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FICC Focus

Bloomberg Intelligence
FICC Focus offers the latest market views on interest rates, corporate bonds, emerging market debt, commodities, and currencies by Bloomberg Intelligence analysts.
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Episodes

Stablecoins’ Appetite for T-Bills, ESLR Reform: Macro Matters

There will almost certainly be some stress later this year in funding markets, but it might fall short of the level required for the Federal Reserve to step in, Will Hoffman, Bloomberg Intelligence senior associate for US and Canadian rates strategy, says on this Macro Matters edition of the FICC Focus podcast series. Hoffman is joined by co-host Ira Jersey, chief US rates strategist, to discuss the recently announced potential changes to Basel capital rules, such as the enhanced supplementary l...

Jun 26, 202520 min

Barings’ Bryan High on Adjusting to Volatility: Credit Crunch

“If you were a client that was focused on North America, you’re probably picking your head up a little bit and saying, ‘What else do you have away from North America that could be interesting?,’” according to Bryan High, head of Barings’ Global Private Finance Group. High joined Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert on this episode of the Credit Crunch podcast to talk about the benefits of a global platform amid uncertainty, when secondaries make sense, where the growth is in private credit and m...

Jun 23, 20251 hr 3 min

Fed Thoughts With BI Rates Strategist Ira Jersey: Macro Matters

The Federal Reserve may cut faster and to a lower interest rate then the market is pricing, Bloomberg Intelligence Chief US Interest Rate Strategist Ira Jersey says on this Macro Matters edition of the FICC Focus podcast series. Jersey flies solo on this episode, discussing his takeaways from the June FOMC meeting, his view on the timing and pace of rate cuts and what it would mean for the Treasury yield curve.

Jun 20, 20257 min

Liquidity and Central Bank Reserves with Matt King: All Options Considered

As cross-asset volatility resets following peak tariff fear, the geopolitical risk premium in the oil options market has moved higher. In this edition of the All Options Considered podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chief Global Derivatives Strategist Tanvir Sandhu is joined by Matt King, founder of Satori Insights, to discuss the impact of changes in central-bank reserves, liquidity and flows on markets.

Jun 18, 202513 min

Charlesbank’s Hau on Playing to Your Strengths: Credit Crunch

“We are sourcing, identifying misunderstood, high-quality middle-market companies where we have a real edge...,” said Sandor Hau, Managing Director & President, Credit, at Charlesbank, who oversees the company’s opportunistic credit investment team. Hau joined Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert on the latest episode of the Credit Crunch podcast to discuss cutting teeth on the ground in the Asian financial crisis, missing out on the dot.com boom, a private equity approach to credit investin...

Jun 16, 202553 min

CGI’s Jamison on Emerging-Market Opportunities, Risks: EM Lens

Sentiment is improving across the emerging-market investment landscape, but it takes local expertise to manage risk and crystallize returns. Thea Jamison, Founder and Managing Director of Change Global Investment, joins Bloomberg Intelligence Chief Emerging Markets Credit Strategist Damian Sassower to break down the opportunities and risks facing emerging-market equity practitioners across the globe. Jamison and Sassower touch on performance dispersion, market catalysts and idiosyncratic opportu...

Jun 13, 202518 min

SVP's Geenberg on Distressed Turnarounds: State of Distressed Debt

"If you've got [a company] that just doesn't have a logical strategic long-term owner or the industry's consolidated in a way that nobody can regulatorily do it, you're buying into a problem...And so we try to be very thoughtful about that coming in. And sometimes that means you can't do a deal. Sometimes that means you have to do it even cheaper to account for a discount on the backend too."David Geenberg, Head of Strategic Value Partners' North American Investment Team, explained to BI's Noel ...

