Bonds Slightly Bruised, But Who Cares? #BanBumpStocks!

Quigley’s Corner 02-20-18 Corporate Bonds Slightly Bruised as 30yr Nears 3%. More Important: Ban The Bump Stock!

Before I begin the daily drill down, and according to a Bloomberg report written by Jennifer Epstein at 4:08pm ET today, “President Donald Trump ordered a ban on gun accessories known as “bump stocks” that allow semiautomatic rifles to be fired more rapidly.”  Here’s something about me you might not know: I am a gun owner. I shoot skeet, trap and target. A number of my compatriots here at the sell-side’s oldest minority broker-dealer owned and operated by Service-Disabled Veterans are equally-responsible gun owners and share a similar interest in skeet, trap and target shooting.  Having said that, the notion of enabling citizens of our free democracy in this day and age with easy access (or any access) to weapons of war is preposterous. We need to stop the gun violence in our schools, in places where we gather to celebrate and places we go to be entertained.  I am not sorry to say to my fellow gun owners that however justified the spirited debate with regard to the 2nd Amendment is and will likely continue to be, we certainly do not need or want bump stocks to make AR-15s automatic. I do not blame violence on gun ownership and [controlled] availability, but there is NO need for machine guns to be in the hands of citizens! It’s about the kids and it’s about our safety to live in a free democracy without fear of being gunned down.  #BanBumpStocks! Mic Drop.  

Investment Grade New Issue Re-Cap- Three’s Company!

Today’s IG Primary & Secondary Market Talking Points – Two Deals Get Upsized

Syndicate IG Corporate-only Volume Estimates For This Week and February

Global Market Recap

NICs, Bid-to-Covers, Tenors, Sizes and Average Spread Compression from IPTs thru Launches

New Issues Priced

Indexes and New Issue Volume

Economic Data Releases 

2018 Lipper Report/Fund Flows – Week ending February 14th

The “QC” Geopolitical Risk Monitor     

IG Credit Spreads by Rating

IG Credit Spreads by Industry

New Issue Pipeline

M&A Pipeline Highlights

Rates Trading Lab

Investment Grade New Issue Re-Cap – Three’s Company!

With inflation picking up slightly in a more hawkish rate environment, the U.S. government kicked off its highest volume week of treasury auctions in history this week, an estimated $258bn in new paper. With Trump’s tax plan comes massive funding and as a result, there’s more risk in owning bills, notes and bonds backed by the full faith and guarantee of the U.S. of A.  CT10 is edging closer to a 3.00% yield and so, UST prices have slid while yields have risen making it more expensive for the government to fund itself. There were four to five issuers looking this morning but only Snap-On Inc. which hit the tapes first at 9:36a.m. followed by Vulcan Materials at 9:45 being the only two announced IG Corporate new issues. A third deal materialized from Daimler Finance North America that printed a $750mm tap of its outstanding FRNs due 2/22/2021 but that was not announced. In total 4 to 5 names were looking earlier in the morning with a couple deciding to stand down.

Today the IG dollar DCM hosted 3 issuers across 4 tranches totaling $2.00b.  The SSA space was inactive with one deal announced for BNG for tomorrow’s pricing.

Here’s a look at MTD IG Corporate new issue volume as measured against syndicate desk estimates:

• The IG Corporate WTD total is 10.65% of this week’s syndicate midpoint average forecast or $2.00b vs. $18.78b.
• MTD we’ve priced 49.52% of the syndicate forecast for February IG Corporate new issuance or $44.067b vs. $88.98b.
• There are now 10 issuers in the IG credit pipeline.

Today’s IG Primary & Secondary Market Talking Points – Two Deals Get Upsized!

• Snap-On Inc. increased its 30-year Senior Notes new issue to $400mm from $350mm at the launch and at the tightest side of guidance.
• Vulcan Materials Co., upsized today’s 3NCL FRN tranche to $500mm from $300mm at the launch and at the tightest side of guidance brining the two-part deal size to $850mm from $650mm.
• The average spread compression from IPTs and/or guidance thru the launch/final pricing of today’s 3 IG Corporate-only new issues was <15.00> bps.
• BAML’s IG Master Index was unchanged at +98. (It’s post-Crisis low is +90 set on 2/01).
• Bloomberg/Barclays US IG Corporate Bond Index OAS was unchanged at 0.93.  (+85 is its post-Crisis low set on 1/30).
• Standard & Poor’s Investment Grade Composite Spread was unchanged at +133. (+125 represents its post-Crisis low set 2/02).
• Investment grade corporate bond trading posted a final Trace count of $14.2b on Friday versus $19.2b on Thursday and $17.9b the previous Friday.
• The 10-DMA stands at $19b. 

