Download the Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2017/18

Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2017/18
1.
Introduction
1.1
In April 2010 the Council adopted the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and
Accountancy’s Treasury Management in the Public Services: Code of Practice 2011
Edition (the CIPFA Code) which requires the Council to approve a treasury management
strategy before the start of each financial year.
1.2
In addition, the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) issued
revised Guidance on Local Authority Investments in March 2010 that requires the
Council to approve an investment strategy before the start of each financial year.
1.3
This report fulfils the Council’s legal obligation under the Local Government Act 2003 to
have regard to both the CIPFA Code and the CLG Guidance.
1.4
The Council has invested substantial sums of money and is therefore exposed to
financial risks including the loss of invested funds and the revenue effect of changing
interest rates. The successful identification, monitoring and control of risk are therefore
central to the Council’s treasury management strategy.
1.5
In accordance with CLG Guidance, the Council will be asked to approve a revised
Treasury Management Strategy Statement should the assumptions on which this report
is based change significantly. Such circumstances would include, for example, a large
unexpected change in interest rates, or in the Council’s capital programme or in the level
of its investment balance.
1.6
The treasury strategy set out in this report supports the budget for 2017/18 which is
included as a separate report elsewhere on this agenda.
2.
Context
2.1
Economic background: The major external influence on the Council’s treasury
management strategy for 2017/18 will be the UK’s progress in negotiating a smooth exit
from the European Union. Financial markets had not anticipated the outcome of the
referendum and have since been weighed down by uncertainty over whether leaving the
Union also means leaving the single market. Negotiations are expected to start once the
UK formally triggers exit in early 2017, and these are anticipated to last for at least two
years. Uncertainty over future economic prospects will therefore remain throughout
2017/18.
2.2
The fall and continuing weakness in sterling and the near doubling in the price of oil in
2016 have combined to drive inflation expectations higher. The Bank of England is
forecasting that Consumer Price Inflation will exceed its 2% target in 2017, for the first
time since 2013. However, the Bank is expected to look beyond these overshoots over
the course of 2017 when setting interest rates, so as to avoid derailing the economy.
2.3
Initial post-referendum economic data showed that the feared collapse in business and
consumer confidence had not immediately led to lower GDP growth. However, the
prospect of leaving the single market has dented business confidence and resulted in a
delay in new business investment and, unless counteracted by higher public spending or
retail sales, will weaken economic growth in 2017/18.
2.4
The impact of political risk on financial markets remains significant over the next year.
With challenges such as immigration, the rise of populist, anti-establishment parties and
negative interest rates resulting in savers receiving no reward or even a penalty for their
savings, the outcome of the French presidential election and the German federal
elections in 2017, all have the potential for upsets.
2.5
Credit outlook: The financial markets have expressed concern over the financial
viability of a number of European banks recently, with sluggish economies and fines
weighing on bank profits and any future slowdown will only exacerbate concerns.
2.6
Bail-in legislation which ensures that large investors including local authorities will rescue
failing banks instead of taxpayers in the future, has now been fully implemented in the
European Union, Switzerland and the USA, and is progressing in Australia and Canada.
The credit risk associated with making unsecured bank deposits has therefore increased
relative to the risk of other investment options available to the Council, and the returns
from cash deposits continue to fall. The Council currently has no unsecured deposits
with banks.
2.7
Interest rate forecast: The Council’s treasury management advisor Arlingclose
forecasts the UK Bank Rate to remain at 0.25% during 2017/18. The Bank of England
has, however, highlighted that excessive levels of inflation will not be tolerated for
sustained periods. Given this view and the current inflation outlook, further falls in the
bank rate look less likely. A negative bank rate is currently perceived by some
policymakers to be counterproductive but, although a low probability, cannot be entirely
ruled out in the medium term, particularly if the UK enters recession as a result of
concerns over leaving the European Union.
2.8
For the purpose of setting the budget for 2017/18, it has been assumed that treasury
investments together with the loans to housing associations will achieve an average
interest rate of 2.6%.
2.9
At the end of November 2016, the Council had total investments of £35.5m, details of
which are set out in Appendix A. Forecast changes in the level of investments and loans
are shown in the balance sheet analysis set out in Appendix B.
3.
