Wall Street ballyhoo and flim-flam to the contrary, the year 2005 closed-out half a decade of misery and pain for the average investor in US equities according to Federal Reserve flow of funds accounts F102 and L102. […]

Although foreign investors continue to be the largest purchasers of most types of US bonds, this sector showed less interest in Treasuries than in the past, shifting assets into short-term repurchase agreements in Q1 2006. In same quarter, the offer of new bonds rose due to seasonal issues by the US Treasury and to domestic corporations […]

Net issuance of bonds into the U.S. market in Q1 2006 surpassed prior records, forcing bond prices to fall and rates to rise. Total, annualized net sales for corporate and foreign bonds, agencies, treasuries and municipal bonds reached $2.2 trillion, 70% higher than bond issuance in 2005. There are several reasons for this record level of bond […]