Reinhart Week in Review by Madison Investments 01.24.2025


JAPAN

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised its main policy rate 25 basis points to 0.5%. This move was expected and had been well-communicated prior to implementation. The BOJ raised its inflation forecasts following last Friday’s 3% reading, and Governor Ueda stated that more rate hikes will follow if these inflation projections are realized. The yen briefly rallied in response to higher expected rates in Japan.

Our Take: The Japanese economy and inflation outlook are finally allowing the BOJ to move towards policy normalization. The BOJ is heading in the opposite direction of other major central banks by tightening but is moving towards convergence in rates and policy stance. 

 

MUNICIPALS

Municipal bond issuance reached $32 billion in December, bringing the 2024 total of municipal bond issuance to a record $507 billion according to SIFMA Research. The 2024 figure was nearly 32% higher than the 2023 issuance amount of $385 billion. Taxable municipal bond issuance was around $40 billion, while tax-exempt issuance reached $460 billion.

Our Take: As 2025 begins, municipal issuance is projected to remain close to 2024 figures. It is expected that issuers will continue to tap the municipal market to fund infrastructure projects and to refinance existing debt.    

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Non-deposit investment products are not federally insured, involve investment risk, may lose value and are not obligations of, or guaranteed by, any financial institution. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate.

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Although the information in this report has been obtained from sources that the firm believes to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy, and any such information may be incomplete or condensed. All opinions included in this report constitute the firm’s judgment as of the date of this report and are subject to change without notice. This report is for informational purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security.

Madison Investment Holdings, Inc. acquired the fixed income management assets of Reinhart Partners, Inc. on June 11, 2021 and now employs the Investment Team that previously managed the assets at Reinhart. The Investment Team manages the assets using substantially the same strategies and objectives as at Reinhart. Performance information dated prior to the purchase reflects that of Reinhart Partners, Inc.

Quality refers to the bond ratings provided by the various third-party ratings agencies. Stability and predictability refer to the cash flow of individual securities and not to the market value or performance of portfolio holdings. There is no guarantee this strategy will lead to investment success.

In addition to the ongoing market risk applicable to portfolio securities, bonds are subject to interest rate risk. When interest rates rise, bond prices fall; generally, the longer a bond’s maturity, the more sensitive it is to this risk. Bonds may also be subject to call risk, which allows the issuer to retain the right to redeem the debt, fully or partially, before the scheduled maturity date. Proceeds from sales prior to maturity may be more or less than originally invested due to changes in market conditions or changes in the credit quality of the issuer.

A basis point is one hundredth of a percent.