Syndicate IG Corporate-only Volume Estimates For This Week and February

Global Market Recap

• U.S. Treasuries – Another losing day as the UST market could not handle the massive supply.
• Overseas Bonds – JGB’s, Bunds and Gilts little changed. EU Peripherals unchanged to red.
• 3mth Libor – Set at 1.90394% the highest yield since December 2008.
• Stocks – Mixed at 2:30pm: Dow and NASDAQ heading in opposite directions.
• Overseas Stocks – Asia closed red. China was closed. Europe closed with gains.
• Economic – No economic data in the U.S. today.
• Overseas Economic – Japan data solid. Europe data weaker.
• Currencies – Very good day for the USD and DXY Index.
• Commodities – Poor day for gold, copper and silver. Small gain for crude oil.
• CDX IG: +1.95 to 53.33
• CDX HY: +5.39 to 324.97
• CDX EM: +3.32 to 123.21
• VIX: +0.35 to 19.81

*CDX levels are as of 3:30PM ET today.

-Tony Farren

Below is the complete story of today’s investment grade corporate debt market activity as seen from the perch of Mischler Financial Group’s Fixed Income Syndicate perch. Have a great evening!

Ron Quigley, Managing Director and Head of Fixed Income Syndicate

NICs, Bid-to-Covers, Tenors, Sizes and Average Spread Compression from IPTs thru Launches

…..and here’s another look at last week’s day-by-day re-cap of key primary market driver averages for IG Corporates only followed by the prior six week’s averages:

New Issues Priced

Above is the opening extract from Quigley’s Corner aka “QC”  Tuesday February 20 2018 edition distributed via email to institutional investment managers and Fortune Treasury clients of Mischler Financial Group, the investment industry’s oldest minority broker-dealer owned and operated by Service-Disabled Veterans.

Cited by Wall Street Letter in each of 2014, 2015 and 2016 for “Best Research / Broker-Dealer”, the QC is one of three distinctive market comment pieces produced by Mischler Financial Group.The QC is a daily synopsis of everything Syndicate and Secondary as seen from the perch of our fixed income trading and debt capital markets desk and includes a comprehensive “deep dive” with optics on the day’s investment grade corporate debt new issuance and secondary market data encompassing among other items, comparables, investment grade credit spreads, new issue activity, secondary market most active issues, and upcoming pipeline.

To receive Quigley’s Corner, please email: rkarr@mischlerfinancial.com or via phone 203.276.6646

*Sources: Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, Bloomberg, Bond Radar, Dow Jones Newswire, IFR, Informa Global Markets, Internal Mischler, LCDNews, Market News International, Prospect News, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, S, Thomson Reuters and of course, a career of sources, contacts, movers and shakers from syndicate desks to accounts; from issuers to originators; from academicians to heads of research, and a host of financial journalists, et al.

Mischler Financial Group’s “U.S. Syndicate Closing Commentary”  is produced daily by Mischler Financial Group. No part of this document may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Mischler Financial Group. Although the statements of fact have been obtained from and are based upon sources Mischler Financial Group believes reliable, we do not guarantee their accuracy, and any such information may be incomplete.  All opinions and estimates included in this report are subject to change without notice.  This report is for informational purposes and is not intended as an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security.   Veteran-owned broker-dealer Mischler Financial Group, its affiliates and their respective officers, directors, partners and employees, including persons involved in the preparation of this report, may from time to time maintain a long or short position in, or purchase or sell a position in, hold or act as market-makers or advisors or brokers in relation to the securities (or related securities, financial products, options, warrants, rights, or derivatives), of companies mentioned in this report or be represented on the board of such companies. Neither Mischler Financial Group nor any officer or employee of Mischler Financial Group or any affiliate thereof accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct, indirect or consequential damages or losses arising from any use of this report or its contents.