Iryna Drozd/iStock via Getty Images General Market Environment Equities, convertible securities, and high yield (HY) bonds all advanced in the fourth quarter. Third-quarter earnings results beat expectations on strong artificial intelligence (AI) spending, though management commentary highlighted cost pressures and uneven demand trends. Economic data was mixed, and visibility was impacted by the g...
Iryna Drozd/iStock via Getty Images General Market Environment Equities, convertible securities, and high yield (HY) bonds all advanced in the fourth quarter. Third-quarter earnings results beat expectations on strong artificial intelligence (AI) spending, though management commentary highlighted cost pressures and uneven demand trends. Economic data was mixed, and visibility was impacted by the government shutdown; labor market indicators softened, while consumer spending and inflation metrics were stable. The U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) cut rates by 25 basis points (bps) in both October and December and signaled further accommodation with markets pricing additional cuts into 2026. Against this backdrop, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield finished modestly higher at 4.17% despite significant intra-quarter volatility. Equities Market Environment > The S&P 500® Index returned 2.66% for the quarter, bringing full-year performance to 17.88%. > Almost all sectors finished higher with health care, communication services, and financials the top-performing sectors in the period, while real estate, utilities, and consumer staples were the bottom-performing sectors. > Equity volatility peaked at 26.42 for the period but ultimately finished lower at 14.95. Convertible Securities Market Environment > The ICE BofA U.S. Convertible Index returned 1.97% for the quarter, bringing full-year performance to 17.98%. > Sector performance was mostly higher with consumer staples, industrials, and healthcare outperforming, while financials, consumer discretionary, and media underperformed. > Below-investment grade issues outperformed investment grade issues. Equity sensitive issues outperformed yield-oriented (busted) and total return (balanced) issues. > New issuance saw 46 issues priced, raising $36.2 billion in proceeds, bringing the full-year total to a record $118.8 billion. High Yield Bond Market Environment > The ICE BofA U.S. High Yield Index returned 1.35% for the quarter, bringing f...