The Credit Edge by Bloomberg Intelligence

The technology-funding frenzy could become a bust for credit markets if AI falls short of lofty expectations, according to Barclays. “If we get to a point where we see a lot of this issuance coming to the market — and then there’s some changes, where maybe certain things are a little bit less viable or a little bit less attractive — that leads to some downside risks,”...

Global investors are looking more at European private credit as US returns get squeezed, according to London-based hedge fund Arini. “They want to focus on a place where they think there’s rule of law, where they think there’s opportunity set — and that’s really been Europe,” Mathew Cestar, the firm’s president, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie an...

Vanguard Group, the world’s second-largest money manager, is wary of junk bonds given how expensive they’ve become. “Where the market is today doesn’t leave a lot of room for negative surprises,” Michael Chang, head of high-yield corporate credit at the $11 trillion asset manager, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Matthew Geu...

Lack of discipline is a concern for credit markets as investors rush to fund artificial intelligence, according to Oaktree Capital Management. “Just how much money is chasing deals — I think you need to be mindful of that,” Danielle Poli, a portfolio manager for the firm’s global credit strategy, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s P...

Credit investors should be careful about participating in the artificial intelligence boom, according to DoubleLine Capital. “You have to be not only cautious about the tech sector, but the tangential related sectors that are providing support for these new projects,” Robert Cohen, the firm’s director of global developed credit, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloom...

Investors are too sanguine after shrugging off recent debt-market distress, according to Crossmark Global Investments. “My key concern is the complacency,” Victoria Fernandez, the firm’s chief market strategist, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Jean-Yves Coupin in the latest episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “Jamie Dimon talks a...

Corporate collapse and allegations of fraud hog the headlines, but a slumping US economy is much more troubling for debt markets, according to Monarch Alternative Capital. “There are large portions of the economy that are hurting,” Adam Sklar, the firm’s co-chief investment officer, tells Bloomberg News’ Irene Garcia Perez and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Negisa Balluku i...

Private credit is better placed than public to avoid blowups being seen in liquid debt, according to Ares Management Corp. “The level and amount of work you can do from a diligence standpoint is dramatically more extensive,” Joel Holsinger, partner and co-head of alternative credit at the company, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s David Havens...

More highly indebted companies will slip into distress as the US economy slows and earnings suffer, according to Aegon Asset Management. “I am bracing for a little more trouble ahead,” Jim Schaeffer, the $380 billion manager’s global head of leveraged finance, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Julie Hung in the latest Credit Edge podcast...

Collateralized loan obligations, particularly those backed by middle-market borrowers, are a growing opportunity for investors, according to Crescent Capital Group. “You have to work really hard to blow those structures up,” said John Fekete, the company’s head of tradeable credit, speaking of CLOs generally. Middle-market deals will make up a “larger and larger percentage...

There’s opportunity in collateralized loan obligations, according to BlackRock, the world’s largest money manager. “CLO tranches are probably one of the best relative value picks within the credit markets,” James Turner, the firm’s co-head of European fundamental fixed income investment, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Tim...

Razor-thin debt spreads underpin the global investor push into private markets, which can pay significantly more, according to Blackstone. “We see excess spread in private credit,” Michael Zawadzki, chief investment officer of Blackstone Credit & Insurance, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s David Havens in the latest Credit Edge podcast. &...

Distressed debt exchanges in the form of liability-management exercises are set to take off in Europe, according to Gibson Dunn, the US-based law firm. “You’re getting the same lawyers and bankers hired in Europe for deals that they do here — it’s not surprising that they would potentially roll out a playbook that’s worked,” Scott Greenberg, the firm’s glo...

Traded corporate debt is much more attractive than private credit, according to RBC BlueBay Asset Management. “Public credit is far superior,” Tom Moulds, senior portfolio manager for investment-grade fixed income at the $534 billion firm, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Tolu Alamutu in the latest Credit Edge podcast. “There’ll p...

Leveraged buyouts are poised for a revival, albeit less aggressively structured than in the last wave, according to Moody’s Ratings. “Ultimately everyone will need to adjust to the new environment and you will see deal flow come back,” Christina Padgett, the firm’s head of leveraged finance and private credit research, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg...

Collateralized loan obligation equity stands to gain as much as 15% this year, according to Tetragon Credit Partners. “It’s teens returns, high current cash flows and diversification,” said Dagmara Michalczuk, co-chief investment officer at the firm, which specializes in the riskiest part of the CLO market. “We are in vanilla corporate America, just using a little bit of le...

More companies will fail to repay debt as funding costs stay high, according to Mudrick Capital Management. “What we’re getting is just elevated defaults every year, we think for the next five to seven years,” Jason Mudrick, the distressed debt fund’s founder and chief investment officer, tells Bloomberg News’ Irene Garcia Perez and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Mike...

Fox Legal Training sees debt documentation risks rising as too much cash chases a limited number of high-yield deals. “Provisions these days are drafted in a way that they are very much departures from reality,” Sabrina Fox, the company’s founder, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Aidan Cheslin in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast....

US billionaires and sovereign wealth funds are going to get more active in global sports investing, according to Andalusian Credit Partners. “The US invasion into other markets is just getting started,” Aaron Kless, the US middle-market direct lending platform’s chief executive officer, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Arnold Kakuda in...

Ares Management, the $550 billion alternative investor, expects private lenders to get more involved in funding Europe’s rearmament. “We are starting to see more defense opportunities come across the desk,” Mike Dennis, the company’s co-head of European credit, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Jeroen Julius in this episode of the...

JPMorgan Asset Management is seeking hedges against credit market losses as risks rise and spreads tighten. “There’s value in shorts and credit protection,” Oksana Aronov, the firm’s head of market strategy for alternative fixed income, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Jody Lurie in the latest Credit Edge podcast. “It is ver...

HPS Investment Partners is building out its fund finance business, including net-asset-value lending. “It’s a huge opportunity,” Purnima Puri, head of liquid credit and a founding partner at the $150 billion firm, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Tolu Alamutu in the latest Credit Edge podcast. “Exits for private equity sponsors ha...

Barings Sees Global Credit Investor Pivot to Europe (Podcast)Demand for European corporate debt is rising as global investors seek to diversify out of US markets, according to Barings, the $442 billion asset manager. “US exceptionalism is a little bit more questioned, investors are increasingly concerned about US economic policy,” Mike Best, a high-yield and senior loan portfolio manag...

When the credit cycle turns, “the game will be over” for some private debt funds that are overly exposed to weak companies, according to Silver Point Capital. “We see every deal that’s getting done — there’s some good deals and there’s some bad deals,” Michael Gatto, the firm’s head of private side businesses, tells Bloomberg News’ Irene...

Collateralized loan obligations are a credit safe haven as highly-indebted companies get dragged down by economic slowdown, according to PGIM Fixed Income. “These structures are bulletproof,” Greg Peters, the $860 billion asset manager’s co-chief investment officer, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Matthew Geudtner in the latest Credit...