Borrowing Strategy
3.1
The Council is currently debt free and its capital expenditure and financing plans do not
currently assume any external borrowing requirement over the forecast
period. Investments are forecast to fall as capital receipts and other NNDC reserves are
used to finance revenue and capital expenditure.
3.2
The balance available for treasury investments is after taking account of a £2.75m
Housing Association loan anticipated to be made in June 2017 for service related
purposes under the Local Investment Strategy. This will be financed from internal
borrowing but the requirement to make Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) will be
avoided as, in accordance with the MRP Policy, the loan repayments will not be treated
as a useable capital receipt, but will write down the Capital Financing Requirement
instead.
3.3
In addition, the Council may borrow short-term for cash flow purposes in accordance
with prudent treasury management activity.
4.
Investment Strategy
4.1
The Council had an average balance of £34.8m invested to 30 November 2016. This
represents income received in advance of expenditure, plus balances and reserves held.
In the past 12 months, the Council’s investment balances have ranged between £26.6m
and £40.5m, and broadly similar levels are expected to be maintained in 2017/18.
4.2
The CIPFA Code and the DCLG Guidance require the Council to invest its funds
prudently, and to have regard to the security and liquidity of its investments before
seeking the highest rate of return, or yield. The Council’s objective when investing
money is to strike an appropriate balance between risk and return, minimising the risk of
incurring losses from defaults and the risk of receiving unsuitably low investment income.
Where balances are expected to be invested for more than one year, the Council will aim
to achieve a total return that is equal or higher than the prevailing rate of inflation, in
order to maintain the spending power of the sum invested.
4.3
If the UK enters into a recession in 2017/18, there is a small chance that the Bank of
England could set its Bank Rate at or below zero, which is likely to feed through to
negative interest rates on all low risk, short-term investment options. This situation
already exists in many other European countries. In this situation the Council will have
met its requirement to give priority to making secure investments, provided it receives
the contractually agreed amount at maturity, even though this may be less than the
amount originally invested.
4.4
With the increasing risk and continued low returns from short-term unsecured bank
investments, the Council aims to further diversify into more secure and/or higher yielding
asset classes during 2017/18. In the past a significant proportion of the Councils surplus
cash has been invested in short-term unsecured deposits, certificates of deposit and
money market funds. This diversification into more secured lending will represent a
continuation of the strategy adopted in 2015/16 and 2016/17.
4.5
The strategy will be to make full use of the estimated £30m of “core cash” which is
available for longer-term investment. With long-term rates expected to remain low for an
extended period of time, there is no advantage in investing short-term and it is better to
invest for longer periods at higher interest rates where cash flow allows. This may result
in some short-term borrowing being required, but such borrowing is readily accessible
and cheap, and doing so when required helps optimise longer-term investments. The
Council’s treasury adviser, Arlingclose, has recommended this approach and fully
supports it to help maximise investment returns.
4.6
The Council may invest its surplus funds with any of the counterparty types in table 1
below, subject to the cash limits (per counterparty) and the time limits shown. Further
details are included from paragraph 4.7 onwards.
Table 1: Approved Investment Counterparties and Limits
Credit
Rating
Banks
Unsecured
Banks
Secured
UK
Govt.
N/A
N/A
£1.5m
5 years
£1.5m
5 years
£1.5m
4 years
£1.5m
3 years
£1.5m
2 years
£1.5m
13 months
£1.5m
6 months
£0.75m
100 days
£0.75m
6 months
£3m
20 years
£3m
10 years
£3m
5 years
£3m
4 years
£3m
3 years
£3m
2 years
£3m
13 months
£1.5m
6 months
AAA
AA+
AA
AAA+
A
ABBB+
None
Pooled
funds
n/a
Government
(includes
local
authorities)
£ Unlimited
50 years
£3m
50 years
£3m
25 years
£3m
15 years
£3m
10 years
£1.5m
5 years
£1.5m
5 years
£1.5m
5 years
£0.75m
2 years
£3m
25 years
Corporates
Registered
Providers
N/A
N/A
£1.5m
20 years
£1.5m
10 years
£1.5m
5 years
£1.5m
4 years
£1.5m
3 years
£1.5m
2 years
£1.5m
13 months
£0.75m
6 months
£50,000
5 years
£1.5m
20 years
£1.5m
10 years
£1.5m
10 years
£1.5m
10 years
£1.5m
5 years
£1.5m
5 years
£1.5m
5 years
£0.75m
2 years
£0.75m
5 years
£7.5m per fund
Note: The limits for banks apply equally to building societies as they are no longer treated any
differently
4.7
Credit Rating: Investment limits are set by reference to the lowest published long-term
credit rating from Fitch, Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s. Where available, the credit rating
relevant to the specific investment or class of investment is used, otherwise the
counterparty credit rating is used. However, investment decisions are never made solely
based on credit ratings, and all other relevant factors including external advice will be
taken into account.
