Speakers Bureau: Total Return

Marie Autphenne

Managing Director, Senior Muni Credit Analyst
Fixed Income Municipal Credit Group

Possible Topic Title(s):
The Ins and Outs of Municipal Bonds

Brief Topic Description(s):
A discussion of the fundamentals and technicals of the municipal bond market, with a focus on credit trends and surveillance best practices.

Target Audience:
Municipalities, Banks, Total Return

Vinny Bleau

Vice President, Fixed Income Analyst
Fixed Income Research

Possible Topic Title(s):
Fixed Income Strategies for the Current Economic Environment, Sector Valuations, Portfolio Strategy, Relative Value, Yield Curve Strategy, Total Return Ideas

Brief Topic Description(s):
Fixed income strategies for the current economic environment: There is always some uncertainty in the market. We use a top-down approach to help you invest in the current economic environment.

Sector valuations: We will discuss the various investment grade sectors and where and why certain attractive investments exist.

Portfolio strategy: Strategies to help improve portfolio performance during different economic cycles.

Relative value: We analyze where relative value(s) exist(s) in the market today.

Yield curve strategy: Interest rate cycles can last for years at a time. We help investors position their portfolios as the curve twists and turns.

Total return ideas: We discuss which investment strategies and tactics will help you outperform on a total return basis.

Target Audience:
Economics, Municipalities, Total Return, Banks

Michael Breazzano

Managing Director
Structured Product Analyst
Fixed Income Capital Markets

Possible Topic Title(s):
Student Loan: Underlying Forces, Are CLOs a Product For You? – Myth and Mystery Debunked

Brief Topic Description(s):
Student loans fueled the U.S. education system for nearly 50 years and now represent more than a trillion dollars of obligations. Government-backed loans originated under the Federal Family Education Loan Program, or FFELP, were securitized into structured tranches that offer quality investment performance supported by an explicit U.S. government guarantee of at least 97%. The Biden Administration proposed a student loan forgiveness program that potentially has implications for the FFELP.

Collateralized loan obligations surfaced around 1990. Since then, these vehicles have provided investors of all types robust returns through varying economic conditions and business cycles. Underlying collateral include broadly syndicated bank loans middle market loans and commercial real estate. Learning the “How’s and Why’s” can provide new opportunities across a spectrum of investors.

Target Audience:
Banks, Total Return

Paula Federman

Managing Director, Director of Corporate Research
Corporate Credit and Strategy

Possible Topic Title(s):
Trends in Financial Institution Credit and Bond Values

Brief Topic Description(s):
Relative value within bank and insurance sectors; trends in credit from a market, regulatory, interest rate, business development and asset quality perspective

Target Audience:
Total Return

Eli Lapp

Managing Director, Senior Corporate Credit Analyst
Fixed Income Research

Possible Topic Title(s):
Investment Grade and High-Yield historical and prospective performance, Reviewing industry and company-specific performance

Brief Topic Description(s):
In what economic climate does IG and HY perform or underperform? How is the current market environment contributing to our outlook? Which industries and issuers should you overweight and which ones should you underweight?

Target Audience:
Total Return

Hunter Meisenheimer, CFA^®

Managing Director, Senior Mortgage Analyst
Fixed Income Research

Possible Topic Title(s):
Mortgage Market, Relative Value, Yield Curve Strategy, Portfolio Strategies, Primers on Fixed MBS, ARMs and CMOs

Brief Topic Description(s):
Mortgage Market Issues and Trends: GSE updates, spread, price and prepay risk and trends, current hot topics

Relative Value: Identify quality sectors and bond types for risk/return for current rates, rising/declining rates and curve shifts

Yield Curve Strategy: What factors are driving rates in the current market environment and how to position your portfolio to maximize its potential

Portfolio Strategies: Strategies to help improve portfolio performance, tools and reports to identify reinvestment opportunities, timely market commentary and sector analysis

Primers on Fixed MBS, ARMs and CMOs: Basic discussion for beginning investors

Target Audience:
Municipalities, Banks, Total Return, Credit Unions

Lawrence Petrucci, CFA^®

Managing Director, Senior Structured Products Analyst
Structured Products Credit and Strategy

Possible Topic Title(s):
Student Loan: Underlying Forces, Are CLOs a Product For You? – Myth and Mystery Debunked

Brief Topic Description(s):
Student loans fueled the U.S. education system for nearly 50 years and now represent more than a trillion dollars of obligations. Government-backed loans originated under the Federal Family Education Loan Program, or FFELP, were securitized into structured tranches that offer quality investment performance supported by an explicit U.S. government guarantee of at least 97%. The Biden Administration proposed a student loan forgiveness program that potentially has implications on the FFELP.

Collateralized Loan Obligations surfaced around 1990. Since then, these vehicles have provided investors of all types robust returns through varying economic conditions and business cycles. Underlying collateral include broadly syndicated bank loans, middle market loans and commercial real estate. Learning the “How’s and Why’s” can provide new opportunities across a spectrum of investors.

Target Audience:
Banks, Total Return

Ellis Phifer, CFA^®, CMT

Managing Director
Total Return and Insurance Strategies

Possible Topic Title(s):
Fixed Income Strategies for the Current Economic Environment, Sector Valuations, Portfolio Strategy, Relative Value, Yield Curve Strategy, Total Return Ideas

Brief Topic Description(s):
Fixed Income Strategies for the Current Economic Environment: There’s always some uncertainty in the market. This presentation helps you make sense of what is affecting the market and sound ways to position your portfolio to take advantage of what the market is giving you.

Sector Valuations: We will discuss the various investment grade sectors and where and why certain attractive investments exist.

Portfolio Strategy: How an overall portfolio strategy should look now, as well as the tactical opportunities that currently exist.

Relative Value: We will discuss where relative value(s) exist(s) in the market today.

Yield Curve Strategy: Interest rate cycles last for years at a time, and ways to position your portfolio change as the curve twists and turns.

Total Return Ideas: We discuss which investment strategies and tactics will help you outperform on a total return basis.

Target Audience:
Economics, Municipalities, Total Return, Banks

Richard Szalkowski

Managing Director, Senior Muni Credit Analyst
Municipal Credit and Strategy Group

Possible Topic Title(s):
Nonprofit Hospital and Health Systems

Brief Topic Description(s):
Analyzing nonprofit hospital and health system credits. Reviewing credit trends and spreads for nonprofit hospitals and health systems.

Target Audience:
Municipalities, Banks, Total Return

Lindsay Wilhelm

Managing Director, Senior Muni Credit Analyst
Fixed Income Municipal Credit Group

Possible Topic Title(s):
The Ins and Outs of Municipal Bonds

Brief Topic Description(s):
A discussion of the fundamentals and technicals of the municipal bond market, with a focus on credit trends and surveillance best practices.

Deeper dives into municipal credit analysis.

Target Audience:
Municipalities, Banks, Total Return