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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

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

Andersen’s Natalucci on Fallout in Financial Plumbing: EM Lens

Global markets are struggling to digest the unprecedented economic and financial stability challenges posed by an all-out trade war. Dr.Fabio Natalucci, CEO of the Andersen Institute for Finance & Economics, joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Damian Sassower, chief emerging market fixed income strategist, to break down his growth and inflation outlook for developed and emerging markets across the globe. Natalucci and Sassower touch on issues ranging from central bank stimulus and de-dollarizatio...

Apr 09, 202522 min

High Yield 2Q Investor Survey, Views Amid Tariffs: Credit Crunch

High yield had good first quarter gains with default rates low but cracks started developing in March even before Liberation day which led to a substantial rout with spreads selling off at record speeds. Will 2Q be a huge loss or will there be a turnaround and why? Mahesh Bhimalingam, Bloomberg Intelligence's Global Head of Credit Strategy, discusses the results of the BI 2Q25 High Yield Investor Survey, along with the market outlook, with Per Wehrmann, Head of European high yield at DWS Investm...

Apr 09, 202537 min

Orion's Lewnowski on Mining and Commodity Outlook: Credit Crunch

Copper and uranium may be well-positioned as economies seek to balance energy needs against social demands. Oskar Lewnowski, Founder and Group CEO of Orion Resource Partners, joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert and Rob Barnett on the latest episode of the Credit Crunch podcast to discuss supply-demand dynamics across the commodity landscape, themes (including energy and technology) incentivizing new investment and the structural positioning of various minerals. They also explore funding t...

Apr 04, 202552 min

Tariffs, Bonds, and Dollars With James Grant: Macro Matters

The risk to bondholders is that the 2% inflation target becomes unbearable for the Fed, says Jim Grant, founder of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer. Grant is joined by Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief US rates strategist Ira Jersey and senior US and Canada rates-strategy associate, Will Hoffman to discuss the outlook for US financial markets following a sweeping US tariff announcement. The trio discuss the rise of economic uncertainty and the extent to which recession risk may be priced in markets. ...

Apr 03, 202533 min

US Tariffs and FX Effects - What You Need to Know: FX Moment

It may be all about US tariffs in early 2Q, with the April 2 US tariff announcements and possible retaliation from trading partners risking to entertain increased risk aversion, which bodes well with our bullish view for defensive FX such as the yen. In this episode of FX Moment, Bloomberg Intelligence's chief G-10 FX strategist Audrey Childe-Freeman talks to Bloomberg Economics Chief Trade and Climate Economist, Maeva Cousin, about what tariffs are in place already, what may come next and what ...

Apr 01, 202520 min

Leste’s Gennari Is Leaning Into Real Estate Credit: FICC Special

Real estate private credit is uniquely positioned amid the recent wave of loan maturities and reduction in bank capital. Ricardo Gennari, managing director and head of US Real Estate Credit at Leste Group, joins Damian Sassower, Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief fixed-income strategist, to discuss his firm’s approach to loan origination, liquidity maintenance and portfolio management. Gennari and Sassower assess the potential for alpha generation in real estate private credit, from traditional offi...

Mar 31, 202520 min

BlackRock’s Rosenberg on Systematic Multi-Strat: Credit Crunch

Factor-driven, trend and pure alpha are among the sleeves within systematic investing that can fuel returns. Jeffrey Rosenberg, managing director and senior portfolio manager for BlackRock Systematic, has spent years identifying and mining such returns. He joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert on Credit Crunch to discuss the evolution of systematic investing, defensive alpha, the opportunity in high-dispersion markets, the evolving microstructure of credit and BlackRock’s “glass box” approa...

Mar 28, 20251 hr 11 min

Bloomberg Volatility Forum London 2025 Part II: All Options Considered

There has been growth in the product offering in the crypto options market, which often has a right-tail skew and exhibits spot-up, vol-up dynamics. This edition of All Options Considered is the recording of part of the Bloomberg Volatility Forum 2025 held in London on March 18. The panel discussion on the crypto adoption curve was moderated by Anna Edwards, Boomberg News' Anchor, with Carol Alexander, Professor of Finance, University of Sussex and Exponential Science Foundation, Catherine Clay,...

Mar 27, 202542 min

Bloomberg Volatility Forum London 2025: All Options Considered

A comfortable environment of US exceptionalism has been replaced by noise around tariff risks, the EU’s fiscal bazooka and US policy pivots, which has supported cross-asset volatility. This edition of All Options Considered is the recording of part of the Bloomberg Volatility Forum 2025 held in London on March 18. Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief global derivatives strategist Tanvir Sandhu gave an opening speech on macro and volatility across markets. A panel discussion on the options market was m...

Mar 24, 20251 hr

A ‘Generational Opportunity’ in Munis: Masters of the Muniverse

With municipal bond exemptions potentially endangered and credit risks on the horizon, some may consider this to be a transformational time in the muni market. This month we welcome Patrick Haskell, managing director and head of the Municipal Bond Group at BlackRock, to discuss why he thinks it’s a “generational opportunity to capture income” within the muni market. In this Masters of the Muniverse podcast, hosts and Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Eric Kazatsky and Karen Altamirano talk with Ha...

Mar 21, 202537 min

Chilton’s Horan on Fed, Economy and Bonds: Macro Matters

Fed Chair Jerome Powell rehabilitated the word “transitory” and injected it into our understanding of where the economy and inflation are now, says Tim Horan, in this Macro Matters edition of the FICC Focus podcast. Horan, the chief investment officer of fixed income at Chilton Trust, joins host and Bloomberg Intelligence chief US rates strategist Ira Jersey and senior US and Canada rates strategy associate Will Hoffman to discuss the economy and fixed-income markets. Horan said he is avoiding l...

Mar 20, 202531 min

New Mountain’s Holson on Defensive Direct Lending: Credit Crunch

Direct lending remains a pillar of private credit, providing companies with new and flexible sources of financing in today’s high interest-rate environment. Laura Holson, Chief Operating Officer of Credit and Managing Director at New Mountain Capital, joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert and Sam Geier on Credit Crunch to discuss the firm’s focus on “defensive growth” direct lending, and expansion into other areas of the private credit markets, including BDCs and CLOs. The conversation touc...

Mar 15, 202549 min
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