in Italian and Spanish bond yields make a mockery of the ECB's buying of just Irish and Portuguese debt. Italian 10-year bond yields hit more fresh euro-era highs, rising 0.15 percentage point to 6.35%. Those of Spain hit 6.358%. Meanwhile, the yield on gilts touches a record low of 2.59%.
Comment![Global & FX, Top Stories]
Thursday, April 7, 2011, 5:05 PM
GE Asset Management, following "very, very aggressive run-ups" in credit markets, is unloading its CMBS, junk bonds, and emerging market debt in favor of longer term Treasuries. CIO Paul Colonna sees not a recession, but an economic slowdown enough to "impact asset prices."
1 Comment[Global & FX]
Thursday, March 24, 2011, 5:53 PM
It looks like the IMF has finally gotten the memo, declaring in a blog post that government bonds are not the risk-free asset they once were. The main implication being that sovereign paper now assumes the characteristics of a credit instrument - the price mainly reflects probability of default.
9 Comments[Global & FX]