Creditflux

Portfolio managers continue to be pessimistic on credit outlook, survey finds
A survey by the International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers states that 56% respondents believe average corporate default rates will increase over the next 12 months 

Investors eye alternative credit ahead of expected interest rate increase – report
Investments in alternative credit are set to rise among institutional investors over the next 12 months, according to an alternative credit report published by NN Investments Partners

Experienced CLO specialist joins Pretium
Pretium Partners moved into CLO management a year ago and now has $2 billion in AUM in this space thanks to a couple of acquisitions. It has now hired a portfolio manager to deal with the additional AUM

European loan portfolio manager parts ways with CQS
A European leveraged loan portfolio manager at London-based CQS  has left the firm, Creditflux has learned

Thrivent looks to the heavens for new interval loan fund
Minneapolis-based Thrivent Asset Management hopes to receive blessings and capital commitments from investors, after it has registered its new interval Church Loan and Income Fund

Arctos Capital raises for cryptoasset credit fund
San Francisco-headquartered Arctos Capital is launching a cryptoasset credit fund – Arctos Capital Cryptoasset Credit Fund

Californian pension fund looks to increase exposure to opportunistic credit
Merced Country Employees Retirement Association (MCERA) may increase its exposure to opportunistic credit, according to documents seen by Creditflux

European CLO PM rumoured to be joining CIFC from large asset manager
CIFC Asset Management looks to have made a major breakthrough in its bid to establish a European credit business with the $17 billion asset manager rumoured to be hiring the head of European performing credit at a large global credit firm

New rules encourage growth in blossoming risk sharing market
Significant risk transfer deals have generally been issued towards the end of the year – but the first quarter of 2018 has opened with a flurry of deals across primary and secondary markets

Investors debate merits of bond buckets as regulators revisit Volcker rule
CLOs with bond buckets could return in the US as federal agencies have signalled their willingness to roll back certain parts of the Volcker rule

Standard Chartered plans refocused SRT return
One of the biggest issuers of significant risk transfer (SRT) deals is returning to the market

Fixed income managers join rush for US leveraged loans
High yield fund managers Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss and Ryan Labs Asset Management are moving into floating rate products

They said it: "If the loan has a covenant, there’s probably something wrong with it"
Fully covenanted loans are a rarity, which would bring one to think that these are prized possesions. A US loan manager disagrees

Growth in UK loan issuance sparks sterling CLO revival
Strong sterling denominated leveraged loan issuance relative to euro issuance in western Europe has inspired securitisers to launch CLOs in the British currency

Aircraft lessors: gathering clouds lead to talk of turbulence
Aircraft leasing companies have been cruising over the past two years as passenger numbers grew, but rising interest rates and trade tariff concerns are making some bondholders nervous

Managers spot opportunity as leveraged loans soften
An abundance of US leveraged loan issuance helped soften secondary prices even though the overall market is highly bid. Meanwhile, investors’ preference for floating rate paper hit high yield

Investors fight to stop assets being pulled into black holes
US loan investors are fighting back against terms which they believe are effectively turning supposedly senior secured loans into unsecured agreements

Schroders appoints credit specialist to fixed income team
Schroders has appointed a former BlackRock credit specialist as an investment director focused on Schroders' credit strategies

Neuberger's Dyal acquires minority stake in HPS
Dyal Partners, a division of Neuberger Berman, has acquired a minority equity stake in global credit manager HPS Investment Partners

Sound Point and American Beacon team up for credit interval fund
American Beacon Sound Point Enhanced Income Fund will invest in a variety of credit-related instruments - with at least 40% bank loans exposure

Tikehau poaches Commerzbank leveraged loan trader
Tikehau Capital has appointed a secondary loan trader in its London-based CLO and leveraged loan fund team

Orix acquires US mid-market lender NXT
Japanese financial services firm Orix, has agreed to acquire US mid-market lender NXT Capital

Investcorp brings in European credit portfolio manager from Rothschild
Investcorp has appointed Dominic Courtman as portfolio manager and director of its European Credit Management business (ICM EU)

The expanding middle
Our analysis of mid market CLOs reveals that managers have distinguished themselves with the overlap between mid market US CLO portfolios being approximately 5%

Brown Brothers Harriman expands fixed income capabilities with new mutual fund
New-York headquartered Brown Brothers Harriman & Co (BBH) has expanded its fixed income capabilities with the launch of its new debt fund - BBH Income Fund