Broad sell off resumes as government yields head north
Caution is returning at the end of a stronger week for credit, as government bond yields resume their push higher. Asian and European markets followed the US lead from Wednesday with ubiquitous widening of spreads across indices and single names

Moving fast pays off for hedge funds
2020 was an up and down year in credit, and credit hedge fund managers had to move quickly to capture opportunities from the dislocations that inevitably opened up

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

Fund performance: CLO funds pick up where they left off
New year, same funds leading the way with CLO strategies the top performers in January

Ucits at a glance: CIFC nears positive 12-month returns
Ucits funds have started 2021 on a quiet note as 72% of funds achieved a positive return

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

Resurgent CSO market bets on ESG and new equity
After a challenging 2020 the synthetic bespoke market has begun this year in style, with a pipeline of deals, talk of new investors and hopes that ESG could play a key role in driving deal volumes

CLO guys shouldn't feel quite as self-important as us Welsh... But you are in a pretty amazing spot
CLO portfolio managers should be emboldened by recent events to push for ESG strategies 

High yield fund sets pace with 22% return in January
Wasserstein Debt Opportunities Fund has set the early pace for credit hedge funds in 2021 after registering a 21.7% gain in January. This builds on the high yield fund’s success last year and takes 12-month returns to 40.44%. 

It's all relative: CLOs march tighter as macro traders open positive CDS skews
Credit default swaps are back near where they started the year after giving up their early-February gains amid a rise in government bonds. CDS curves steepened over the past month and macro hedging has left indices trading with positive skews. But CLOs paint a calmer picture in which spreads have inched tighter  

Renewed energy boosts credit as relief rally resumes
Energy companies are performing well and credit indices have resumed their push tighter after a strong surge inwards Monday, outpacing moves in other parts of the financial market

Credit makes strong gains in relief rally
The week has opened on a stronger tone amid a calming of government bond yields, conducive manufacturing data in Europe and a new covid-19 vaccine approval in the US

Single names hit hard as financial markets play catch-up on rate moves
Credit indices have firmed up after Thursday's rates-led sell off, but other asset classes continue to slide and Friday's focus turns to single name borrower spreads playing a  catch-up with the sharp macro move

US and European gov yield rise spooks credit market
Credit markets took a decisive shift wider on Thursday, as rising US and European government bond yields rattled investors despite the European Central Bank signalling it will take a flexible approach to bonds to prevent fiscal tightening

February credit gains wiped out as inflation fears rise
A successive move wider in spreads on Tuesday is taking credit back to start of February levels, as investors try to weigh inflation concerns and a US tech stock rout against reopening economies and advancing commodity prices

Rates moves points to credit improvement, say BofA strategists
Focus on the rates market and the future direction of central banks has brought jitters back to credit in recent weeks and had a chilling affect on bond total returns. But higher government yields could end up being good for credit, say Bank of America strategists

Italian banks widen sharply as risk-on drive falters
Italian banks are among Wednesday's underperformers as single name credits play catch up with a shift wider in indices, amid signs the recent bull run is petering out

Europe resumes rally in US absence with Italian spreads hitting new records
Caution about a possible Draghi bubble looks to be a rare commodity, as Italy sovereign and bank spreads are once again among the biggest improvers in a buoyant start to the week

It's all relative: CLO spreads explore record tights as credit indices hit impasse
CLO spreads are grinding to ever tighter levels, despite a flattish week for credit in which corporate credit indices have ended up more or less unchanged

Draghi support keeps Italy in driving seat as markets slow
A cautious tone has re-entered the credit market ahead of the long US weekend, with spreads edging wider along with softening stocks and oil prices. But some Italian credits are bucking the trend

Compression trades grind into gear as spreads narrow
Compression between high yield and investment grade credit looks to be finally gaining traction in February, having been identified by some strategists at the start of the year as a key 2021 theme

UK fund manager launches £125 million global sustainable credit fund
The manager says it aims to allow investors to gain exposure to global fixed income markets in a more sustainable way

Curve steepeners gain ground with inflation in focus
Credit performance this week has done little for market-directional trading strategies, but one area gaining traction beneath headline numbers is the steepening of curves

ESG was factor when firing managers for 42% of investors, survey reveals
The latest survey from investment consultant Bfinance shows the coronavirus pandemic increased focus on ESG issues for over a third of investors - and ESG is important when selecting external asset managers

Carlyle holds first close on opportunistic credit fund amid 2020 'record fundraising'
Carlyle Group has held an initial closing on its second opportunistic credit fund amid a record credit fundraising year for the firm