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6.13. - Page 7 of 41 <br />REDWOOD CITY <br />Portfolio Recap <br />Third quarter portfolio strategy encompassed the following: <br />For the Quarter Ended September 30, 2020 <br />Portfolio Review <br />We maintained a sharp focus on portfolio safety with robust due diligence on credit and securitized products given the <br />backdrop of a fragile economic environment. <br />The portfolio's duration was targeted to match the benchmark duration as few catalysts were present to push yields <br />meaningfully higher over the near term. <br />• U.S. Treasury allocation was reduced further as financial markets stabilized and other sectors presented better investment <br />opportunities to enhance portfolio earnings. Increased allocations to other investment-grade sectors boosted performance <br />for the second consecutive quarter. <br />• We continued to increase the portfolio's allocation to the federal agency sector as yield spreads on new issue Fannie Mae, <br />Freddie Mac, and Federal Home Loan Bank bonds remained elevated from a historical perspective, especially for <br />maturities of three years and longer. Value in callable structures was limited as spreads narrowed noticeably on most <br />structures. <br />• Investment-grade corporate notes were, once again, a significant boon for portfolio performance during the quarter. Supply <br />was robust as corporations continued to take advantage of the low borrowing rate environment by issuing new bonds at a <br />rapid pace. However, investor demand was strong and pressured spreads lower. While narrower spreads benefited third <br />quarter performance, they also reduced future earnings potential. As a result, we maintained the portfolio's allocation in the <br />sector. <br />• After pausing new purchases of asset-backed securities (ABS) in the second quarter, we reevaluated underlying risks in the <br />sector by conducting robust stress testing under a wide range of adverse scenarios, which affirmed the ability of most ABS <br />to weather the current economic downturn. In the third quarter, we once again evaluated new issues, focusing on those <br />issues with increased credit enhancements. <br />• The taxable municipal sector remained active as entities benefited from the low borrowing rate environment. Finding value <br />and diversification, PFM increased its participation in new issue municipal debt during the quarter as we viewed the sector <br />to be quite attractive, even compared to some high-quality corporate issuers. <br />PFM Asset Management LLC 53 <br />