Blue Trust Increases VGIT Investment as Investors Look for Stability in Treasury Bonds
Blue Trust's Investment: Blue Trust, Inc. disclosed the purchase of 541,766 shares of the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT) for approximately $32.35 million, increasing its total position to 6,882,291 shares valued at $413.14 million, making VGIT the 3rd-largest holding in its portfolio.
Market Context: The investment reflects a trend towards stability in bond markets, as Treasury yields remain high but have recently dipped below 4%, indicating expectations that interest rates may have peaked, making VGIT an attractive option for long-term investors seeking fixed income exposure.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Analyst Views on IEF
No data
About the author
El-Erian Describes Recent Fed Communications as 'Confused' and Supports a More Reserved Approach Under Kevin Warsh's Leadership
Fed's Current Challenges: Former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh highlighted that the Federal Reserve's current issues are largely self-inflicted and emphasized the need for the central bank to realign its policies effectively.
Communication Critique: Warsh criticized the Fed's messaging as increasingly ineffective, suggesting that it has contributed to market volatility and confusion among investors.
Shift in Leadership: Economist Mohamed El-Erian noted that Warsh's potential nomination as Fed Chair could bring a much-needed independent perspective to the central bank, which has been lacking in recent years.
Market Reactions: Following these discussions, U.S. equities showed gains, indicating a positive market response to the potential changes in Fed leadership and policy direction.
Bessent: Trump Must Decide Whether to Sue Fed Chair Nominee Kevin Warsh Over Rate Cuts
Iranian Leadership's Financial Practices: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent highlighted that Iranian leaders are rapidly transferring money out of the country, indicating they may be aware of an impending end to their regime.
Banking Crisis in Iran: The Iranian Ayandeh Bank collapsed last year after incurring nearly $5 billion in losses, leading to significant inflation and a devaluation of the Iranian currency, which has resulted in public unrest.
U.S. Sanctions on Russia: Bessent mentioned the possibility of sanctioning Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers, depending on the outcomes of peace talks with the country, reflecting ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Market Reactions: U.S. equities experienced declines, with major ETFs tracking the S&P 500 and other indices showing negative performance, indicating a bearish sentiment in the market.
US Layoffs Reach Highest Level Since 2009 in January, While Hiring Hits Record Low
Job Cuts and Layoffs: In January, U.S. employers announced 108,435 job cuts, the highest for the month since 2009, with significant layoffs in the transportation and technology sectors, including Amazon's announcement of 16,000 job cuts.
Hiring Plans: Employers also announced 5,306 hiring plans in January, marking the lowest total for the month since Challenger began tracking in 2009, indicating a cautious outlook for future employment.
Sector-Specific Trends: The transportation industry saw the most job cuts with 31,243 layoffs, while the technology sector followed with 22,291 layoffs, reflecting broader trends in workforce reductions across various industries.
Economic Outlook: Analysts expect a continued decline in job creation, with private employers adding only 398,000 jobs in 2025, down from 771,000 in 2024, suggesting a challenging economic environment ahead.
US Government Shutdown Concludes After House Passes Funding Legislation: Report
Government Funding Bill: President Donald Trump announced he would sign a bill to grant full-year funding for the federal government, effectively ending a partial government shutdown that began over the weekend.
DHS Funding Extension: The Department of Homeland Security received a funding extension only through February 13, while the House of Representatives approved a funding package to avoid a prolonged shutdown.
Democratic Proposals: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated that Democrats are planning to present a detailed proposal on reforms for the Department of Homeland Security soon.
Market Impact: The partial shutdown has already affected key data releases, including the January jobs report, and has led to declines in major stock indices, reflecting negative retail sentiment.
Wharton's Jeremy Siegel Thinks Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair is Positive for Wall Street, Yet Trump Tariffs Could Still Be Unpredictable
Nomination of Kevin Warsh: Economist Jeremy Siegel views the nomination of Kevin Warsh as a significant upgrade for the Federal Reserve, believing it will positively impact both bonds and equities by maintaining a tough stance on inflation.
Concerns about Warsh's Hawkishness: Siegel acknowledges investor concerns regarding Warsh's hawkish tendencies, suggesting that while he supports a gradual reduction of the Fed's mortgage-backed securities, it should not be done too quickly.
Constructive Outlook for Equities: Siegel expresses a constructive outlook for equity markets, despite uncertainties surrounding changes at the Fed and government shutdown risks, highlighting recent performance disparities between Meta and Microsoft shares.
AI and Capital Spending Trends: Siegel predicts that 2023 will be the year of AI users, with capital spending continuing to rise as firms leverage AI to enhance productivity, contrasting with those merely selling traditional products.
US Government Shutdown Expected to Postpone January Employment Report
Partial Government Shutdown: The U.S. government entered a partial shutdown on January 31, 2026, due to a funding deadline lapse for the 2026 budget without Congressional approval, impacting key reports scheduled for release this week.
Delayed Reports: Key reports, including the latest jobs report and labor turnover survey, will be delayed due to the shutdown, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics not releasing the January jobs report as planned.