4.8
Banks Unsecured: Accounts, deposits, certificates of deposit and senior unsecured
bonds with banks and building societies, other than multilateral development banks.
These investments are subject to the risk of credit loss via a bail-in should the regulator
determine that the bank is failing or likely to fail.
4.9
Banks Secured: Covered bonds, reverse repurchase agreements and other
collateralised arrangements with banks and building societies. These investments are
secured on the bank’s assets, which limits the potential losses in the unlikely event of
insolvency, and means that they are exempt from bail-in. Where there is no investment
specific credit rating, but the collateral upon which the investment is secured has a credit
rating, the highest of the collateral credit rating and the counterparty credit rating will be
used to determine cash and time limits. The combined secured and unsecured
investments in any one bank will not exceed the cash limit for secured investments.
4.10
Government: Loans, bonds and bills issued or guaranteed by national governments,
regional and local authorities and multilateral development banks. These investments
are not subject to bail-in, and there is an insignificant risk of insolvency. Investments
with the UK Central Government may be made in unlimited amounts for up to 50 years.
4.11
Corporates: Loans, bonds and commercial paper issued by companies other than banks
and registered providers. These investments are not subject to bail-in, but are exposed
to the risk of the company going insolvent. Loans to unrated companies will only be
made as part of a diversified pool in order to spread the risk widely.
4.12
Registered Providers (treasury investments as opposed to loans made for services
related purposes): Loans and bonds issued by, guaranteed by or secured on the assets
of Registered Providers of Social Housing, formerly known as Housing Associations.
These bodies are tightly regulated by the Homes and Communities Agency and, as
providers of public services, they retain the likelihood of receiving government support if
needed.
4.13
Pooled Funds: Shares in diversified investment vehicles consisting of any of the above
investment types, plus equity shares and property. These funds have the advantage of
providing wide diversification of investment risks, coupled with the services of a
professional fund manager in return for a fee. Short-term Money Market Funds that offer
same-day liquidity and very low or no volatility will be used as an alternative to instant
access bank accounts, while pooled funds whose value changes with market prices
and/or have a notice period will be used for longer investment periods.
4.14
Bond, equity and property funds offer enhanced returns over the longer term, but are
more volatile in the short term. These allow the Council to diversify into asset classes
other than cash without the need to own and manage the underlying investments.
Because these funds have no defined maturity date, but are available for withdrawal
after a notice period, their performance and continued suitability in meeting the Council’s
investment objectives will be monitored regularly. At 31 December 2016 the Council has
£3m invested in each of the Royal London Cash Plus Fund and the Payden & Rygel
Sterling Reserve Fund (a short-dated bond fund), together with £5m in the Local
Authorities Property Fund (LAMIT). The Balance Sheet projections completed as part of
the 2017/18 budget process, suggest that around a further £10.5m of surplus funds will
be available for a period of 3 to 5 years, and consequently suitable for investment in
pooled funds. Additional investments will be considered in long-dated funds to increase
portfolio diversification and to enhance returns.
4.15
Risk Assessment and Credit Ratings: Credit ratings are obtained and monitored by the
Council’s treasury advisers, who will notify changes in ratings as they occur. Where an
entity has its credit rating downgraded so that it fails to meet the approved investment
criteria then:
4.16
•
no new investments will be made,
•
any existing investments that can be recalled or sold at no cost will be, and
•
full consideration will be given to the recall or sale of all other existing investments
with the affected counterparty.
