Points up front: CLO awards banter
The Creditflux Manager Awards have a history of springing surprises. This year we had journalist and TV presenter Gavin Esler host the awards dinner and regale the audience with a Dolly Parton gag (the less said about that, the better).

Points up front: It’s getting hot in here
The role that journalists play in reporting on the CLO industry has been in the spotlight this year, with the mainstream press guilty of resorting to hyperbolic statements and fear-mongering. So it was a surprise to learn that these views were being given a public platform at IMN’s CLO conference last month on a panel titled Addressing the Headlines. 

Investors regain nerve to trade the curve
Post-crisis, CDS curve trading languished as an unloved strategy, due to illiquidity outside the five-year tenor. But dealers note resurgent demand for both 3-5 year and 5-10 year positioning, albeit with mixed results.

CLOs at a glance

A round-up of CLO performance

Credit funds at a glance

Fund performance

Morningstar eyes credit rating expansion as it announces DBRS acquisition
Morningstar today announced it has entered an agreement to acquire DBRS for $669 million, according to a statement from the firm

Bain plans $3 billion distressed fund with US pension fund eyeing commitment
Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) is set to invest $200 million to Bain Capital Distressed and Special Situations 2019 (DSS 19) fund, according to documents seen by Creditflux.  

CLO pipeline: Black Diamond looks to brush itself off and jump back in ring after year out
Black Diamond Capital Management features twice in our CLO pipeline this week, as the firm is planning a return to both the European and the US CLO market.

Credit traders' kickstand: grave times for UK banks and corps as May goes away
UK banks have been among the main underperformers in credit this week, with market sources noting that today’s notice of Prime Minister Theresa May’s intention to resign on 7 June increases the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit. And UK 'zombie' companies appear to be forming a herd

Ohio pension backs GSO's upcoming European direct lending fund
Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund (OP&F) has approved a $50 million commitment to GSO European Debt Fund II

CLOs are 11% of Nochu's assets as bank posts JPY 7.4 trillion investments
Norinchukin bought another JPY 600 billion ($4.77 billion) CLOs in the first quarter, taking its total investments in the asset class to JPY 7.4 trillion ($66.8 billion), according to the bank’s latest financial statements

Goldman Merchant Bank secures $4.4 billion senior debt capital to deploy
Goldman Sachs merchant banking division has closed its latest senior direct lending fund, Broad Street Senior Credit Partners II

Global b-wic round-up: Short-dated CLO paper hits the market
Last week brought over $800 million of b-wics listed in the US CLO secondary market for the first time this month, with around 10% being paper that had a reinvestment period that ended in 2019.

Illinois pension backs real estate funds
Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund has earmarked $150 million for commitments to Rockwood Capital Real Estate Partners XI and Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies IV.  

Credit traders' kickstand: widening catalysts gather force with focus on financials
Credit markets are once again ending the week on a negative tone, having regained some posture over previous sessions following last week’s tariff-driven sell-off. Credit index spreads appear inclined to trade within a range, but potential catalysts for that range to shift wider outweigh any obvious reasons to return to the tight prints of last month

CSAM plans double CLO issuance next week with US and EU deals in the market
Credit Suisse Asset Management is preparing to issue two new issue CLOs next week, with one issuance on either side of the Atlantic

Northleaf adds newly-created business development role in London
The new hire will lead the Toronto-based firm's business development and investor relations activities across Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Ostrum appoints structured credit head as it looks to issue US CLOs
The market has found a plethora of CLO managers looking to expand in Europe, but Ostrum Asset Management has gone the other way by hiring an experienced US CLO portfolio manager

Citi names sales head with global structured credit remit
Citi has promoted Rajiv Amlani to global head of special products solution sales, in which he will be responsible for non-flow structured credit and securitised trading business

Global b-wic round-up: US CLO equity continues its surge
Last week marked the third straight week that the US CLO secondary market has seen total listings of under $600 million, but over a quarter of that was equity.

Credit traders' kickstand: Trump gives Europe the ghoulies as single B spectres haunt CLOs
Trade tariff terrors and things that go triple C rated in the night are top of the list of items spooking credit market sentiment at the end of this week

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

Spire wins Creditflux Manager of the Year award
Spire Partners was the big winner at Creditflux's Manager Awards last night as the London-based manager scooped the award for the manager of the year. On top of this, the firm picked up awards for Best European CLO Manager and Best European CLO for Aurium CLO II