Archive for September, 2008

Corporate Bonds

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

Corporate bond spreads as measured by the IG 10 are finishing the day at 192/195. There was an attempt to push the index lower and tighter earlier in the day but it stalled in the 185/190 area.As I noted in an earlier posting, the new issue market remains a desert ...

Factoid

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

Morgan Stanley stock has had a range today from $11.70 to $22.32.  How would you like to make a market in that issue? It is last at $15.99

Panic!

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

Bank of New York Mellon has just announced that a $22 billion institutional money fund which it manages has broken the buck because of exposure to Lehman Brothers. This has prompted another flight to quality and pushed yields on the 2 year note down to 1.35 percent. The 2 year ...

Putnam To Liquidate Money Fund

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

This is not good news and will exacerbate  the pervasive gloom gripping the markets. Via Bloomberg:   12:18    *PUTNAM SAYS DECISION DOESN'T RELATE TO OTHER PUTNAM FUNDS     12:17    *PUTNAM SAYS ACTION RELATES TO PRIME MONEY MARKET FUND     12:17    *PUTNAM, TRUSTEES BELIEVE ACTION IN BEST INTERESTS OF HOLDERS   ...

Money Market Stress

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

The money market is in a severe state of disruption in spite of the massive liquidity injection by the central banks of the world. Three month Libor for tomorrow is 3.40 percent bid and as of a few minutes ago there was no offer. Investors are allocating funds to the ...

Swap Spreads: Exploding at the 2 Year Point

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

Swap spreads in the 2 year sector are exploding wider. Early today in the euphoria following the concerted central bank action 2 year spreads were tighter by 3 basis points. Those spreads are now wider by about 9 basis points. Spreads in the 5 year sector are wider by 2 ...

Brad Setser On Morgan Stanley and CIC

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

Brad Setser follows the topic of international flows assiduously and always writes cogently on the subject. This is his brief note on the above captioned topic.

CP Contraction Via Bloomberg

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

U.S. Commercial Paper Market Falls $52.1 Billion as Yields Soar 2008-09-18 13:54:31.70 GMT By Bryan Keogh      Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The market for short-term debt slumped a seasonally adjusted 2.9 percent as two U.S. money- market funds saddled investors with losses for the first time in 14 years, sapping confidence in assets once considered among ...

Corporate Issuance

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

I conversed with a corporate bond market participant regarding the dearth of issuance. The market volatility has chased away issuers, and especially financial names. He thought that it was unlikely that any financial company would attempt to bring a deal between now and quarter end. He thought that the dysfunctional market would also ...

Morgan Stanley CDS

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

The only quote I have been able to find this morning is 900/1000. It is certainly wide and I trust that it is real!!