Where a credit rating agency announces that a credit rating is on review for possible
downgrade (also known as “rating watch negative” or “credit watch negative”) so that it
may fall below the approved rating criteria, then only investments that can be withdrawn
on the next working day will be made with that organisation until the outcome of the
review is announced. This policy will not apply to negative outlooks, which indicate a
long-term direction of travel rather than an imminent change of rating.
4.17
Other Information on the Security of Investments: The Council understands that credit
ratings are good, but not perfect, predictors of investment default. Full regard will
therefore be given to other available information on the credit quality of the organisations
in which it invests, including credit default swap prices, financial statements, information
on potential government support and reports in the quality financial press. No
investments will be made with an organisation if there are substantive doubts about its
credit quality, even though it may meet the credit rating criteria.
4.18
When deteriorating financial market conditions affect the creditworthiness of all
organisations, as happened in 2008 and 2011, this is not generally reflected in credit
ratings, but can be seen in other market measures. In these circumstances, the Council
will restrict its investments to those organisations of higher credit quality and reduce the
maximum duration of its investments to maintain the required level of security. The
extent of these restrictions will be in line with prevailing financial market conditions. If
these restrictions mean that insufficient commercial organisations of high credit quality
are available to invest the Council’s cash balances, then the surplus will be deposited
with the UK Government, via the Debt Management Office or invested in government
treasury bills for example, or with other local authorities. This will cause a reduction in
the level of investment income earned, but will protect the principal sum invested.
4.19
Specified Investments: The CLG Guidance defines specified investments as those:
•
denominated in pound sterling,
•
due to be repaid within 12 months of arrangement,
•
not defined as capital expenditure by legislation, and
•
invested with one of:
o
the UK Government,
o
a UK local authority, parish council or community council, or
o
a body or investment scheme of “high credit quality”.
4.20
The Council defines “high credit quality” organisations and securities as those having a
credit rating of A- or higher that are domiciled in the UK or a foreign country with a
sovereign rating of AA+ or higher. For money market funds and other pooled funds “high
credit quality” is defined as those having a credit rating of A- or higher.
4.21
Non-specified Investments: Any investment not meeting the definition of a specified
investment is classed as non-specified. The Council does not intend to make any
investments denominated in foreign currencies, nor any that are defined as capital
expenditure by legislation, such as company shares. Non-specified investments will
therefore be limited to long-term investments, i.e. those that are due to mature 12
months or longer from the date of arrangement, and investments with bodies and
schemes not meeting the definition on high credit quality. Limits on non-specified
investments are shown in table 2 below.
4.22
Table 2: Non-Specified Investment Limits
Cash limit
Total long-term investments *
£30m
Total investments without credit ratings or rated below A- *
£20m
Total investments (except pooled funds) with institutions
£2m
domiciled in foreign countries rated below AA+
* Includes investments in the LAMIT Pooled Property Fund and other Pooled Funds
4.23
Investment Limits: The Council’s revenue reserves available to cover investment losses
are forecast to be £16 million on 31st March 2017 In order to ensure only an acceptable
level of these reserves will be put at risk in the case of a single default, the maximum
that will be lent to any one organisation (other than the UK Government) will be £3
million. A group of banks under the same ownership will be treated as a single
organisation for limit purposes. Limits will also be placed on fund managers,
investments in brokers’ nominee accounts, foreign countries and industry sectors as
shown in table 3 below. Investments in pooled funds and multilateral development
banks do not count against the limit for any single foreign country, since the risk is
diversified over many countries.
Table 3: Investment Limits
Cash limit
Any single organisation, except the UK Central
Government
UK Central Government
Any group of organisations under the same ownership
Any group of pooled funds under the same management
£3m each
unlimited
£3m per group
£10m per manager
Negotiable instruments held in a broker’s nominee account
£10m per broker
Foreign countries
£5m per country
Registered Providers
£7.5m in total
Unsecured investments with Building Societies
£3m in total
Loans to unrated corporates
£3m in total
Money Market Funds
£12.5m in total
4.24
Liquidity management: The Council maintains a cash flow forecast on an Excel spread
sheet to determine the maximum period for which funds may prudently be committed.
The forecast is used to minimise the risk that the Council is forced to borrow on
unfavourable terms to meet its financial commitments.
5
Treasury Management Indicators
5.1
The Council measures and manages its exposures to treasury management risks using
the following indicators.
