Prof. Riccardo Rebonato’s Observations On Bonds & Assets In A Post-Pandemic World

By
TradersDNA

 

Professor Riccardo Rebonato believes that:

  • There is confusion in equity and asset pricing

It is hard to argue that undiscounted expectations of future cashflows should now be higher than at the start of the year. If prices are roughly the same, asset theory says that the risk premium must have compressed. A compressed risk premium should be an indicator of reduced risk aversion – a behavioural feature that is difficult to reconcile with the COVID-19 world we are living in.

  • There are other disturbing features with equity pricing 

When equity prices swooned in March, Treasury price duly rose – even if not quite as in sync with the S&P500 or as much as the equity-put-holders might have wished. Equities have now recovered, but yields have remained near their lowest values. The most disturbing feature is that since the 2008 crisis Treasury yields seem to display a ratchet-like behaviour: they drop at every crisis, but do not climb back up when the clear and present danger is over

  • Treasury coupons do not look very robust

In a healthy economy, Treasury coupons should be financed by tax receipts. These do not look very robust in the near-to-medium term future. On top of this, the US government is about to embark on a very large Treasury issuance: before the COVID crisis the Congressional Budget Office projected a $1.1 trillion fiscal deficit for 2020, or 4.9 percent of GDP. Moody’s now expects the deficit to be between 10 and 12%. Asset pricing theory says that these should not be good times for Treasuries either, yet prices are close to an all-time high

  • The information about risk and reward that financial prices should convey has become distorted

If traditional asset pricing is of little help in making sense of these price levels, to what should we turn? Current prices (in all asset classes) can only be understood through the lens of the unconventional actions undertaken by the central banks. In their attempts not to add a financial crisis to a COVID-19-induced real-economy crisis, central banks all over the world have engaged in yet another extremely aggressive round of asset purchases. This is understandable, but the fact remains that the information about risk and reward that financial prices should convey has now become fully distorted

  • Price distortions are going to become bigger and more widespread

Quantitative easing started because traditional monetary actions at the short end of the yield curve began to hit against the zero bound. As long-dated Treasury bond yields in US, EUR and GBP are now close to or below zero, and controlled asset bubbles are developing in more and more assets, central banks are running out of ammunition. If they want to continue their accommodative actions, they will have to keep on extending the asset classes in which they intervene. The price distortions are going to become bigger and more widespread. Prices will reflect less and expected discounted cashflows.

  • The balance sheets of central banks are full of assets bought at prices that are unlikely to reflect future cashflows

For how long can this continue? Ultimately, coupons and dividends distribute to capital providers what the economy produces after taxes and labour costs are met. We entered the COVID-19 crisis with stretched equity valuations, and extremely low yields. Thanks to the actions of central banks, equity prices are back were they started from, and Treasury prices are higher. The balance sheets of central banks are therefore full of asset bought at prices that are unlikely to reflect future cashflows. Would future central bank losses matter?

  • What are the implications of central bank losses?

In theory, a central bank can always meet its (domestic) liabilities by printing money. This can only happen, however, if the central banks liabilities remain a liquid and trusted method of settlement. Recent academic studies show a link between central bank losses and inflation outcomes. And rising inflation would, of course, make the now-easily-serviceable national debt no longer so easy to service. Which, finally, brings us back to the long-term risks for nominal Treasury bonds worldwide.

  • What are the long-term risks for nominal Treasury bonds worldwide?

There is no telling how long this confidence trick can last – perhaps forever. But, as the 2008 crisis and the 2011 European sovereign debt crisis have shown, confidence can turn on a dime: let’s not forget the Greece 10-year yields were trading around 50 basis points above Bunds as late as the start of 2007.

 

If you’re interested in speaking to the Professor, or in some written content, please let me and my colleague ursalaan.khan@bcw-global.com know, and we will fix it up ASAP.

 

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