Jun 13, 20251 hr 43 min

The Price of Football With Kieran Maguire: Macro Matters

This week we’re talking economics and finances of the world’s game with professor, author and podcaster Kieran Maguire of University of Liverpool. (We apologize in advance for those who thought this show was about gridiron football, but with the Club World Cup beginning June 14, we thought it would be interesting to discuss football/soccer finance and some economic implications of the 2026 World Cup in North America.) Maguire joins Macro Matters podcast host Ira Jersey, Bloomberg Intelligence’s ...

Jun 12, 202536 min

Sail Tariff, Default Seas with Alternative Credit: Credit Crunch

Credit globally recovered to nearly where it was as trade tensions eased, with various trade deals or tariff pauses while rate cuts are priced for central banks, especially the ECB and BOE but not the Fed. The big question is how to play credit after this recovery. In this episode of our Credit Crunch podcast, Mahesh Bhimalingam, Global Head of Credit Strategy at Bloomberg Intelligence, and Craig Scordellis, CIO of Credit at CQS UK, discuss how alternative credit and leveraged finance offer oppo...

Jun 10, 202542 min

Monroe’s Koenig on Navigating Risk Amid Growth: Credit Crunch

“I’m an entrepreneur, I’m a capitalist. I love growth, I love to back entrepreneurs,” said Ted Koenig, founder, chairman and CEO of Monroe Capital, on how he sees the firm’s expansion to over $20 billion in assets under management from its founding in 2004. Koenig joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert and Sam Geier on this episode of Credit Crunch podcast to discuss the company’s founding, attracting capital, identifying partners for growth and the market landscape. The three talk about div...

Jun 07, 20251 hr 1 min

US Debt Dynamics, Hard Data May Shape 2H Dollar Bears: FX Moment

The structural dollar bearish case is holding into 2H, though fiscal considerations are what dollar bears may lean on going forward after being driven mainly by tariff uncertainty and the impact on the de-dollarization narrative. Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chief G10FX Strategist Audrey Childe-Freeman talks to Stuart Paul, US and Canada economist at Bloomberg Economics, about the US debt dynamics and how the fiscal outlook could shape and drive the dollar view into 2H. Stuart and Audrey also touch ...

Jun 06, 202519 min

Sue Hill on T-Bill Scarcity and Central Clearing: Macro Matters

“I’m just waiting for the T-bill tsunami to come, and it can’t come soon enough,” says Sue Hill, senior portfolio manager and head of the Government Liquidity Group at Federated Hermes. Hill joins Macro Matters hosts Ira Jersey, Bloomberg Intelligence chief US rates strategist, and Will Hoffman, BI’s senior associate US-Canada rates strategist, to discuss the state of the money-market complex amid debt-ceiling-induced supply scarcity. The trio examine the limits and nuances of alternative liquid...

Jun 05, 202526 min

Canyon’s Potts Leans Into CRE Complexity Premium: FICC Special

Commercial real estate lending remains highly sensitive to US interest rates, yet it also offers a much wider complexity premium than competing fixed income asset classes, with potential for outsized investor returns. Robin Potts, chief investment officer of Real Estate at Canyon Partners, joins BI chief fixed income strategist Damian Sassower to discuss her firm’s approach to risk management, recovery mechanisms, loan origination and product evolution. Potts and Sassower discuss financing struc...

Jun 04, 202522 min

Canyon’s Kivitz on Cycles, Risk and Uncertainty: Credit Crunch

Market uncertainty can create its own opportunity, and when it comes to investing, “rules are meant to be broken in terms of finding attractive situations.” That’s according to Jeffrey Kivitz, chief investment officer for Canyon Capital Advisors, who joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert and Sam Geier on this episode of Credit Crunch to discuss the firm’s approach to distressed and opportunistic credit. We talk about pricing risk amid uncertainty, solving for borrower needs, why the ingredi...

May 29, 202557 min

Bond Tax Exemption Lives On, for Now: Masters of the Muniverse

Municipal bonds scored a win in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” passed by the House earlier this week. They didn’t lose tax-exempt status, though the bill now moves to the Senate, where it can be changed and sent back to the House for another vote. BI analysts Eric Kazatsky and Karen Altamirano are joined by BI tax analyst Andrew Silverman and BI policy analyst Nathan Dean to discuss the legislation. The team discusses the legislation’s impact on the tax-exempt municipal market, f...