5.2
Security: The Council has adopted a voluntary measure of its exposure to credit risk by
monitoring the value-weighted average credit score of its investment portfolio. This is
calculated by applying a score to each investment (AAA=1, AA+=2, etc.) and taking the
arithmetic average, weighted by the size of each investment. Unrated investments are
assigned a score based on their perceived risk.
Target
Portfolio average credit score
6.0
A credit score of ‘6’ equates to a long-term rating of ‘A’ (Fitch and S&P) or A2 (Moody’s).
5.3
Liquidity: The Council has adopted a voluntary measure of its exposure to liquidity risk
by monitoring the amount of cash available to meet unexpected payments within a
rolling three month period, without additional borrowing.
Target
Total cash available within 3 months
5.4
£3m
Interest Rate Exposures: This indicator is set to control the Council’s exposure to
interest rate risk. The upper limits on fixed and variable rate exposures, expressed as
the proportion of net principal borrowed (i.e. fixed rate debt net of fixed rate investments,
will be:
2017/18
Estimate
%
2017/18
Estimate
%
2018/19
Estimate
%
Upper Limit for
Fixed Interest
Rate Exposure
(100%)
(100%)
(100%)
Upper Limit for
Variable Interest
Rate Exposure
(100%)
(100%)
(100%)
5.5
As the Council does not have outstanding borrowing, these calculations have resulted in
a negative figure.
5.6
The purpose of the limit is to ensure that the Council is not exposed to interest rate rises
on any borrowing which could adversely impact the revenue budget. Variable rate
borrowing can be used to offset exposure to changes in short term rates on investments.
However, the Council does not anticipate entering into borrowing (other than short-term
borrowing for cash flow purposes) during the period of the Strategy. These limits
therefore allow maximum flexibility for fixed or variable rate investments and investment
decisions will ultimately be made on expectations of interest rate movements as set out
in the Strategy. Fixed rate investments and borrowings are those where the rate of
interest is fixed for at least 12 months, measured from the start of the financial year or
the transaction date if later. All other instruments are classed as variable rate.
5.7
Maturity Structure of Fixed Rate borrowing:
5.8
This indicator highlights the existence of any large concentrations of fixed rate borrowing
needing to be replaced at times of uncertainty over interest rates and is designed to
protect against excessive exposures to interest rate changes in any one period, in
particular in the course of the next ten years.
5.9
It is calculated as the amount of projected borrowing that is fixed rate maturing in each
period as a percentage of total projected borrowing that is fixed rate. The Council is
currently debt free and does not anticipate new borrowing in 2017/18 (other than for
short periods for cash flow purposes). However, should the Council require to borrow for
the long-term, the limits below provide the flexibility to borrow fixed rate loans in any of
the maturity bands below.
Lower Limit
for 2017/18
%
0
Upper Limit
for 2017/18
%
100
12 months and within 24 months
0
100
24 months and within 5 years
0
100
5 years and within 10 years
0
100
10 years and above
0
100
Maturity structure of fixed rate borrowing
under 12 months
5.10
As the Council has no external debt, the limits above allow flexibility to borrow new loans
in the most appropriate maturity band.
5.11
Principal Sums Invested for Periods Longer than 364 days: The purpose of this
indicator is to limit exposure to the possibility of loss which may arise as a result of the
Council having to seek early repayment of the sums invested. The limits on the longerterm principal sum invested to final maturities beyond the period end will be:
Limit on principal invested beyond year end
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
£30m
£30m
£28m
6
Policy on Use of Financial Derivatives
6.1
The CIPFA Code requires authorities to clearly detail their policy on the use of financial
derivatives in the annual strategy. These instruments are used to manage risks (such
as interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risks), and can be embedded into loans
and investments, or are standalone. The general power of competence in Section 1 of
the Localism Act 2011 removes much of the uncertainty over local authorities’ use of
standalone financial derivatives.
6.2
The Council will only use standalone financial derivatives (such as interest rate swaps)
where it can be clearly demonstrated that they reduce the overall level of financial risks
that the Council is exposed to.
6.3
Embedded derivatives, including those present in pooled funds and forward starting
transactions, will not be subject to this policy, although the risks they present will be
managed in line with the overall treasury risk management strategy.
7.
