Ice seeks consensus with credit risk analytics service
Intercontinental Exchange (Ice) has launched ICE Credit Risk, a suite of analytics it will provide in collaboration with financial risk assessment company Credit Benchmark

Investors back multi-asset funds for high yield gains
Multi-asset funds that include credit have become popular among institutional investors.

16% of insurers plan CLO allocation increase, survey finds
Goldman Sachs Asset Management has released its annual insurance asset management survey

Carmignac adds global credit Ucits strategy to its range
The fund will be co-managed by Carignac’s head of credit Pierre Verlé and fixed income fund manager Alexandre Deneuville

New manager Resco lands ex-credit head to found advisory board
Resco Asset Management, a London based asset manager set up last year, has appointed the first of an anticipated three advisory board members

Short resets take CDS indices wider at March roll
CDX and iTraxx credit derivative indices are rolling into new series today, with short position resets taking the incoming series 31 of the Europe main index wide of where series 30 closed yesterday

US and UK sound post-Brexit derivatives regulatory accord
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Bank of England have issued a joint statement assuring derivative market participants of continued access to trading and clearing after the UK’s exit from the European Union

UK pension looks to take investment grade strategy global
UK pension fund National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) has issued a search for a global investment grade corporate bond manager

CDS sell-off brings profit-taking opportunity for basis trade players
Profit-taking on basis trades between CDS and cash bonds has begun, with the strong run for credit markets since the start of the year having hit a bump yesterday

Credit spread improvement is calm before the storm, warn strategists
European and US credit markets have begun 2019 with a more buoyant tone than they ended 2018, but strategists warn that bearish factors still outweigh and suggest the overall direction of spreads this year is likely to be wider

JP Morgan AM's global fixed income chief steps down
JP Morgan Asset Management’s global fixed income and currency and commodities group chief investment officer has departed the firm, a spokesperson has confirmed

Cash-CDS basis set for comeback after "falling knife" mishap, predicts BNP Paribas
The beginning of 2019 should revive interest among credit investors to trade the basis between cash bonds and credit default swaps, according to BNP Paribas strategists – following what they term “falling knife” dynamics in this year’s fourth quarter

Creditex obtains CFTC swap execution facility exemption
Creditex, the electronic brokerage for corporate bonds and credit default swaps, has been granted an exemption from a requirement to register with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission as a swap execution facility

Blackstone builds on multi-asset approach with fifth fund
The new vehicle will invest directly into Blackstone deals across its alternatives platform

Credit sell-off has room to run and pricing is out of whack, says BNP Paribas
The credit market sell-off could have further to go despite recent widening and is “in the process of a late-stage business cycle unwind”, according to a strategist note seen by Creditflux

European CDS index tightens inside US even as bonds languish
Credit derivatives markets have hit a key point of trend reversal this week, with the iTraxx Europe five-year CDS index trading inside its US counterpart CDX IG for the first time since May

Market rout drives US/Europe credit convergence, as Brazil leads Latin widening
Credit spreads have sharply widened globally as financial markets are being rocked by concerns for a trade war and rising US rates. An equity-led rout in the US yesterday afternoon

Pimco launches latest ESG-focused credit offering
Pimco has launched its latest environmental, social and governance (ESG) fixed income offering - GIS Global Investment Grade Credit ESG Fund.

BlackRock becomes latest manager to explore interval fund structure for credit
Several managers have hit the market with the interval fund structure, as investors look to invest in illiquid strategies through an illiquid fund structure

Pimco receives nearly $400 million for ESG fixed income mandate
 An $11 billion super fund has awarded a new ESG-focused fixed income mandate to Pimco

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 

German asset manager launches CLO-focused Ucits fund
UniInstitutional Structured Credit, managed by Frankfurt-headquartered Union Investment, will invest in a portfolio of securitisations, with a strong focus on CLOs  

BlackRock seeks $1 billion for new multi-strat opportunities fund
The new trust will invest at least 80% of its assets in fixed income securities and up to 40% in special situations, SEC filings reveal 

Hermes launches £185 million unconstrained credit fund
London-based Hermes Investment Management has launched a new Ucits-compliant unconstrained credit fund - which will include pricing ESG risks

Destra and BlueBay team up to launch credit interval fund
Destra has become the latest manager to launch an interval fund - Destra International & Event-Driven Credit Fund - which will focus on two strategies: multi-strategy international credit  and event driven credit.