2025 was widely expected to be a good year for bonds. The US economy seemed to have found a floor, inflation looked to be contained, and interest rates had a long way to fall. The combination of high yields and capital appreciation from falling rates was, if a bit simplistic, a reason to be excited about the outlook for compelling total returns. But 2025 is looking increasingly like it will be anything but simple, writes Olivier De Larouziere.
The US Fed kept interest rates unchanged in the 4.25-4.50% range at its March policy meeting. Citing risks around elevated uncertainty from trade policies, the Fed prefers to wait and see given that the uncertainty is “remarkably high”.
Less than 2 months back in the White House, US president Donald Trump has packed in a great deal; Shifts in policy, tariffs, federal employment, not to mention a huge change in approach to foreign policy. This month, Swaha Pattanaik sits down with Jonathan Duensing, Head of Fixed Income at Amundi US, and Mahmood Pradhan, Head of Global Macro with the Amundi Investment Institute, to try to guide us through the present uncertainty in the markets.