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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

EM Lens: Identifying Alpha Opportunities in EM Fixed Income

Creditors are returning to emerging market fixed income as supply-demand technicals are supportive, rating momentum is positive and real-yield differentials are wide. Thys Louw, emerging market fixed income portfolio manager at Ninety One, joins Damian Sassower, Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief EM fixed income strategist, to discuss alpha potential in EM hard- and local-currency debt. Louw and Sassower assess the allocation gap among institutional investors and the effect of rising cross-asset cor...

Apr 21, 202633 min

Credit Crunch: Saturna’s Drum on Sukuk Growth, Geopolitical Risk

“The market reaction has been very measured. Spreads have clearly moved in response to changes in fiscal outlooks and ratings,” says Patrick Drum, Saturna Capital’s fixed-income lead and portfolio manager, discussing the impact of current events in the Middle East on sukuk and the Islamic finance market. It’s “not so much the conflict itself. Tension is really back to the basics of balance sheet.” Drum joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert on the latest Credit Crunch podcast to examine suku...

Apr 20, 20261 hr 1 min

Credit Crunch: Investor Survey 2Q - Iran, Rates, Dollar vs. Euro

Credit and high yield had first quarter losses due to the Iran war impact, especially on rates. Will 2Q revert those losses, and why? Mahesh Bhimalingam, Bloomberg Intelligence global head of credit strategy, discusses the results of the BI 2Q26 Investor Survey and the market outlook with Manuel Schoeffler, Head of High Yield at Deka Investment GmbH. They discuss valuations and central bank actions, along with distress and default rates. This podcast also covers survey results on investor positi...

Apr 14, 202640 min

State of Distressed Debt: Weber, Aguirre on Attaining Owner DNA

“Troubled businesses don’t turn around on a dime. They took years to get messed up. They got worse through the restructuring when they were capital-starved,” observed Jon F. Weber, founder of Jon F Weber & Co. “A lender should not have the expectation that, upon pouring in liquidity and improving the capital structure, they’re going to immediately improve. We’re in the reality business... We have to establish what can be realistically achieved with a 70%-80% probability and align awards, bud...

Apr 13, 20261 hr 35 min

Macro Matters: Fed Past & Future with BNY's Reinhart

The Federal Reserve still has an easing bias and may lower rates another 50 bps this year, says Vincent Reinhart, chief economist for BNY Investments, on this edition of Macro Matters in the FICC Focus podcast series. Reinhart joins host Ira Jersey, chief US interest rate strategist for Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss BNY Investments’ view on the economy and central bank actions as uncertainty remains high around energy prices. The two discuss the economic backdrop and how the path of nominal...

Apr 09, 202627 min

FX Moment: Iran War Shift First Step Out of Sterling Bear Cycle

The US-Iran ceasefire and associated relief in risk aversion and pullback in oil prices may be a first step out of the sterling-dollar bear cycle of the past few weeks. There will be cyclical relief as the market adjusts back to less hawkish Bank of England rate expectations, which were hurting the pound via the stagflation narrative. Structural relief may also emerge, as the expected monetary-fiscal policy mix implies less reliance on fiscal stimulus to support the economy and reduces fiscal cr...

Apr 08, 202625 min

EM Lens: Seeking Solace Ahead of the IMF’s Spring Meetings

Sovereign balance sheets should come under renewed pressure as the war-induced oil shock forces EM governments to take extraordinary measures aimed at actively defending their domestic economies. Fabio Natalucci, CEO of the Andersen Institute for Finance & Economics, joins Damian Sassower, Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief EM fixed income strategist, to assess the risks facing EM creditors as the war in Iran endures. Natalucci and Sassower differentiate between level and trend when discussing t...

