Podcast
FICC Focus
Hosted by Bloomberg Intelligence · EN
FICC Focus offers the latest market views on interest rates, corporate bonds, emerging market debt, commodities, and currencies by Bloomberg Intelligence analysts.
96episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
FX Moment: Dollar-Yen Bearish Push Needs US Data Validation Next
1w ago00:27:57Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the FX Moment podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence Chief FX Strategist Audrey Childe-Freeman and Chris Turner, head of FX strategy at ING Bank in London, discuss dollar-yen near- and mid-term dynamics. The combined shift in the dollar view following the July 29 Fed meeting, stretched long positioning and joint US-Japan FX intervention were the perfect catalysts for a sharp move lower in dollar-yen, yet the market is already questioning whether the move can be sustained. Childe-Freeman and Turner both see a risk of further joint FX intervention, which should keep dollar-yen bulls in check for now, while US economic data and the associated Fed outlook, along with the BOJ’s September policy decision and Japan’s fiscal credibility, may determine how bullish investors can be on the yen into 4Q. They also discuss non-dollar ways to express the carry trade, including via bullish Norwegian krone and Australian dollar views.
Transcribe →Credit Crunch: Park Square’s Doumar on Junior Debt and BDC Angst
2w ago00:54:40Tap to summarize“In the US today, what you see is... capital leaving the system out of the BDCs, and that’s creating a lot of technical pressure on the market,” says Robin Doumar, founder and managing partner of Park Square Capital. “So we should see better structures, better pricing, better terms.” In this episode of the Credit Crunch podcast, Doumar joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert to discuss Park Square Capital’s founding, growth and evolution since its launch in 2004, as well as its prospects for future growth. The two discuss the shift toward institutional private credit from what was once a bank-dominated European leveraged finance market, the benefits of evergreen funds and why current challenges facing large BDCs may create technical tailwinds for direct lenders more broadly. Doumar also talks about borrower selection, being willing to own an asset and the importance of culture to Park Square’s story.
Transcribe →Macro Matters: BE’s Anna Wong on Warsh and Fed Communication
2w ago00:16:35Tap to summarizeKevin Warsh’s new communications approach may be creating more uncertainty for markets, not less. Anna Wong, Bloomberg Economics chief US economist, joins Ira Jersey, Bloomberg Intelligence chief US interest-rate strategist, on this Macro Matters edition of the FICC Focus podcast. Wong discusses why Warsh’s latest press conference appeared to contribute to the selloff in long-dated Treasuries, how his reluctance to provide a clear policy framework raised questions about the Fed’s commitment to its inflation target and what changes could emerge from the central bank’s communications task force. They also examine whether the Fed could adopt Bank of England-style explanations of individual dissents, publish scenario analyses and reduce its reliance on the dot plot. Wong explains why she expects softer inflation and labor-market data to keep the Fed on hold for the rest of 2026, and how the recent rise in real yields could slow housing, industrial production and broader financial conditions. The Macro Matters podcast is part of BI’s FICC Focus series.
Transcribe →EM Lens: Identifying Alpha Opportunities in EM Equities
2w ago00:30:08Tap to summarizeEmerging market equities are among this year’s top-performing asset classes globally as investors benefit from strengthening fundamentals, diminishing foreign-exchange volatility and a more resilient macroeconomic backdrop. Andrew Keiller, partner at Baillie Gifford, joins Damian Sassower, Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief EM fixed-income strategist, to assess the environment for thematic and idiosyncratic investment opportunities further down the EM capital structure. Keiller and Sassower discuss the durability of alpha generation, the formation of behavioral biases and structural inefficiencies across EM equity markets.
Transcribe →Credit Crunch: Bright Meadow’s Rilander on MBS, Housing Policy
3w ago00:48:32Tap to summarize“There are a lot of people who would love to give away their prepayment option to get their family into the home they want,” says Adam Rilander, CIO and head of agency MBS strategies at Bright Meadow, an investment team within Mariner Investment Group. Rilander joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Erica Adelberg and Noel Hebert on the latest episode of Credit Crunch to discuss housing affordability, potential unintended consequences of mortgage policy, investment opportunities across the MBS landscape and why higher-coupon paper may be undervalued. Rilander and Adelberg also explore the pluses and minuses of mortgage lock-ins, builder buydowns, potential Basel III impacts and why static home prices could be the market’s best medicine. The Credit Crunch podcast is part of BI’s FICC Focus series.
