Laserfiche WebLink
County of Ventura <br />June 21, 2016 <br />Page 2 of 2 <br />" Our portfolio continues to outperform its benchmarks, further widening the gaps in <br />reported yields. CalTrust reported increases of .2 basis points per month, iAIF reported <br />increases of 3 basis points per month. <br />The interest rate market has been somewhat volatile during the period covered by this <br />report. Yields on US government securities in our sectors have actually declined as the <br />belief that the Fed will raise rates has waxed or waned from week to week. This week the <br />commentators are not only nearly certain that rates will not increase in June, but are nearly <br />as certain that rates will not increase in July. The commentators are only 50-50 about <br />September. The result to our pool has been that yields for 270 day commercial paper and <br />Yankee certificates of deposit exceed the yields for 2.5 year federal agency and <br />supranational issues. The Board will, therefore, notice a continued increase in the <br />percentage of the pool in commercial paper and Yankee certificates of deposit A collateral <br />benefit is that our duration will remain low, our weighted average days to maturity will <br />maintain a respectful distance from the maximum level, and our monthly report to Standard <br />& Poor's will continue to be unremarkable. <br />One point of potentially extreme volatility Is the 23 June election date for Britain's possible <br />exit from the European Union. It is enough to say that commentators are all over the place <br />on the subject of what the results of the vote might mean economically for Great Britain and <br />for the European Union. My opinion is that leaving the EU would be bad, economically, for <br />both Great Britain and the EU. My sense is that ratings will be lowered and the cost of <br />borrowing money will increase. As usual, neither BBC nor the British government have <br />asked for my opinion. I have tried to shelter our pool by not purchasing EU -based <br />investment instruments for several months, although some slight exposure remains. The <br />outcome of the election is unpredictable, and the effect on the interest rate market is even <br />more unpredictable. <br />Accordingly, it is my intent to continue to manage the portfolio based on the cautious <br />assumption that interest rates within our horizon will rise gradually, if at all, over the next <br />several months. We will focus on commercial paper and Yankee certificates of deposit <br />rather more than in previous months It is my opinion that the portfolio is approaching its <br />maximum possible percentage and dollar yield (which I estimate to be 1 % annualized and <br />$2 Million per month, respectively)., given the limits imposed by our Investment Policy, the <br />policies of the Standard & Pool's rafing team, and the existing interest rate market. <br />This letter has been reviewed and approved as to form by the County Executive Office, the <br />Auditor-Controller`s Office, and County Counsel <br />Please contact me at 654-3726 if you have any questions regarding this Item. <br />Steven Hintz <br />Treasurer -Tax Collector <br />Exhibit 1— Market Values of Investments <br />Exhibit 2 — Monthly Transactions <br />Exhibit 3 — graphs <br />