Apr 07, 202628 min

Macro Matters: The Auto ABS Landscape With BI’s Chadehumbe

Wider spreads and credit enhancement causing upgrades in auto asset-backed securities reduces the sector’s risk against similarly rated and maturity corporate debt, says Rod Chadehumbe, Bloomberg Intelligence ABS Strategist. Chadehumbe joins host Ira Jersey, BI’s US Rates Strategist to discuss the findings from the first ABS Primer on available on the terminal. Though spreads are tight compared to the five-year average, inflation may not cause spreads to widen. The note also makes the case for A...

Apr 02, 202618 min

All Options Considered: Iran War, Hormuz and Market Tails

Cross-asset markets are under stress given the bi-modal risks of de-escalation vs. prolonged conflict. This edition of All Options Considered podcast discusses the probability distribution around the outcomes of the Iran war and markets. BI’s Chief Global Derivatives Strategist Tanvir Sandhu is joined by Edward Fishman, author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare and Senior Fellow at Council on Foreign Relations.

Apr 01, 202615 min

Credit Crunch: GSAM’s McClain on High Yield Risks, Resilience

“Technicals for high yield post-Covid have been very strong, with pretty limited net new supply, minimal downgrades, strong demand given elevated base rates and pretty reasonable credit spread,” says John McClain, Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s global co-head of High Yield and Bank Loans. “We’re seeing some net new supply from areas like data-center debt,” and “large LBO bonds that are coming over the next couple of weeks, in conjunction with a couple of decent sized cap stacks migrating to hi...

Mar 30, 202657 min

Credit Crunch: Monroe’s Uddin on Software, Middle-Market Lending

“The thesis of AI is very big. It’s probably one of the largest events in at least my lifetime,” says Monroe President Zia Uddin, discussing the creditor concerns about how AI may affect borrowers. “But what ends up happening is everyone kind of throws the baby out with the bathwater.” Uddin joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert on the latest episode of Credit Crunch to talk about why not all software is created equal when it comes to AI exposure, as well as the benefits of originating deal...

Mar 27, 20261 hr

Macro Matters: Fed Communications With Bloomberg’s Mike McKee

The atmosphere around the Federal Reserve has evolved as Chair Jerome Powell has grown more comfortable in press conferences, even amid legal and political pressure. Michael McKee, Bloomberg News international economics and policy correspondent, joins Ira Jersey, Bloomberg Intelligence chief US interest-rate strategist, and Will Hoffman, BI US and Canadian rates strategist, on this Macro Matters edition of the FICC Focus podcast series to discuss this and other issues. The conversation explores ...

Mar 26, 202629 min

Credit Crunch: Proskauer’s Boyko on Outcomes in Private Credit

“What’s different in private credit versus large broadly syndicated loans is in private credit they’re very focused on the ability to incur additional debt, the ability to distribute assets or distribute money through dividends or otherwise,” says Stephen Boyko, partner and co-founder of Proskauer’s Private Credit Group. “They’re also incredibly concerned about the flexibility of the documents.” Boyko joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert on the latest episode of the Credit Crunch podcast t...

Mar 23, 20261 hr 2 min

State of Distressed Debt: Davis Polk’s Resnick on Emerging LME Trends

“The theme that we’re seeing a lot of is, do we do the same old LME that we would have done six months ago or a year ago, or should we do more of a comprehensive fixing of the balance sheet once?” says Brian Resnick, a restructuring partner and head of Davis Polk’s Liability Management & Special Opportunities practice, discussing trends in liability management strategies as borrowers prepare for looming 2028 debt maturities. On this episode of the State of Distressed Debt podcast, Resnick jo...

Mar 20, 202634 min

Macro Matters: Central Banks With BE’s Wong, BI’s Worthington

The soaring short-term yields in the UK may be somewhat overdone, says Bloomberg Intelligence European Rates Strategist Huw Worthington on this Macro Matters edition of the FICC Focus podcast series. BI’s US Rates Strategist Ira Jersey and Bloomberg Economics Chief US Economist Anna Wong joined him on a webinar the morning of March 19 to discuss the Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and the European Central Bank meetings and the ramifications for rate markets. The trio also discuss some scenario...

