Since we published the April issue of What Counts, the spread between one-and-ten-year advance yields increased to 32 basis points, from 19 basis points. The yield spread between the three-month and two-year advance rate narrowed to 27 basis points, from 29 basis points.

The relative “roll-down” benefit in the two-year sector increased to seven basis points, from one basis point. From a historical perspective, virtually all points on the yield curve continue to provide equal, albeit insignificant, amounts of incremental insurance against the potential of rising rates.

• Purchase a one-year fixed income security (assumed to be pegged to the Seattle Bank Yield), in this example, 5.45%.
• Purchase a two-year fixed income security and sell after one year, in this example, 5.48%. 

In deciding whether to purchase the one-year security, as opposed to purchasing the two-year security and selling it at the end of one year, an investor would like to know the answer to a key question:  In the event of rising interest rates, even though a modest principal loss would be sustained, would the extra yield earned relative to one-year portions of the yield curve more than offset the loss?

Under current market conditions, there are now seven basis points of protection (versus one basis point one month ago) from rising rates over a one-year period for an investor who opts to purchase a two-year security and sell it at the end of the first year. At current levels, an investor would be relatively indifferent to either option.

The following chart of current-versus-future, implied swap yield curves suggests that longer-term rates are expected to show little change from current levels. Conversely, the market appears to be discounting short-term rate increases on the order of 25 basis points over the next six months. Thereafter, the market appears to be discounting stable-to-slightly-declining short-term rates. 

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