Corporate

New Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman and the New Deregulatory Wave: Implications for U.S. Banks

June 10, 2025June 10, 2025 Credit & Risk

8 min readMichelle “Miki” Bowman’s nomination as the Federal Reserve’s Vice Chair for Supervision was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 4th, 2025[1]. The confirmation aligns with Washington’s broader effort to unwind regulatory safeguards implemented after the Global Financial Crisis. During her testimony in April, Bowman advocated for “pragmatic tailoring”, adjusting capital buffers, accelerating merger approvals,…

AI Check-In

May 14, 2025June 10, 2025 Credit & Risk

6 min readBefore tariffs dominated the headlines, it was the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) that propelled movements in financial markets. The surging demand for AI models like ChatGPT and the advanced semiconductors needed to develop them primarily benefited the tech sector, while also driving increases in broader equities. Post-inauguration, attention to the nascent technology waned as…

Tariff Pause Brings the Market Some Relief

April 10, 2025April 15, 2025 Credit & Risk

3 min readYesterday, President Trump announced via Truth Social that he would be suspending reciprocal tariffs on nearly all countries for a 90-day period – marking a significant de-escalation in U.S. tariff policy. While not entirely clear from the President’s post, the indication is that countries previously in line to face tariffs above 10% will now be…

White House Tariff Announcement: Initial Reaction

April 3, 2025April 3, 2025 Credit & Risk

4 min readYesterday, President Trump announced a broad array of tariffs in what is arguably the most consequential trade action since the establishment of the WTO in 1995. Invoking national security interests, the President announced the imposition of a 10% minimum global tariff effective April 5th. Canada and Mexico were the only notable exceptions, with USMCA-compliant goods…

Navigating Tariffs in the Auto Sector

March 19, 2025March 19, 2025 Credit & Risk

4 min readThe U.S. auto industry is entering a period of uncertainty due to the looming threat of tariffs on Canada and Mexico, which could have a deleterious effect on vehicles and parts imported from both countries. As of March 11, President Trump has initiated tariffs of 25% on Mexico and Canada, with a temporary reprieve until…

Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Test Consumers’ Mettle

February 28, 2025February 28, 2025 Credit & Risk

6 min readIn the latest of President Trump’s proposed tariffs, the White House announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, effective March 12th, 2025. This is not the first time that Trump has imposed tariffs on these metals: in 2018 Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on…

Will There Be a Renaissance in Oil and Gas?

January 17, 2025January 22, 2025 Credit & Risk

6 min readEntering the Presidential election, the greatest concern among voters was the economy[1] in the wake of decades-high inflation experienced under the Biden administration. By some metrics the economy was healthy at the end of President Biden’s tenure, with relatively low unemployment, equities at all-time highs, and the rate of inflation near the Fed’s 2% target….

Do BBB Corporate Bonds Belong in Treasury Management Portfolios?

April 16, 2024January 22, 2025 Investment Management

15 min readAbstract BBB-rated debt continues to offer new possibilities for cash investors. Although it involves taking on incremental credit risk, allowing purchase of these securities can help alleviate supply shortages while also offering additional return opportunities. Should investors look into adding BBB names to their portfolios, we recommend that they follow these principles. Guiding Principles: Introduction…

Parsing the Red Sea Disruptions

February 29, 2024January 22, 2025 Economy & Rates

7 min readFollowing pandemic-era supply chain disruptions, bottlenecks have become a top-of-mind subject for investors. At the center of the Fed’s tightening cycle was the soft landing—the idea that tighter financial conditions would help bring supply-and-demand into better balance, ease bottlenecks, and bring inflation toward 2% without significantly impacting growth. When last December’s Summary of Economic Projections…

The Empire Strikes Back: Return of Oil and Gas Dominance for U.S. Integrated Energy

December 18, 2023January 22, 2025 Credit & Risk

5 min readIntroduction Earlier this year, European oil majors BP and Shell announced that they would roll back their energy transition plans and keep oil and gas as relatively large parts of their portfolio. In October 2023, their American counterparts Exxon Mobil and Chevron doubled down on a collective $115 billion bet on fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil…