Corporate bonds are in demand amid optimism and declining yields

Jan 30, 2024
Many investors see big companies as healthy and want to get into the market before the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates.
January has been a busy month in the corporate bond market, driven in part by expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.
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Corporate debt is getting more expensive. That's not necessarily a problem.

Oct 27, 2023
Both government and corporate bond yields have been climbing. For many companies, though, higher revenue more than covers the cost.
A lot of companies sold bonds to investors a few years ago, when interest rates were low.
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Corporate bond yields have been rising, too

Mar 23, 2021
Bond investors are demanding higher corporate bond yields. That's a good sign about where the economy's headed this year.
Bond investors expect inflation to pick up this year, though Fed Chair Powell doesn't expect it to have a lasting impact on overall inflation.
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Lapse in Fed lending programs could cost companies hurt by COVID

Companies hurt by the pandemic could end up paying investors a full percentage point more in interest to buy their bonds.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell testify during the Senate's Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing examining the quarterly CARES Act report to Congress on Sept. 24, 2020, in Washington.
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After a 3-month borrowing spree, corporations put the brakes on more debt

Jul 6, 2020
Some borrow less because they're optimistic, some because they're pessimistic and some because they're cautious.
A face mask hangs on a fence outside the New York Stock Exchange. Corporate borrowing has slowed as companies reconsider the economic future.
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The Fed starts buying corporate bonds

Jun 16, 2020
The Federal Reserve is buying a broad cross-section of bonds to make sure firms have the money they need to weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
A trader walks by the New York Stock Exchange. The Federal Reserve has begun buying corporate bonds as part of the CARES Act.
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What are ETFs and why is the Fed pouring billions into them?

May 12, 2020
The Federal Reserve is prepared to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in corporate bond ETFs to support businesses, and make it possible for these businesses to borrow during the Coronavirus downturn.
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For public good, not for profit.

Bank earnings skid on edgy markets

Jan 15, 2019
JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup are reporting weaker than expected earnings this week. Market volatility may have contributed to this as clients shy away from trading, which is a big part of banks’ business these days. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.