Transcribe →Macro Matters: Invesco’s Levitt on Equities, Rates and Oil
3w ago00:22:28Tap to summarizeOil volatility and renewed geopolitical risk have complicated what had looked like a supportive backdrop for risk assets in 2026. Brian Levitt, Invesco’s chief global market strategist, joins Ira Jersey, Bloomberg Intelligence chief US interest-rate strategist, on this Macro Matters edition of the FICC Focus podcast to discuss why he still sees a constructive medium-term outlook for markets even as the war in the Middle East has shifted the global economy from expansion toward a slower-growth phase. Levitt explains why he believes the resilience of earnings and improving market breadth have made equities healthier than they appeared in 2024, despite investors’ rotation away from some of the market’s most speculative areas. The two also discuss how higher oil prices, central-bank divergence and shifting rate expectations are affecting regional asset allocation, why Levitt expects the US would remain better positioned than Europe in a sustained energy shock and how a slower but still positive growth environment can bring leadership back to growth stocks and technology. They close with a discussion of portfolio construction, the outlook for the dollar and why Levitt remains broadly optimistic that markets are navigating a slowdown rather than the end of the cycle. The Macro Matters podcast is part of BI’s FICC Focus series.
Transcribe →EM Lens: William Blair’s Assalin Remains Bullish on EM Outlook
4w ago00:23:09Tap to summarizeEmerging market hard-currency credit continues to outperform most major fixed-income asset classes, yet it also offers a wide range of tactical and relative value positioning. Marcelo Assalin, head of EM debt and portfolio manager at William Blair Investment Management, joins Damian Sassower, Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief EM fixed-income strategist, to discuss positioning and performance heading into 2H26. They also examine underlying valuations, with a focus on the fundamental and technical factors that are driving institutional interest in EM fixed income.
Transcribe →Macro Matters: BI’s Adelberg on Housing, MBS and Prepay Risk
4w ago00:23:02Tap to summarizeHousing affordability, mortgage-market modernization and changing refinance behavior are reshaping the outlook for mortgage-backed securities. Erica Adelberg, Bloomberg Intelligence MBS strategist, joins Ira Jersey, BI chief US interest-rate strategist, on this edition of the FICC Focus podcast, Macro Matters. Adelberg discusses how new credit-score models and lender choice could expand mortgage access while also complicating prepayment and credit analysis for MBS investors. The two also examine how technology and artificial intelligence are changing mortgage origination and servicing, why Rocket Mortgage’s growing servicing footprint could accelerate refinancing activity and how recent housing legislation could affect supply and financing at the margin. They also discuss curve flattening, the resurgence of hybrid ARMs, relative value across agency and non-agency mortgage products and why mortgage spreads remain highly sensitive to volatility even as all-in yields look attractive.
Transcribe →All Options Considered: Equity Derivatives With Susquehanna
Jul 1400:12:49Tap to summarizeOn the face of it, index volatility has remained relatively subdued, but underneath there is significant rotation and elevated single-stock volatility. In this edition of the All Options Considered podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence chief global derivatives strategist Tanvir Sandhu is joined by Chris Murphy, co-head of derivatives strategy at Susquehanna, to discuss equity volatility and flows.The All Options Considered podcast is part of BI’s FICC Focus series. Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Transcribe →Credit Crunch: Xponance’s McElreath on Credit Inefficiencies
Jul 1300:59:33Tap to summarize“The portfolio manager’s dilemma is, ‘Do I take risk, or do I not take risk?’” Noel McElreath, senior portfolio manager for US fixed income at Xponance, tells Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert. “And then, ‘What is excess return telling me?’” On this episode of Credit Crunch, the pair discuss the importance of disciplined credit selection, exploiting structural inefficiencies and maintaining a long-term perspective. McElreath notes that, though current market conditions are favorable, tight spreads, investor complacency and the surge in AI-related borrowing present valuation risk. The two also talk about the implications of having a new Fed chair, the importance of dealer relationships and positioning against the benchmark. The Credit Crunch podcast is part of BI’s FICC Focus series.
Transcribe →