May 24, 202545 min

Fiscal Policy vs. the Bond Market - Who Breaks?: Macro Matters

“I think ultimately the bond market is the disciplinarian for fiscal policymakers” says Mike Medeiros, macro strategist at Wellington Management. Medeiros joins Macro Matters hosts Ira Jersey, Bloomberg Intelligence chief US rates strategist, and Will Hoffman, BI’s senior associate US-Canada rates strategist, to discuss all things US and Canadian rates. The trio has one foot on each side of the border on this episode, unpacking the recent bond-market moves and their drivers. They cover the devel...

May 22, 202527 min

Gibson Dunn’s Greenberg Unpacks Co-Ops: State of Distressed Debt

“The cat-and-mouse game will continue,” says Scott Greenberg, the global chair of Gibson Dunn’s Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group, referring to sponsors using “sneaky” nondisclosure agreements and anti-cooperation provisions to combat lender coordination in “three-dimensional” liability management. In a conversation with Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Negisa Balluku at Beard Group’s Distressed Investing Media Night, Greenberg discussed his extensive involvement in the evol...

May 16, 202527 min

Trade War Easing, Wide Spreads Aid Credit Outlook: Credit Crunch

Credit recovered from the tariff rout with trade war easing with many deals across US, China and UK while the new government takes shape in Germany and rate cuts priced for central banks - especially the ECB and BOE - adding momentum. The big question is whether this strength will continue? In this episode of our Credit Crunch podcast, Mahesh Bhimalingam, Global Head of Credit Strategy at Bloomberg Intelligence, and Amir Fergani, Head of Credit LDI at Generali Asset Management, discuss tariffs, ...

May 14, 202525 min

Carronade’s Gropper on Investing: State of Distressed Debt

Carronade Capital Management Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer Dan Gropper expects the US to be in for a “rough ride.” “If I were today sitting on the board of a major corporation, I’m not sure I’d build my new factory or start a new division or open 14 new restaurants. You’d want to know what’s going to happen with the economy. And so even the uncertainty without the second- and third-order effects that can and will occur from tariffs, even before that happens, I think you’re alread...

May 13, 202557 min

Andy Constan on Fed Policy and Bond Market Myths: Macro Matters

Andy Constan, chief investment officer of Damped Spring Advisors, said a combination of potential expenditure cuts, which he estimates at around $300 billion per year, represents the largest fiscal tightening of his lifetime. Constan joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Ira Jersey, chief US strategist, and Will Hoffman, US/CAD senior rates strategy associate, on this episode of Macro Matters to discuss all things interest rates. They talk about some of the biggest bond market myths as well as the path...

May 09, 202553 min

Navigating Crypto Volatility: All Options Considered

Bitcoin’s volatility (currently 40%) is declining as adoption increases and the options market expands. In this edition of All Options Considered, Bloomberg Intelligence Chief Global Derivatives Strategist Tanvir Sandhu is joined by Dan Tapiero, founder and CEO of 10T Holdings and 1RoundTable Partners, to discuss how to navigate volatility in digital assets.

May 06, 202517 min

Reasons to Believe in Better Canadian Dollar Fortunes: FX Moment

There's a case to argue that peak tariff headlines negativity is behind for Canada and that can be associated with improved fortunes for the currency. In this episode of FX Moment, BI's Chief G10 FX Strategist Audrey Childe-Freeman talks to Jeremy Stretch, Chief International Strategist at CIBC World Markets, about Canada's economic and political dynamics, for a Canadian dollar focus episode. The Bank of Canada will probably end up being more dovish than expected in 2025, but it isn't alone and ...