Funding Negotiations: The Senate has voted to extend funding, but the measure must still pass the House, which is scheduled to return on Monday to address the issue and avoid a prolonged shutdown.
Market Reactions: Despite the shutdown, U.S. equities saw gains, with various ETFs tracking major indices rising, while retail sentiment around the S&P 500 ETF remained bearish.
El-Erian Describes Recent Fed Communications as 'Confused' and Supports a More Reserved Approach Under Kevin Warsh's Leadership
Fed's Current Challenges: Former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh highlighted that the Federal Reserve's current issues are largely self-inflicted and emphasized the need for the central bank to realign its policies effectively.
Communication Critique: Warsh criticized the Fed's messaging as increasingly ineffective, suggesting that it has contributed to market volatility and confusion among investors.
Shift in Leadership: Economist Mohamed El-Erian noted that Warsh's potential nomination as Fed Chair could bring a much-needed independent perspective to the central bank, which has been lacking in recent years.
Market Reactions: Following these discussions, U.S. equities showed gains, indicating a positive market response to the potential changes in Fed leadership and policy direction.
Bessent: Trump Must Decide Whether to Sue Fed Chair Nominee Kevin Warsh Over Rate Cuts
Iranian Leadership's Financial Practices: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent highlighted that Iranian leaders are rapidly transferring money out of the country, indicating they may be aware of an impending end to their regime.
Banking Crisis in Iran: The Iranian Ayandeh Bank collapsed last year after incurring nearly $5 billion in losses, leading to significant inflation and a devaluation of the Iranian currency, which has resulted in public unrest.
U.S. Sanctions on Russia: Bessent mentioned the possibility of sanctioning Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers, depending on the outcomes of peace talks with the country, reflecting ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Market Reactions: U.S. equities experienced declines, with major ETFs tracking the S&P 500 and other indices showing negative performance, indicating a bearish sentiment in the market.
US Layoffs Reach Highest Level Since 2009 in January, While Hiring Hits Record Low
Job Cuts and Layoffs: In January, U.S. employers announced 108,435 job cuts, the highest for the month since 2009, with significant layoffs in the transportation and technology sectors, including Amazon's announcement of 16,000 job cuts.
Hiring Plans: Employers also announced 5,306 hiring plans in January, marking the lowest total for the month since Challenger began tracking in 2009, indicating a cautious outlook for future employment.
Sector-Specific Trends: The transportation industry saw the most job cuts with 31,243 layoffs, while the technology sector followed with 22,291 layoffs, reflecting broader trends in workforce reductions across various industries.
Economic Outlook: Analysts expect a continued decline in job creation, with private employers adding only 398,000 jobs in 2025, down from 771,000 in 2024, suggesting a challenging economic environment ahead.
US Government Shutdown Concludes After House Passes Funding Legislation: Report
Government Funding Bill: President Donald Trump announced he would sign a bill to grant full-year funding for the federal government, effectively ending a partial government shutdown that began over the weekend.
DHS Funding Extension: The Department of Homeland Security received a funding extension only through February 13, while the House of Representatives approved a funding package to avoid a prolonged shutdown.
Democratic Proposals: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated that Democrats are planning to present a detailed proposal on reforms for the Department of Homeland Security soon.
Market Impact: The partial shutdown has already affected key data releases, including the January jobs report, and has led to declines in major stock indices, reflecting negative retail sentiment.
Wharton's Jeremy Siegel Thinks Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair is Positive for Wall Street, Yet Trump Tariffs Could Still Be Unpredictable
Nomination of Kevin Warsh: Economist Jeremy Siegel views the nomination of Kevin Warsh as a significant upgrade for the Federal Reserve, believing it will positively impact both bonds and equities by maintaining a tough stance on inflation.
Concerns about Warsh's Hawkishness: Siegel acknowledges investor concerns regarding Warsh's hawkish tendencies, suggesting that while he supports a gradual reduction of the Fed's mortgage-backed securities, it should not be done too quickly.
Constructive Outlook for Equities: Siegel expresses a constructive outlook for equity markets, despite uncertainties surrounding changes at the Fed and government shutdown risks, highlighting recent performance disparities between Meta and Microsoft shares.
AI and Capital Spending Trends: Siegel predicts that 2023 will be the year of AI users, with capital spending continuing to rise as firms leverage AI to enhance productivity, contrasting with those merely selling traditional products.
US Government Shutdown Expected to Postpone January Employment Report
Partial Government Shutdown: The U.S. government entered a partial shutdown on January 31, 2026, due to a funding deadline lapse for the 2026 budget without Congressional approval, impacting key reports scheduled for release this week.
Delayed Reports: Key reports, including the latest jobs report and labor turnover survey, will be delayed due to the shutdown, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics not releasing the January jobs report as planned.
Funding Negotiations: The Senate has voted to extend funding, but the measure must still pass the House, which is scheduled to return on Monday to address the issue and avoid a prolonged shutdown.
Market Reactions: Despite the shutdown, U.S. equities saw gains, with various ETFs tracking major indices rising, while retail sentiment around the S&P 500 ETF remained bearish.
