One-year CSOs come to fore as investors predict widening
With credit spreads entering the fourth quarter at much the same elevated levels they began Q3, investors are increasingly looking to bespoke tranches as a way of taking advantage while mitigating the market’s tail risks.

CSO equity investors line up deals amid dispersion threat
Synthetic bespoke tranche issuance has hit an impasse in recent months, denting projections for overall 2022 business at the mid-year point. But unlike the covid sell-off of 2020, wider spreads have created a queue of buyers ready to drive deals if condition

Blackstone lands big name as bank's synthetic structured credit talisman joins buyside
Blackstone has hired a well known figure from the synthetic structured credit market, with a prominent name in CSOs joining the firm after 18 years working on the sell-side 

Performance dispersion hits index equity correlation
Volatility at the start of the year has intensified moves in iTraxx and CDX index tranches, with traders pointing to growing dispersion in performance among constituents as a theme that will bring more focus on equity correlation in 2022

IG tranches look 'boring' after distressed names ejected at roll
September’s index rolls brought tranche traders some of the starkest portfolio changes in recent years, with fallen angels and defaults shifting correlation dynamics. This creates relative value openings, but investors will take longer to move into new series as they require extra analysis, say dealers.

Frontier triggers credit event but HY equity tranches outperform
Frontier Communications has triggered a bankruptcy credit event, the Americas Determinations Committee has confirmed. This is the fourth credit event to hit recently off-the-run index CDX HY series 33, on which on-the-run index tranches are based and for which recoveries have so far been very low

Steep climb: dealers and investors cross-examine merits of five-year CSOs
The market for bespoke tranches of credit synthetic obligations (CSOs) looks set for further year-on-year growth, but this could depend on expanding activity to longer tenors