The U.S. corporate bond market had a strong start to the year, with nearly $59 billion in high-grade bond issuance in the first week of 2024. This exceeded forecasts of $50 billion to $55 billion. The rush was driven by top-rated companies looking to take advantage of lower borrowing costs due to a tightening of credit spreads and a decline in Treasury yields at the end of 2023. Investors were eager to lock in yields that may not be available if the Federal Reserve decides to cut U.S. interest rates later in the year.
However, economic data releases on Friday brought mixed signals and resulted in sharp movements in Treasury yields. Yields initially reached three-week highs before plummeting, with the 10-year Treasury falling below 4%. This volatility in yields, coupled with upcoming bank earnings releases, could potentially limit the supply of new bonds in the market.
Bond syndicate desks are expecting a decrease in issuance for the upcoming week. On average, they predict around $35 billion in new bond issuance. While this is a slowdown compared to the first week of the year, it is still a significant amount. Borrowing costs remain relatively lower compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, with investment-grade index yields averaging 5.3% on January 4th, compared to 5.88% in the previous quarter.
Attractiveness of High-Grade Bonds
Despite the potential slowdown in issuance, investors are still drawn to high-grade bonds. In fact, there was a substantial inflow of $5 billion into related funds and ETFs for the week ending January 3rd. This marked the highest weekly inflow since July and exceeded the $3.15 billion from the prior week. The continued attraction to high-grade bonds indicates that investors are confident in their stability and returns.
Companies seeking to issue bonds now can benefit from significant savings. Compared to October and November, they would save nearly 85 basis points on borrowing costs. Yields during these months averaged 6.13%, whereas they currently average 5.28%. This cost reduction presents an attractive opportunity for companies looking to raise capital through bond issuance.
The U.S. corporate bond market is expected to experience a slowdown in issuance for the upcoming week due to mixed economic data and upcoming bank earnings releases. However, borrowing costs remain relatively low, and high-grade bonds continue to attract investors. Companies looking to issue bonds can capitalize on lower borrowing costs and potentially significant savings. The market outlook for the U.S. corporate bond market remains optimistic, despite potential short-term fluctuations in yields.
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