High yield credits play catch up as central banks put brakes on bull run
High yield single names gained attention on Thursday, as financial markets took a breather after three days of improvement to digest UK and China central bank policy signals

Biden buzz highlight's credit's growing pains
Stimulus and a “reflationary window” are the dominant themes of early 2021, particularly in the US, and they will favour growth assets over credit in the near term, say investors.

Italy gives short-lived succour to credit short strategies
Events in Italy last month showed there is still opportunity for nimble short strategies in credit despite the weight of technical factors pushing down spreads

Credit funds at a glance (February 2021)
A round-up of fundraising and people moves

Fund performance: CLO funds keep up momentum as Napier Park finishes top
2020 ended with funds in our CLOs category taking the top few spots

Ucits at a glance: Advent ends calendar year on top
Ucits ended 2020 on the rise as 89% of funds achieved positive returns in December

Credit hedge funds (February 2021)
Monthly credit hedge fund tables

Italian credits lead race tighter as Super Mario eyes new mission
Italian sovereign, bank and corporate spreads are in the spotlight today, after the country's president Sergio Mattarella asked former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi to lead a government in the wake of Giuseppe Conte's coalition collapse

It's all relative: senior CLO tranches tighten 18% in Europe as CDS indices sit out rally

Silver squeeze reaches credit in brighter trading mood
Financial markets are beginning the week and the month in a more positive mood after a volatile end to January. But retail investor power - the bane of hedge funds last week - is again exerting an influence that permeates through to credit

Credit grasps for stability after midweek swoon
Credit markets look to have regained some composure at the end of a rocky week, with indices flattening out despite a continuing decline in stocks

US looks for stronger open after sell off
US credit is opening slightly stronger on Thursday, after its sharp Wednesday rout, prompted by Federal Reserve messaging, carried over forcefully into Asian and European markets

Credit touches November levels as nerves fray on France and Fed
Fears of a third national lockdown in France and the risk of disappointment from Wednesday's US Federal Reserve meeting have pushed credit wider along with a sell off in stocks

Credit Rendezvous: heading for homes
Fund managers in structured credit, real assets and distressed are bullish on the prospects for residential housing in 2021. Elsewhere, niche royalty-based strategies are in favour and although a CLO repricing wave is expected, it may not be easy to execute resets. For more, read our 13-page quarterly report on credit. 

Credit beats fast retreat as Biden boost dissolves in sea of troubles
The improvement of financial markets following the inauguration of Joe Biden as US president on Wednesday is looking short-lived as the week comes to an end, with CDS indices once again among the poorer performers

Financials lead tightening as calm markets greet Biden inauguration
If there is any volatility around the transition on Wednesday to Joe Biden's US presidency, it looks unlikely to come from financial markets, with CDS indices among the better performing assets in an unruffled day

Italian spreads signal Conte confidence ahead of Senate vote
Italian banks are among the best performers in credit on Tuesday as hopes rise for a vote of confidence in prime minister Giuseppe Conte's government and the CDS market returns to tighter spreads

Financial CDS plan for CDX IG suffers third rejection
IHS Markit's index advisory committee has once again rejected a proposal to include financial borrowers in the CDX IG index at its next series, a move that would have put it more in line with European counterpart iTraxx Europe

Jaguar accelerates tighter as CDS indices go their own way
UK carmaker Jaguar is on a rallying run and gathering pace in CDS, despite CDS indices underperforming the more bullish tone in other assets, including bonds

LCH reports 60% growth in CDS clearing
LCH, the central clearing house of London Stock Exchange Group, has reported growth in clearing of index, option and single name CDS during 2020

Primary weighs as pain contributor in credit slump
Credit is beginning the week on uncertain footing with spreads widening on worries about covid case numbers in Europe and investors trying to size up the scale of primary market activity in the coming weeks

Full circle for credit as investors navigate stormy year-opener
Credit is ending 2021's politically tumultuous first week tighter in cash bonds and flattish in CDS spreads, but performance has noticeably lagged more emphatic improvements in stocks, commodities and the record-hitting Bitcoin

Bet on beta compression - except in sub fin CDS, say BofA strategists
Beta compression will be a dominant theme in 2021 for high yield versus investment grade CDS and bonds, financial versus non-financial credit and subordinated versus senior financial bonds, say Bank or America strategists in a research note. Short volatility positions are also attractive, they add, while cautioning sub versus senior financial CDS could buck the trend

High yield has primary bonds more than Georgia on mind in third day of underperformance
European high yield credit is on a run of underperformance as the first signs of primary market bond issuance appear, with spreads widening for a third day straight against improvement in other asset classes

Disconnect as credit sells off as stocks and oil strengthen
Credit is a big underperformer today versus stocks, with the sell off that began yesterday afternoon starkly at odds with the positive tone with which the week began