Tim Hext: Why bonds still look better than term deposits

Have investors missed the boat on bonds after they touched 5% in October? No, says Pendal’s head of bond strategies Tim Hext. In this latest Pendal fast podcast he explains why. "When I look across the spectrum of what you can buy in bonds, government bonds are around 4.5%, state government bonds…

Bonds offer returns and cheap insurance right now: Tim Hext

US and local bond yields are hitting multi-year highs. Why is it happening and what’s next? Resilience in the US economy is the main factor, says Pendal’s head of bond strategies Tim Hext. That’s due to the dominance of fixed-rate loans there and Joe Biden's big-spending government. Meanwhile th…

Why China is hesitating on stimulus – and what’s likely to happen next

China’s political and economic outlook has a huge impact on Australian investors. In this new podcast, Pendal’s head of income strategies AMY XIE PATRICK explains the latest. An excerpt: Why doesn’t Beijing pump stimulus into the Chinese economy as other countries do? “We have to remember that t…

It's 'so far, so good' on rates and the economy. But what's next?

You’re probably thinking “so far, so good” on rate rises and the economy. No evidence yet of a sharp slow-down and fixed mortgage holders seem to be adjusting ok to higher rates, partly due to strong employment. But we're only halfway through the six-month fixed-rate cliff period, points out Pend…

Green bonds: What are they and how do you choose the right ones?

The Albanese government is getting ready to launch Australia’s first sovereign green bonds, which are designed to fund public net-zero projects. As with all new green bond issuances, investors will be looking to make a good return and a positive impact. When it comes to positive impact, investors…

Soft landing more likely but don’t hold your breath for rate cuts

The RBA seems happy that inflation is heading in the right direction, but it’s a difficult path from here to the 2-3% band, notes Pendal’s head of government bond strategies Tim Hext. A soft landing is more likely, but we're unlikely to see rates cuts unless the economy turns weaker.  Here's a qu…

Three things blunting the impact of rate rises on inflation

Inflation isn’t under control and the RBA still has work to do, argues Oliver Ge, an assistant portfolio manager with Pendal's income and fixed interest team “I think at 4.1% we're still at least a couple of hikes away,” says Oliver in our latest fast podcast. Oliver points to three things blunti…

Tim Hext: Why now could be a good time to lock in 10-year bonds

It looks like RBA boss Phil Lowe's “got one more hike he's itching to do” in July or August, says our head of government bond strategies Tim Hext in our latest fast podcast “The inflation data will start to turn down from that point,” says Tim. “The RBA should then use that as a reason to be on p…

Why weak domestic demand in China is good for bonds

China has emerged quickly from the zero-Covid era, but a property slowdown is holding the economy back. What does that mean for fixed income investors? “We think there are many strong reasons both cyclically and structurally to be favouring fixed income and bonds in portfolios right now," argues …

What wages and jobs are telling us about recession and rates

Consumers are feeling gloomy, but are we still headed for recession? With inflation “sufficiently well-behaved”, the main factors to watch now are unemployment and wages, says our head of bond strategies Tim Hext in our latest fast podcast. Here Tim explains the outlook for wages and jobs -- and …