Mar 19, 202633 min

EM Lens: Shifting to Second Derivatives in EM Sovereign Debt

Emerging market central banks have adopted a hawkish bias following the war-induced oil shock, yet fiscal concerns could weigh on domestic currencies as local governments attempt to mitigate the negative impact of rising energy prices. Cem Karacadag, head of global sovereign debt at Barings, joins Damian Sassower, Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief EM fixed income strategist, on this episode of the EM Lens podcast to assess portfolio risk, country exposure and institutional interest in the wake of t...

Mar 18, 202626 min

Credit Crunch: AGL’s Comer on CLOs, Active Management and Growth

“We traditionally have turned over about 60% of the portfolio per year,” says AGL Credit Management’s Chief Operating Officer Wynne Comer, discussing the company’s approach to managing collateralized loan obligations. “That’s 30% through prepayments, 30% through active management.” Comer joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert on the latest episode of the Credit Crunch podcast to discuss the evolution of the CLO market past and present, her transition from banking into asset management, AGL’s...

Mar 16, 20261 hr

EM Lens: War-Induced Oil Shocks Aren’t Kind to EM Economies

Emerging market governments are implementing extraordinary measures to mitigate the impact of rising energy prices, as the war-induced oil shock stirs stagflation pressures and pushes most asset classes lower. Gustavo Medeiros, head of EM research at Ashmore Group, joins Damian Sassower, Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief EM fixed income strategist on this episode of the EM Lens podcast to assess underlying risks and potential opportunities should the war in Iran endure. Medeiros and Sassower focus ...

Mar 13, 202629 min

Macro Matters: Yield-Curve Scenarios with BNY’s Granet

The yield curve may continue its steepening trend, with recent flattening just a cyclical retracement, Jason Granet, CIO of BNY says on this Macro Matter’s episode of the FICC Focus podcast series. Granet joins co-hosts Ira Jersey and Will Hoffman of the Bloomberg Intelligence US Interest-Rate Strategy team to discuss the state of the economy, how BNY assesses the outlook and how it thinks about sizing risk. The focus turns to Federal Reserve policy, the Treasury yield curve and funding markets....

Mar 12, 202621 min

Credit Crunch: Iran War, Software Rout and Credit a Safe Haven

Credit suffered a software loan wobble and private credit contagion before the war in Iran, but it’s been a safe haven vs. rates and equities since hostilities started. In this Credit Crunch podcast, host Mahesh Bhimalingam, global head of credit strategy at Bloomberg Intelligence and Sarah Harrison, senior portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, discuss their prognosis on the war, reflect on how various credit classes fared during the technology supply wave and software wobble and th...

Mar 11, 202635 min

State of Distressed Debt: Moelis’ Murray on Private Credit Workouts

“The goal is to set the company up for longer-term success,” explained Rachel Murray, managing director at Moelis & Co. “If we’re solving quarter-to-quarter, you’re probably not investing in the business as you should; there’s distractions for management, it’s putting more pressure on the business, and frankly, probably their peers and competitors are going after their customers and creating noise.” In her conversation (7:40) with Bloomberg Intelligence’s Negisa Balluku and Phil Brendel at t...

Mar 07, 20261 hr 3 min

Masters of the Muniverse: MMA Founder Doe on Prediction Markets

Prediction markets may revolutionize the municipal bond industry by improving credit transparency, trading efficiencies, hedging strategies and portfolio management. On the inaugural episode of the Masters of the Muniverse podcast, MMA founder Tom Doe and Bloomberg Intelligence’s new head of municipal research and strategy, Matthew Gastall, discuss the possibilities and promise of prediction markets. They also explore potential policy actions in regions exposed to the greatest infrastructure and...

Mar 06, 202652 min

Macro Matters: DC Policy Update With BI’s Nathan Dean

It’s surprising that the Basel III Endgame proposal may raise bank capital requirements 3-7% given that President Donald Trump’s mantra is deregulation, says Nathan Dean, Bloomberg Intelligence senior policy analyst. Dean joins host Ira Jersey, BI’s chief US rates strategist, to discuss the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s stablecoin proposal implementing the Genius Act, along with open questions around rewards, yield and the Clarity Act. They also discuss the state of the Basel III e...

