Basis Points
Macro commentary and expert-led discussions highlight what’s happening now in fixed income investing, so you can prepare for what’s next. Investing involves risks including loss of principal. This material represents the opinions of the participants at a specific time and is not intended to forecast future events or guarantee future results and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Kevin Flanagan is a registered rep of Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
Episodes
Once again, the Fed decided to keep rates unchanged at today’s FOMC meeting, leaving the Fed Funds trading range at 4.25%–4.50%. This week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan explains why resilient job data and tariff-driven noise are keeping Powell & Co. in wait-and-see mode on policy moves.Basis Point: 1/100th of a percent.
Global trade is being redefined through structural tariffs and new alliances. This week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan is joined by WisdomTree Macro Strategist of Model Portfolios, Sam Rines and Head of Equity Strategy, Jeff Weniger to discuss how investors should position for the next phase of global macro realignment. Basis Points: 1/100th of 1 percent. Please see the WisdomTree Glossary for Definitions of terms and indexes: htt...
April brought heightened volatility to the financial markets, reinforcing the value of an active-passive barbell strategy for fixed income investing. This week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan explains how a repositioning in the Bianco Research Fixed Income Index supports a responsive, active core bond strategy in turbulent times.
Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.
Bianco Research Fixed-Income Total Return Index: The Bianco Resear...
With interest rates returning to more normalized levels, municipal bond yields are drawing renewed attention—and investors are looking for time-tested strategies to navigate this evolving landscape. This week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan is joined by Rick Harper to introduce the WisdomTree Core Laddered Municipal Bond Fund (WTMU) and the WisdomTree High Income Laddered Municipal Bond Fund (WTMY), combining the consistency of lad...
Uncertainty remains the defining theme as investors await the April 2nd tariff announcement. In the latest episode of Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan is joined by Sam Rines (Macro Strategist at WisdomTree) and they break down how Trump’s trade stance, Powell’s Fed, and interest rate expectations are shaping market dynamics.
Basis Points: 1/100th of 1 percent.
The Fed just hit pause, again, at the March FOMC meeting, keeping rates steady at 4.25%-4.50% amid economic uncertainty. With policymakers in “wait and see” mode, this week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan breaks down what’s driving the decision and what it means for fixed income investors.
Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.
The bond market can turn on a dime, and 2025 is proving to be no exception. This week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan unpacks how tariff uncertainty and federal job cuts are steering the bond market, and what investors should watch next. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.
Bond market volatility has made extending duration an unreliable strategy, with the U.S. Treasury 10-year yield swinging between 3.6% and 5% over the past 18 months. This week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan explains why Floating Rate Notes (FRNs) have outperformed longer-duration bonds and how they can help investors navigate interest rate uncertainty.
Barbell: The barbell is an investment strategy applicable primarily to a fix...
Private credit has surged in popularity, but how does it stack up against public credit heading into 2025? This week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan leads a discussion with Morgan Stanley’s Vishwanath Tirupattur to break down the competitive landscape, expected returns, and why both markets are carving out distinct roles in investor portfolios.
Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.
The U.S. labor market is proving more resilient than expected, with job growth on the rise just months after the Fed’s first rate cut. This week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan breaks down why this shift raises the bar for future easing and what it means for fixed income investors.
Basis point:1/100th of 1 percent.
President Trump’s second term has reignited economic policy shifts, including tariffs and executive orders, while Fed Chair Jerome Powell remains cautious on rate cuts. With Treasury yields likely to stay elevated, Kevin Flanagan is joined by Macro Strategist, Sam Rines to discuss why investors should prepare for continued volatility and consider a strategic fixed income approach to navigate the evolving landscape. Basis point: 1...
For the first time since September, the Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged at the January FOMC meeting, holding the Fed Funds target range at 4.25%–4.50%. But is this pause a step toward more rate cuts or the beginning of a more cautious approach? This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan shares the key takeaways from the January meeting, the Fed’s recalibrated stance and why the definition of a “neutral” rate remains...
U.S. corporate bonds are currently exhibiting historically tight spreads, with investment-grade and high-yield spreads at +80bp and +270bp, respectively, levels not seen since 1998 and 2007. Despite potential headwinds like tight spreads and increased supply, this week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan covers why elevated yield levels and supportive macroeconomic conditions suggest a neutral outlook for U.S. corporates in fixed-inc...
For the first time in years, U.S. Treasury yield curves are back in positive territory. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explains how the Fed’s rate cuts and a shifting macro narrative have reshaped the fixed-income landscape and why a flat slope still requires cautious positioning. Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent. Learn more: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen...
Could the U.S. Treasury 10-Year yields break the 5% threshold in 2025? This week on Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan explains why a modest U.S. economic outlook, bumpy inflation progress and historical trends suggest a trading range of 4%–5% in 2025.
Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.
As expected, the Fed delivered a 25-basis point rate cut at the December FOMC meeting, but what comes next is far from clear. This week on the Basis Points, Kevin Flanagan discusses why future rate moves depend on shifting economic signals and why the Fed’s definition of “neutral” may be evolving.
Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.
With U.S. interest rates back to “normal” levels, fixed income investors face a landscape many haven’t seen in years. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan is joined by Jim Bianco, President of Bianco Research to cover how blending active and passive bond strategies — now more accessible through ETFs — may help navigate this evolving environment.
Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.
Bianco Research Fixed-Income To...
Treasury Floating Rate Notes provide income without taking on duration risk—a key advantage while the 3-month/10-year Treasury yield curve remains inverted. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explores how the WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund (USFR) could fit within an active/passive core fixed income portfolio.
Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.
Navigating today’s fixed income market is about more than timing—it’s about strategy. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan highlights the Bianco Research Fixed Income Total Return Index's recent re-positioning to neutral duration, underscoring how active management adapts to steepening yield curves and credit risks.
Basis Point: 1/100th of a percent
Bianco Research Fixed-Income Total Return Index: The
Bianco Resea...
The U.S. Treasury market reacted sharply to last week’s election and Fed meeting. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan unpacks why Treasury yields are likely to stay elevated in the months ahead.
Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.
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