Key TakeawaysUnlike in 2022, today’s higher rates are more tied to resilient growth than an intensifying inflation shock.Growth has remained robust despite higher rates and elevated energy prices, helping explain why long-term yields have moved higher.Higher starting yields create more optionality for success in fixed income, supporting a diversified approach rather than positioning for a single rate scenario.

Highlights from the week of October 16 – October 22, 2026.

Short duration high yield bonds proved defensive as Treasury yields surged in 3Q. But the investment case isn’t reliant upon on where rates go next.

Higher rates are testing the most rate-sensitive parts of the economy, but they are also restoring income and creating sharper distinctions between risks worth taking and risks best avoided.

As your surplus grows, how should you adjust your investment approach?

Stable value funds play a critical role in DC plans, historically providing principal preservation, consistent positive returns, liquidity for benefit payments, and financial confidence for participants.

Rising yields can hurt bond prices now, but they may improve future income. See why your timeline matters.

See the trends in S&P 500 DB pensions

Higher yields reflect a resilient economy, not necessarily the start of a punishing tightening cycle. That could be a favorable backdrop for bond investors.

A broader toolkit can be the key to realizing extra yield in the mature, shorter-duration world of modern corporate pension plans.