Mar 05, 202629 min

All Options Considered: Middle East Conflict, What Markets Are Missing

As conflict escalates across the Middle East, the dominant frameworks for reading Iran, its system, its strategy, and its staying power are widely misunderstood. BI's Chief Global Derivatives Strategist Tanvir Sandhu is joined by Professor Anoush Ehteshami, International Relations in the School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University, to examine the geopolitical backdrop and its transmission into financial markets. The podcast is moderated by Karima Fenaoui, BI's Research Cont...

Mar 04, 202650 min

FX Moment: Iran War and Assessing the Shifting Dollar Narrative

The Iran war challenges Bloomberg Intelligence’s early 2026 dollar bear view via two key channels. First, the large-scale risk-off move over the past few sessions has revived the dollar’s safe-haven appeal, reinforcing that in a broad-based flight-to-safety backdrop the greenback comes out stronger. Second, if the recent oil-price surge persists, it could lift global inflation and force markets to rethink expected 2H Fed rate cuts, weakening the yield-driven case for a softer dollar. In this epi...

Mar 04, 202619 min

Credit Crunch: IR+M’s Gubitosi on Corporates, Securitized Value

“You can still find some attractive value within the front end of the securitized curve,” says Income Research + Management’s Co-Chief Investment Officer Jim Gubitosi, when discussing the relative value within US spread assets. Gubitosi joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert on the latest episode of Credit Crunch to talk about the scaling of assets and strategies at IR+M, an active approach to security selection, the current credit climate for corporates and structured debt, and how market t...

Mar 02, 20261 hr 6 min

Macro Matters: SFVegas Recap with BI’s MBS Strategist Adelberg

The cadence of announcements about housing affordability and deregulation may accelerate into the midterm elections in November, Bloomberg Intelligence chief MBS strategist Erica Adelberg says. On this Macro Matters episode of the FICC Focus podcast series, Adelberg joins host Ira Jersey, BI’s chief US rates strategist, to discuss key takeaways from the Structured Finance Association’s conference held Feb. 22-25 in Las Vegas. They explore GSE reforms, regulatory changes, shifts in credit scoring...

Feb 26, 202622 min

Credit Crunch: Around the World of Global Credit in 60 Minutes

Global credit markets are tight, and strategic insights are essential for performance. In this episode of the Credit Crunch podcast, Mahesh Bhimalingam, Bloomberg Intelligence’s global head of credit strategy, hosts BI’s global credit strategy team to highlight worldwide research, data and views. Tim Tan and Jason Lee (Asia), Basel Al-Waqayan (Middle East), Reto Bachmann (structured credit), Heema Patel (Europe) and Sam Geier (US) share takeaways on their recent research, relative value and majo...

Feb 25, 202651 min

EM Lens: Cyclical Sweet Spot for EM Persists, Dollar a Key Risk

Emerging market fixed income is off to another strong start in 2026, with scope for further upside as long as the dollar cooperates and cross-asset volatility remains low. Christian Lawrence, chief cross-asset strategist at Cooperative Rabobank, joins Damian Sassower, Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief EM fixed income strategist, to discuss investor positioning, currency hedging and event risk. They discuss drivers of institutional demand, including yield differentials, terms of trade, artificial in...

Feb 24, 202621 min

Macro Matters: US Rates Outlook With Goldman’s Marshall

News from the labor market and on the inflation front has been consistent with a fairly low-volatility environment, says Will Marshall, Goldman Sachs head of US Rates Strategy. On this Macro Matters episode of the FICC Focus podcast series, Marshall joins host Ira Jersey, BI’s chief US rates strategist, to discuss rate volatility’s move lower, expectations for the Federal Reserve’s monetary and balance sheet policy, the Treasury yield curve and the relationship of swap spreads and Treasury yield...

Feb 19, 202628 min
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