
Credit Spreads at Historic Tights: What Now?
Another blockbuster year for bond ETFs is in the books. After two straight years of record net inflows, taxable fixed income ETF assets have nearly doubled since 2020 – crossing the $2 trillion mark.
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Another blockbuster year for bond ETFs is in the books. After two straight years of record net inflows, taxable fixed income ETF assets have nearly doubled since 2020 – crossing the $2 trillion mark.

Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHI - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 296,527 shares, a decline of 24.0% from the December 15th total of 389,991 shares. Based on an average daily trading

Bank of New Hampshire raised its position in Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHI) by 27.2% in the undefined quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 173,258 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 37,086 shares

Creative Planning increased its holdings in Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHI) by 8.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 77,651 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,154 shares during

Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF (SCHI) offers low-cost exposure to investment-grade corporate bonds with intermediate maturities and controlled risk. SCHI benefits from stable financial conditions and compressed credit spreads, making carry the primary source of return in the current environment. With an average duration of 6 years, SCHI is sensitive to rising rates, but the current declining rate environment limits this risk.

SCHI offers diversified exposure to US investment-grade corporate bonds with 5-10 year maturities, low expenses, and moderate interest rate sensitivity. The ETF uses a resampling strategy to minimize tracking error and transaction costs, maintaining a portfolio of over 2,200 bonds and a 21% turnover rate. Macro indicators like the butterfly heatmap and z-score suggest the current opportunity for tactical gains from curve or spread movements is limited.

We think the Fed has time to assess the impact of tariffs, and we expect it to wait to cut rates until the data show that tariffs are impacting the real economy. So far, there are no signs of recession in the hard data. The tariff pause offers the possibility to avoid worst-case economic scenarios before the damage is crystalized. We believe technical factors will continue to drive market dislocations in spreads and sectors, and that active managers can navigate this more effectively.

The Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF has low expense ratios and focuses on industrial and financial bonds with above junk ratings. Oil prices and Middle East tensions are critical factors influencing rate cuts and inflation, impacting the ETF's performance through duration effects. While supply cut phaseouts mean downside for oil, we're somewhat concerned about the imminent dangers in the Middle East and the issues that could spring up around oil supply chains.

Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF is a passively managed fund that tracks the Bloomberg US 5-10 Year Corporate Bond Index. SCHI has a low expense ratio of 0.03% and its ETF wrapper provides a tax advantage for taxable-account holders. The fund offers high diversification and exposure to industrials and financials sectors, but carries more credit risk than government bonds.

A record amount of money has flooded into the U.S. corporate bond markets this year, as investors rush to lock in the highest yields years ahead of the Fed rate cuts.

Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF is a high duration ETF focused on high-grade corporate credit. The portfolio is mostly comprised of industrials and financials, with half of the bonds rated BBB and the other half rated A. The maturity walls in 2024 and 2025 may impact corporate income and credit spreads which could dampen the rate cutting plans of the Fed, as credit spreads are historically low.

M&A was almost dormant in 2023. In the US, as a proportion of the market value of the benchmark equity indices, it fell to its lowest level in 20 years, according to McKinsey. Credit investors are not traditionally supposed to be fans of M&A, and it's true we are wary of leveraging M&A, where debt is loaded onto balance sheets to buy competitors. We are seeing a comeback for M&A that we think is likely to continue through 2024.

Investors were net sellers of fund assets for the second week in three, redeeming a net $11.6B for the LSEG Lipper fund flows week ended Wednesday (February 21). For the flows week, the Treasury yield rose at all maturities of the curve, except for the two-month yield, which experienced a one basis point decline to end the week at 5.50%.

Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF has declined over 23% since the end of 2021 and offers an attractive yield of about 6.2%. SCHI has little credit risk as its portfolio consists of investment grade corporate bonds with low default rates. Investors should wait for an economic recession to buy as market selloffs should provide better buying opportunities.

WESTLAKE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Schwab Asset Management™, the asset management arm of The Charles Schwab Corporation and the fifth-largest provider1 of ETFs, today announced the reduction of operating expense ratios for the Schwab High Yield Bond ETF (SCYB) and the Schwab U.S. TIPS ETF (SCHP), bringing the fees for Schwab Asset Management's entire lineup of fixed income ETFs to only three basis points. All of Schwab Asset Management's fixed income ETFs are now among the lowest-priced ETFs in.

The 10-two Treasury yield spread remained negative. Exchange-traded equity funds recorded $2.6 billion in weekly net outflows.

SCHI has become one of the largest intermediate-term corporate bond ETFs in a year in which investors have largely shunned such funds.

U.S. equities rallied during the Refinitiv Lipper fund-flows week ended March 29, 2023, but fund flows remained defensive. On the equity side of the equation, both equity ETF (-$12.6 billion) and conventional equity funds (-$7.9 billion) witnessed net outflows for the week.

Fund investors were net purchasers of money market funds while being net redeemers of equity funds, taxable bond funds, and tax-exempt fixed income funds for the week. On the domestic equity side of the equation, investors became more risk-seeking for the week.

The single basis point cuts will take effect as of July 1.