Investment Training
7.1
The needs of the Council’s treasury management staff for training in investment
management are assessed as part of the staff appraisal process. Staff regularly attend
training courses, seminars and conferences provided by Arlingclose and CIPFA.
8.
Treasury Management Advisors
8.1
The Council employs a Treasury Management Advisor, Arlingclose Limited, to provide
advice and information on counterparty creditworthiness, treasury strategy, economic
updates and technical support on all treasury matters. The Treasury Advisory Service is
periodically subject to tender to ensure the Council receives a quality service and
Arlingclose successfully tendered for a new contract commencing 1 April 2011. The
current contract expires on 31 March 2017 and officers are currently working on
procuring a new contract.
9.
Financial Implications and Risks
9.1
The budget for investment income and loan interest in 2017/18 is £837,200 based on an
average balance of £32.2 million at an interest rate of 2.6%.
This rate assumes the
Council’s £5m investment in the Local Authorities Property Fund makes an income
distribution of 5.75% (relative to the cost of the investment, rather than the current
value); further investments in pooled funds provide an income return of 3%, and loans
under the local investment strategy earn 3.7%. The rates which can be earned on other
investments included in this Strategy are anticipated to remain low during 2017/18 and
an average of 0.8% is assumed in the budget figure.
9.2
The effectiveness of the Treasury Strategy will have a significant impact on the budget
and finances of the Council. Investment decisions will be made based on the Council’s
forecast of interest rate movements. If actual rate movements prove to be very different,
or if the loans under the local investment strategy are not drawn down by the housing
associations as currently anticipated, there will be implications for the investment return
achieved and this will be tracked as part of the 2017/18 budget monitoring process.
9.3
It is not possible to predict with certainty the future movements in interest rates. The
Strategy must therefore be flexible enough to allow the Council to respond to changing
market conditions. It must also enable the Council to respond to future changes in
legislation.
9.4
The Strategy represents an appropriate balance between risk management and cost
effectiveness. An alternative strategy might be to invest in a narrower range of
counterparties or for shorter periods. Interest income is likely to be lower as a
consequence, with a reduced risk of losses from counterparty default, but any losses
may be greater. Investing in a wider range of counterparties or for longer periods may
increase interest income with an increased risk of loss from defaults, and any such
losses may be smaller.
9.5
The security of the Council’s investments is of prime concern, and the Strategy must
ensure that, as far as possible, the Council’s investments are repaid in full, with interest
earned, on the due date. The wider diversification of funds in future years as discussed
within the strategy will help to ensure that this is achieved as far as possible.
10.
Sustainability – None as a direct consequence of this report.
11.
Equality and Diversity – None as a direct consequence of this report.
12.
Section 17 Crime and Disorder considerations – None as a direct consequence of
this report.
Appendix A
Investment Position as at 30 November 2016
Proportion
of Portfolio
%
Amount
£
Current
Interest
Rate
%
Managed in-house
Short-term Investments
- Term Deposits
Long-term Investments
- Covered Bonds with Banks & Building Societies
Managed externally
- Money Market Funds
- LAMIT Pooled Property Fund
- Other Pooled Funds
Total Investments
9
3,000,000
0.65
25
9,000,000
0.86
35
14
17
12,500,000
5,000,000
6,000,000
0.29
5.81
0.76
100
35,500,000
1.32
Appendix B
Balance Sheet Summary and Forecast
31.3.16
Actual
£m
CFR
31.3.17
Estimate
£m
31.3.18
Budget
£m
31.3.19
Forecast
£m
31.3.20
Forecast
£m
31.3.21
Forecast
£m
0.805
1.438
3.724
3.133
2.946
2.660
Less: Other debt liabilities *
-0.999
-0.688
-0.355
0
0
0
Borrowing CFR
-0.194
0.750
3.369
3.133
2.946
2.660
0
0
0
0
0
0
-0.194
0.750
3.369
3.133
2.946
2.660
Less: Usable reserves
-22.663
-23.736
-22.259
-22.076
-20.829
-20.105
Less: Working capital
-8.339
-8.339
-8.339
-8.339
-8.339
-8.339
Investments
31.196
31.325
27.229
27.282
26.222
25.784
Less: External borrowing
Internal (over) borrowing
* Embedded Finance Lease