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QUARTERLY MARKET SUMMARY <br />For the Quarter Ended December 31, 2016 <br />Fixed Income Management <br />Summary <br />•Bond yields and equity prices soared following the U.S. presidential election <br />in November, as President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed policies and his <br />intentions to ramp up government spending boosted inflation expectations <br />and growth forecasts. Major stock indexes including the S&P 500, NASDAQ, <br />and Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at record highs during the quarter. <br />•On December 14, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) raised the <br />federal funds target range by 0.25% to a range of 0.50% to 0.75%. The <br />unanimous decision, in line with market expectations, was the first rate <br />hike since December 2015. The FOMC also released updated economic <br />forecasts and a new “dot plot,” forecasting three rate hikes in 2017. <br />•Central banks outside the U.S. continued to pursue accommodative <br />monetary policy amid slow growth and low inflation. The European Central <br />Bank (ECB) kept its benchmark interest rate at 0% and continued its asset <br />purchase program, as did the Bank of England (BOE). At the same time, <br />the Bank of Japan (BOJ) continued its quantitative easing programs aimed <br />at keeping the 10-year Japanese government bond yield near 0% and <br />expanding money supply until inflation remains above the 2% target. <br />•The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed in <br />late November to a combined reduction in daily production. The agreement <br />caused the price of oil to increase more than 10% during the fourth quarter. <br />Economic Snapshot <br />•The U.S. economy gained momentum during the latter half of the year. The <br />labor market continued to show strength, booking a solid quarter of job gains. <br />The housing market also strengthened in the fourth quarter as Americans <br />continued to take advantage of historically low interest rates, driving home <br />sales to decade-high levels. <br />•U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew at a 3.5% rate in the third quarter, <br />rebounding from modest growth during the first half of 2016. (Fourth quarter <br />GDP data is not yet available.) Consumer spending and exports contributed <br />to the pick-up in expansion, while private inventories grew for the first time <br />since the start of 2015. <br />•The unemployment rate fell to 4.6% during the fourth quarter — a post- <br />recession low. In another positive sign, job openings remained near record <br />highs, while initial unemployment filings remained near record lows. <br />December’s addition of 156,000 jobs finished a year of solid job growth <br />performance in which the U.S. added 2.2 million net new jobs. For the year, <br />wages rose 2.9%, the fastest pace since 2009. <br />•Americans continued to feel more confident about the economy as the <br />Conference Board’s December reading climbed to a 15-year high, and <br />sentiment strengthened further as the University of Michigan’s Consumer <br />Sentiment Index reached its highest level since January 2004. <br />Interest Rates <br />•Interest rates surged in the fourth quarter, ending the year with net increases <br />and a steeper yield curve. The two-year Treasury yield increased 43 basis <br />points (bps) for the quarter, while the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose 85 <br />bps — a considerable rebound from July’s record-low yield. <br />•In the money market space, shorter-term Treasury yields rose alongside <br />expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike. Money market reforms took <br />effect in October, significantly altering the supply-demand dynamic in the <br />money markets. Yields on short-term credit instruments, such as commercial <br />paper and negotiable bank certificates of deposit (CDs), continued to remain <br />elevated and offer significant incremental yield. <br />Sector Performance <br />•U.S. Treasury indexes posted losses for the fourth quarter, declining for the <br />second straight quarter as yields rose. For the year, returns were positive but <br />muted. Shorter maturity issues outperformed longer maturities as the yield <br />curve steepened. <br />•Federal agency yield spreads drifted tighter during the quarter as supply <br />diminished, leading to the sector’s modest outperformance relative to <br />comparable-maturity Treasuries. <br />•Corporate yield spreads remained mostly unchanged until the November 8 <br />presidential election, after which they tightened, reaching new lows for the <br />year. Corporates outperformed Treasuries every quarter in 2016, resulting in <br />the sector’s best year since 2012. <br />•Mortgage-backed securities (MBS) generally underperformed Treasuries <br />amid increased extension risk due to the rise in interest rates. Asset-backed <br />securities (ABS) outperformed Treasuries due to declining prepayment risk. <br />© PFM Asset Management LLC 96.1.A. - Page 16