Credit traders' kickstand: rolling with the pain, as relative value trades come unstuck
What a difference a month - and a pandemic - make. This time in February, no-one could have imagined a global financial crisis would be unfolding, that credit performance would be a battle between a virus and some of the biggest government and central bank interventions on record, that today's iTraxx Europe and CDX index rolls would traverse unprecedented ranges, that option expiry strikes would be blown beyond recognition, or that cash and CDS differentials would be whipsawing with such violence

Credit traders’ kickstand: roll nightmares haunt CDS market as indices whiplash
It’s Friday 13^th, but CDS traders will be hoping the worst of the horror shows are behind them as they try to regather their shredded nerves in time for next week’s biannual index rolls

Credit breakdown as one-day volatility outstrips financial crisis
Credit default swap markets have surpassed the record one-day volatility of the global financial crisis, with indices surging to new wide prints as the spiralling impact of the coronavirus outbreak brings government lockdowns on travel while wreaking havoc on oil prices and supply chains

Tranche traders aim to navigate default risk while staying clear of coronavirus contagion
The CDS market is navigating between two sources of risk for equity and mezzanine high yield index tranches. The default of US media company McClatchy has focused idiosyncratic concerns, while the spread of the coronavirus has stoked fears of a systemic sell-off.

Credit reels back to January 2019 levels as coronavirus impact spreads
A more positive opening for European credit today proved short-lived, as coronavirus developments caused the market to reverse its modest improvement early on to careen back to some of the widest levels in over a year

Credit Rendezvous: the outlook in 2020 across a dozen segments of the credit market
Welcome to the Credit Rendezvous, the first instalment of a regular feature published by Creditflux that tracks credit market dynamics in a dozen segments from investment grade, liquid loans, CLOs and CSOs all the way through to distressed debt. We view this as the meeting point for credit specialists across strategies to share their perspectives

Pimco plans to outperform come rain or shine with $4.5bn all-weather fund
Pimco has become the latest manager to fashion a flexible, all weather credit fund that invests across public and private markets, geographies and capital structures. The Newport Beach-based manager is hoping to raise $3 billion for the strategy. With half a turn of leverage, it could have up to $4.5 billion to deploy.

Credit event protocol goes into force with 60 extra sign-ups
The International Swaps & Derivatives Association is going live today with a protocol aimed at stamping out narrowly tailored credit events from the CDS market, having signed up 1,358 entities

Complacency rules after rally in run-up to UK election
UK credits rallying was a familiar sight for much of November, mainly due to investors cutting their previous short positions ahead of the country’s 12 December election, but dealers reported little appetite to replace long, short or hedging trades going into the final stretch.

Deep dive trade is on, but single name risks still abound
High yield CDS is reversing its previous underperformance versus investment grade, reflecting an investor shift down the quality spectrum in cash bonds.

Ucits at a glance: Ucits continue to chart a steady course

Ucits at a glance: ucits continue to chart a steady course

BTIG founds European fixed income credit division and adds four traders
The London-based division will be led by Michael Carley, who BTIG hired last year as a fixed income managing director in New York

Thomas Cook CDS settles with higher than expected recovery
CDS referencing Thomas Cook Group settled with a final price of 10.125 cents at yesterday's credit event auction, making the high pay-outs to protection buyers still less profitable for them than had been expected

Thomas Cook CDS auction sets initial midpoint at nine cents
An auction to settle CDS referencing Thomas Cook Group has derived an initial market midpoint of 9.125 cents, implying protection buyers will receive a pay-out on contracts in the region of 89 cents

Thomas Cook CDS buyers face bond squeeze as DC ejects 2023 notes from auction
The likelihood of a squeeze on Thomas Cook Group obligations has increased for market participants looking to physically settle their CDS contracts, after the Determinations Committee ruled that the collapsed UK travel firm’s €400 million 3.875% senior notes due 2023 were inadmissible into a credit event auction

Thomas Cook CDS auction set for two deliverables
Market participants have until 5pm London time (12pm New York) on Thursday to challenge the supplemental list for an auction to settle CDS referencing Thomas Cook Group, which so far looks like it will have two deliverable obligations

Thomas Cook ruling puts 2014 format CDS contracts back in the money
Thomas Cook Group triggered a failure-to-pay credit event when it filed for chapter 15 protection last month, the Determinations Committee has ruled – a decision that has big implications for holders of newer format CDS contracts on the name

Narrowly tailored event protocol set to go live in weeks
Investors have until 14 October to sign up to an Isda protocol aimed at stamping out narrowly tailored credit events (NTCEs) from the CDS market.

Roll week leaves CDS in strange places
CDS traders navigate a much-changed landscape in October, after one of the most impactful index rolls in recent times. 

Ucits at a glance
A round-up of ucits fund performance

Steinhoff CDS fails to (physically) deliver
A credit event auction for Steinhoff Europe revealed very little interest to physically settle CDS contracts, with only one request to buy and for just €8.4 million

Thomas Cook is a lesson for CLOs on unsecured bonds, says TwentyFour AM
The liquidation of UK travel operator Thomas Cook this week has underscored that “unsecured debt has no place in CLOs,” according to a note by Aza Teeuwen, portfolio manager at TwentyFour Asset Management

Steinhoff CDS buyers set for low pay-out
A credit event auction to settle CDS referencing Steinhoff Europe has returned an initial market midpoint of 83.5, implying there will be a low pay-out of less than 17 cents for protection buyers on the defaulted retailer

We are not Thomas Cook speculators, says Xaia
Xaia Investment, a Munich-based fund manager, has refuted accusations it profited from Thomas Cook’s downfall by speculating on the company through CDS