October 29, 2025

The TXPR Price Index set a new 52-week high today of 688.35, erasing the old mark of 688.00 set yesterday.

Five-year Canadas were up 12bp to 2.74%, presumably on the perceived hawkish tone of Tiff Macklem’s post rate-announcement comments.

The FOMC loosened policy:

Available indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a moderate pace. Job gains have slowed this year, and the unemployment rate has edged up but remained low through August; more recent indicators are consistent with these developments. Inflation has moved up since earlier in the year and remains somewhat elevated.

The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated. The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that downside risks to employment rose in recent months.

In support of its goals and in light of the shift in the balance of risks, the Committee decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point to 3-3/4 to 4 percent. In considering additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks. The Committee decided to conclude the reduction of its aggregate securities holdings on December 1. The Committee is strongly committed to supporting maximum employment and returning inflation to its 2 percent objective.

In assessing the appropriate stance of monetary policy, the Committee will continue to monitor the implications of incoming information for the economic outlook. The Committee would be prepared to adjust the stance of monetary policy as appropriate if risks emerge that could impede the attainment of the Committee’s goals. The Committee’s assessments will take into account a wide range of information, including readings on labor market conditions, inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and financial and international developments.

Voting for the monetary policy action were Jerome H. Powell, Chair; John C. Williams, Vice Chair; Michael S. Barr; Michelle W. Bowman; Susan M. Collins; Lisa D. Cook; Austan D. Goolsbee; Philip N. Jefferson; Alberto G. Musalem; and Christopher J. Waller. Voting against this action were Stephen I. Miran, who preferred to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage point at this meeting, and Jeffrey R. Schmid, who preferred no change to the target range for the federal funds rate at this meeting.

Colby Smith of the NYT remarks:

• Lower rates: After another quarter-point cut, interest rates set by the Fed are now below 4 percent for the first time since late 2022. Jerome H. Powell, the Fed’s chair, said today’s reduction moved the Fed’s policy settings closer to a “neutral” level that does not stimulate growth or slow it down. That suggests there may not be that much more scope for the central bank to cut interest rates further.
• Room for debate: This remains a very divided Fed, as evidenced by the fact that two officials cast dissenting votes in opposite directions. One wanted a bigger, half-point cut; another wanted no cut at all. The split stems not only from divergent forecasts about the economy but also risk tolerances around allowing the labor market to weaken or inflation to stay elevated.
• Uncertainty ahead: Mr. Powell made clear that the disagreements extended to the path forward for policy, with a cut at the December meeting not a “foregone conclusion” in light of “strongly differing views about how to proceed.” The Fed chair also said that a lack of official government statistics as a result of the ongoing shutdown could make the central bank more cautious about further cuts.
• Risky choices: Mr. Powell repeatedly emphasized what a challenging situation the Fed was in, reiterating that there was “no risk-free path.” If it keeps cutting to protect the labor market, inflation could get stuck above the Fed’s 2 percent target. If it focuses on getting inflation down, it could cause a more significant increase in unemployment.
• New balance: Mr. Powell also said the Fed was thinking carefully about its balance sheet, which the central bank said it would stop shrinking in December. He said that market strains that have cropped up in the past three weeks have shown that now is the right time to make that change.

PerpetualDiscounts now yield 5.52%, equivalent to 7.18% interest at the standard conversion factor of 1.3x. Long corporates yielded 4.67% on 2025-10-28, and the closing price of ZLC changed from 15.72 on that date to 15.58 on 2025-10-29, a drop of 1.65%. This drop in ZLC price implies an increase in yield of 13bp (BMO does not specify whether their reported “Duration” of 12.44 is Macaulay or Modified; I will assume Modified) to 4.80%, so the pre-tax interest-equivalent spread (in this context, the “Seniority Spread”) has narrowed sharply to 240bp from the 255bp reported October 22.