Core Viewpoint - Investment firms, including Columbia Threadneedle, are closely monitoring U.S. mortgage-backed securities (MBS) as a refuge from the high valuations of U.S. corporate bonds and a wave of tech bond issuances that may impact returns [1] Group 1: Corporate Bond Market - JPMorgan strategists predict that the total issuance of U.S. investment-grade bonds, excluding refinancing, could exceed $800 billion in 2026, representing a net increase of approximately 54% from this year [1] - The majority of this issuance is expected to come from tech companies investing in artificial intelligence infrastructure, such as data centers [1] - JPMorgan anticipates that the spread of U.S. high-grade corporate bonds will widen by about 0.15 percentage points in 2026 due to the large volume of issuances [1] Group 2: Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) - MBS are projected to deliver the strongest returns in two decades, with the Bloomberg U.S. MBS Index rising by 8.35% as of last Friday, the best performance since 2002 [1] - Morgan Stanley notes that while corporate bond supply is increasing, the net supply of MBS may only see a slight rise next year due to high home prices and mortgage rates suppressing home buying activity [5] - Demand for MBS is expected to be stronger, particularly from real estate investment trusts (REITs) that are purchasing more MBS due to high valuations of their stocks [5] Group 3: Investment Strategies - Columbia Threadneedle's investment manager, Alex Christensen, indicates a gradual shift towards MBS as long-term investment-grade bond spreads fail to provide sufficient buffer against various risks, including increased issuance and deteriorating fundamentals [6] - Some investors are reallocating funds from corporate bonds to other securitized debt products, seeking higher yields [6] - Loomis Sayles' portfolio manager, Brian Kennedy, is focusing on bonds that offer higher yields than MBS, such as mortgage obligations and bonds backed by franchise fees, while attempting to minimize interest rate risk [6]