May 01, 202518 min

AI Is Coming in Hot to Muniland: Masters of the Muniverse

Though we’ve covered the coming (and in some ways already here) technology revolution for the municipal space in many prior episodes, our latest focuses more on the practical application of Artificial Intelligence. In other discussions with vendors, AI has been used to help scale businesses to prime them for growth. In this instance, AI is being used to hopefully generate alpha and provide an edge to the market. In this episode of Masters of the Muniverse, Eugene Grinberg, CEO and co-founder of ...

Apr 28, 202540 min

Crayhill’s Mendez Speaks on Defensive ABL Appeal: Credit Crunch

Tariff-induced uncertainty has rapidly altered the cost of capital for companies across all sectors, with potential for wider spreads to persist. Carlos Mendez, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Crayhill Capital Management, joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert and Sam Geier on this episode of Credit Crunch to dive into the firm’s focus on commercial finance and renewable infrastructure asset-based lending, and the insulation its defensive approach provides. We discuss Crayhill’s recently ...

Apr 24, 20251 hr 1 min

Managing Through Volatility With Sonal Desai: Macro Matters

The dollar and equity markets remain expensive even after the recent declines, says Sonal Desai, chief investment officer for Franklin Templeton Fixed Income, on this Macro Matters edition of the FICC Focus podcast. Desai joins host and BI chief US rates strategist Ira Jersey and associate North American rates strategist Will Hoffman for a discussion about the recent extreme volatility. She thinks focusing on the broader economic outlook and market valuations is a way to stay focused on longer-t...

Apr 17, 202532 min

Davis Polk’s Tsiouris on Next LME Act: State of Distressed Debt

“I don’t think that we’ve seen the full potential of these deals. What we’re going to see … in the coming years [is] sponsors and companies actually needing to execute on these third-party deals,” says Natasha Tsiouris, a partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, about keeping the threat of the “deal away” alive in evolving liability management transactions. Tsiouris, in a conversation with Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Negisa Balluku and Phil Brendel at the Wharton Restructuring & Distres...

Apr 16, 202528 min

Tariffs and Volatility Flash Update: All Options Considered

Wide intraday-trading ranges across markets highlight risks on the downside and sensitivity to any positive news on the upside. In this edition of the All Options Considered podcast, Tanvir Sandhu, Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief global derivatives strategist, discusses tariff-led cross-asset volatility. Measures of equity convexity have spiked and spot-volatility reactivity has increased. Rates volatility has surged, but it’s still below 2022-23 hike-cycle levels.

Apr 14, 20259 min

SCP’s Perkins on Middle-Market Workouts: State of Distressed Debt

Building relationships is fundamental to turning around middle-market companies, according to SierraConstellation Partners (SCP) Founder and CEO Lawrence Perkins, as employees are “in the center of the bullseye [and] doing the work every day, taking the calls from the vendors, taking the calls from the analyst, the private equity sponsor...the direct lender.” In his feature interview with Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Noel Hebert and Phil Brendel (7:36), Perkins shares he’s encountering more “...

Apr 12, 20251 hr 35 min

Looking Through Tariffs, With Principal’s Shah: Macro Matters

Given inflation may be a feature of economy in the coming years, real estate and public infrastructure may be places for investors to consider, saysSeema Shah, chief global strategist for Principal Asset Management. On this Macro Matters edition of the FICC Focus podcast, Shah joins host and BI chief US rates strategistIra Jerseyto discuss investment ideas and regions in the midst of market volatility stemming from the tariff war.

Apr 11, 202519 min

Metacapital’s Narula on Mortgage Market Shakiness: Credit Crunch

The mortgage market may be on the brink of major transformation amid freshly implemented tariffs, proposed deregulation and the potential privatization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In this episode of Credit Crunch, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert and Sam Geier are joined by Deepak Narula, founder and co-chief investment officer of Metacapital Management, to explore emerging opportunities in mortgage-backed securities (MBS). They discuss the negative convexity profile for the asset class, ...

Apr 10, 20251 hr
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