For two decades, we typically looked past Agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) to find better relative value opportunities in the non-government sponsored credit markets. But something fundamental changed, and over the past three years these securities have claimed an increasingly significant allocation in our total return strategies. What sparked this pivot?

Portfolio Manager Adam Bloch and Louis Pacilio from our Structured Credit team unpack the mechanics of the Agency MBS market, explain what shifted in the risk-reward equation, discuss the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and explore the opportunity going forward.

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Fourth Quarter 2025 Fixed-Income Sector Views

Relative value across the fixed-income market.

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The ABCs of Asset-Backed Finance

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Macro Markets Podcast Episode 76: Why and Where (and How) to Invest in Asset-Backed Finance

Relative value opportunities in ABS, CLOs, and residential and commercial MBS, as well as insights into the process for managing these complex investments.

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Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. In general, the value of a fixed-income security falls when interest rates rise and rises when interest rates fall. Longer term bonds are more sensitive to interest rate changes and subject to greater volatility than those with shorter maturities. High yield and unrated debt securities are at a greater risk of default than investment grade bonds and may be less liquid, which may increase volatility. Private debt investments are generally considered illiquid and not quoted on any exchange; thus they are difficult to value. The process of valuing investments for which reliable market quotations are not available is based on inherent uncertainties and may not be accurate. Further, the level of discretion used by an investment manager to value private debt securities could lead to conflicts of interest.

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Episode 77: Agency MBS: From Zero to Hero