The Gist
News and Features
Global Philippines Fine Living
Insights
INVESTMENT STRATEGY
Economy Stocks Bonds Currencies
THE BASICS
Investment Tips Explainers Retirement
Webinars
2024 Mid-Year Economi Briefing, economic growth in the Philippines
2024 Mid-Year Economic Briefing: Navigating the Easing Cycle
June 21, 2024
Investing with Love
Investing with Love: A Mother’s Guide to Putting Money to Work
May 15, 2024
retirement-ss-3
Investor Series: An Introduction to Estate Planning
September 1, 2023
View All Webinars
Downloads
Buildings in the Makati Central Business District
Economic Updates
Monthly Recap: BSP to outpace the Fed in rate cuts 
DOWNLOAD
economy-ss-9
Economic Updates
Quarterly Economic Growth Release: 5.4% Q12025
DOWNLOAD
investment-ss-3
Economic Updates
Policy rate views: Uncertainty stalls cuts
DOWNLOAD
View all Reports
Metrobank.com.ph Contact Us
Follow us on our platforms.

How may we help you?

TOP SEARCHES
  • Where to put my investments
  • Reports about the pandemic and economy
  • Metrobank
  • Webinars
  • Economy
TRENDING ARTICLES
  • Investing for Beginners: Following your PATH
  • On government debt thresholds: How much is too much?
  • Philippines Stock Market Outlook for 2022
  • No Relief from Deficit Spending Yet

Login

Access Exclusive Content
Login to Wealth Manager
Visit us at metrobank.com.ph Contact Us
Access Exclusive Content Login to Wealth Manager
Search
The Gist
News and Features
Global Philippines Fine Living
Insights
INVESTMENT STRATEGY
Economy Stocks Bonds Currencies
THE BASICS
Investment Tips Explainers Retirement
Webinars
2024 Mid-Year Economi Briefing, economic growth in the Philippines
2024 Mid-Year Economic Briefing: Navigating the Easing Cycle
June 21, 2024
Investing with Love
Investing with Love: A Mother’s Guide to Putting Money to Work
May 15, 2024
retirement-ss-3
Investor Series: An Introduction to Estate Planning
September 1, 2023
View All Webinars
Downloads
Buildings in the Makati Central Business District
Economic Updates
Monthly Recap: BSP to outpace the Fed in rate cuts 
May 29, 2025 DOWNLOAD
economy-ss-9
Economic Updates
Quarterly Economic Growth Release: 5.4% Q12025
May 8, 2025 DOWNLOAD
investment-ss-3
Economic Updates
Policy rate views: Uncertainty stalls cuts
May 8, 2025 DOWNLOAD
View all Reports
Rates & Bonds 3 MIN READ

US corporate bond spreads hit widest in about 6 months on recession fears

March 13, 2025By Reuters
Related Articles
Investors eye Fed rate cut, earnings as key to sustaining market rally March 29, 2024 US Treasury found no currency manipulation in 2022, downgrades Swiss scrutiny June 16, 2023 BRIEF-Atlas Consolidated Mining And Development Appoints Rodyardo B. Rañada As Vice President, CFO April 29, 2022

The spreads between the yields on corporate bonds and US Treasuries hit their widest since September this week, pointing to mounting investor worries about recession and a global trade war.

US investment-grade bond spreads hit 94 basis points on Tuesday, their widest level since Sept. 18, according to the ICE BofA Corporate Index. Junk bond spreads widened to 322 bps, also their widest since Sept. 18, according to Tuesday’s late update of the ICE BofA High Yield Bond Index.

Investors consider US corporate bond spreads a good gauge of financial market stress, especially the gap between yields on bonds issued by companies with poor credit ratings and ultra-safe US government debt. When the gap widens it shows less willingness to hold riskier “junk” bonds.

The widening in spreads comes as the latest sign of growing anxiety about the economic outlook following a series of import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration that raised the specter of a global trade war.

“This will be inflationary, and the Fed won’t likely be able to cut rates in this environment,” said Andrzej Skiba, head of BlueBay US fixed income at RBC GAM. “This could put pressure on fixed income assets, and we see more spread widening and risk ahead.”

A Reuters poll last week found 95% of economists across Canada, the US, and Mexico said the risk of a recession in their respective countries had increased following Trump’s chaotic tariff implementation.

“The escalation of tariff hostilities and re-rating in Tech sector valuations is causing contagion from stocks to credit in a way not observed in a while and is stoking fears that the economy could veer off the tracks,” Societe Generale analysts wrote in a Wednesday note.

The junk bond spread has opened up by 59 bps since a recent low on Feb. 18, JPMorgan analysts noted on Wednesday. They added that junk spreads are “biased wider” over the coming months, due to “vast macro uncertainty” surrounding trade policy, inflation and recession.

Corporate bond spreads are still tight on a historical basis, the analysts noted. Junk spreads late last year contracted to around 250 basis points, the lowest since 2007, before the Financial Crisis, during which they blew out to more than 2,000 basis points or twenty percentage points. They were well above 350 bps for the majority of 2022 and 2023, according to the ICE BofA High Yield Index.

Nicholas Elfner, co-head of research at asset manager Breckinridge Capital Advisors, said that as the impacts of President Trump’s potentially inflationary economic and fiscal policies become clearer, US corporate bond spreads are expected to widen further.

This should bolster the yield allure of corporate debt for investors, including from foreign investors, who overtook insurers and pension funds in 2024 in demand for corporate bonds, Elfner said.

(Reporting by Matt Tracy; Editing by Alden Bentley, Chizu Nomiyama, Alexandra Hudson, and Diane Craft)

 

This article originally appeared on reuters.com

Read More Articles About:
Worldwide News Philippine News Rates & Bonds Equities Economy Investment Tips Fine Living

You are leaving Metrobank Wealth Insights

Please be aware that the external site policies may differ from our website Terms And Conditions and Privacy Policy. The next site will be opened in a new browser window or tab.

Cancel Proceed
Get in Touch

For inquiries, please call our Metrobank Contact Center at (02) 88-700-700 (domestic toll-free 1-800-1888-5775) or send an e-mail to customercare@metrobank.com.ph

Metrobank is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Website: https://www.bsp.gov.ph

Quick Links
The Gist Webinars Wealth Manager Explainers
Markets
Currencies Rates & Bonds Equities Economy
Wealth
Investment Tips Fine Living Retirement
Portfolio Picks
Bonds Stocks
Others
Contact Us Privacy Statement Terms of Use
© 2025 Metrobank. All rights reserved.

Read this content. Log in or sign up.

​If you are an investor with us, log in first to your Metrobank Wealth Manager account. ​

If you are not yet a client, we can help you by clicking the SIGN UP button. ​

Login Sign Up