Since we published the February issue of What Counts, the spread between one- and 10-year advance yields narrowed from negative one basis point, to negative five basis points. Demonstrating the continued inversion trend in the short end of the yield curve, the spread between three-month and two-year advance rate moved to negative 30 basis points, from negative 10 basis points.

The relative “roll-down” benefit in the two-year sector decreased to negative 29 basis points, from negative 19 basis points. This implies that the relative benefit of investing in a two-year, versus a one-year security continues to be low.

• Purchase a one-year, fixed-income security (assumed to be pegged to Seattle Bank Advance Yield Curve), in this example, 5.36%.
• Purchase a two-year, fixed-income security and sell after one year, in this example, 5.21%.

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 is virtually no protection from rising rates over a one-year period for an investor that opts to purchase a two-year security and sell it at the end of the first year. The current implied forward yield curve indicates that an investor would be relatively better off by investing in a one-year security. Conversely, a borrower would be relatively better off by borrowing in the two-year sector.

The attached chart of current-versus-future implied swap yield curves suggests that short-term rates are expected to decline on the order of 25 basis points one year from now, and longer-term rates are expected to show little change from current levels.

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