In a repurchase agreement, or repo, one party sells an asset to another party and agrees to repurchase the asset at the same price, plus a premium in the future. The first party gets a much-needed funding and the second party gets to make a little extra money. The repo market is vital to the entire financial system. So when the repo markets fall into trouble, the impact can be massive. That was the fear in September 2019, when quite a bit of cash was pulled out of repos while securities were still coming in. Overnight repo rates increased, as did the Federal Funds Rate.
The Fed ultimately stepped in to stabilize things, but questions remain. Will this keep happening? If so, how often can the Fed bail the repo market out? And how might this impact corporate treasury and finance professionals? In this episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Invesco, Laurie Brignac, CIO and Head of Global Liquidity at Invesco, and Marques Mercier, Head of Government and Municipal Funds, Invesco Fixed Income, will help us answer these questions and more.