Fund performance: August provides much-needed relief for CLO funds
.August fund performance 

51% of investors plan to increase loan allocation in next 12 months: State Street survey
State Street surveyed 700 global institutional investors  on how they view the fixed income market and how they are allocating amid ongoing market volatility.

US loan index falls below 92 to almost wipe out gains since July
The S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index sank to an average bid of 91.92 cents by Monday, down by two points in as many weeks, wiping out almost all the gains seen in the late-summer market rally

CLO OC ratios tick higher in US, but August defaults add pressure: Fitch
Senior and junior overcollateralisation test cushions in reinvesting CLOs increased to an average of 9% and 3.9% respectively after a string of issuers defaulted in August, according to Fitch Ratings

Axa IM plots Euro CLO warehouse investment amid loan pressure and possible liquidations
Some European CLO warehouse may face liquidations and there will be further pressure on leveraged loans in the last quarter of the year, according to Axa Investment Management

Beneath the triple C: US CLOs take a dip in the triple C as Europe watches from the sun lounger
The US CLO market bore the brunt of downgrades to triple C in July and August, with a total of $6.22 billion of paper affected. European CLOs enjoyed a more relaxing summer holiday, with only 1 name representing €33.88 million worth of bonds downgraded to triple C.  

CLOs keep eyes glued to screen as Cineworld previews possible chapter 11
Cineworld, the UK-based cinema giant, has announced that a chapter 11 restructuring is among the options it is considering, in response to recent media speculation about a possible default

Widening asset/liability gulf will hurt CLOs: Barclays
A mismatch between CLO asset / liability rate risk is increasing in the US as more leveraged loan issuers opt for one-month pay frequency, Barclays credit strategists have found

Quick! Avaya has ignited and $1 billion of CLO assets are at risk
Sparks are flying in the leveraged loan and high yield market after communications company Avaya Holdings slashed its forecasted earnings mere weeks after syndicating new debt. The rapid decline of Avaya's debt has left CLO managers little time to avoid the blaze

Market sentiment shifts as investors turn bullish on loans and CLOs
CLO market sentiment has shifted decisively in recent weeks with investors expressing more optimism than earlier in the year

Fund performance: Select funds shine in dreary June for credit hedge funds
Credit funds suffered through June, as only 8% of listed funds reached the black. This made June the fourth month in a row in which negative returns increased

We can cope with downgrades again

CLO market mood sours amid bitter economic outlook

Beneath the triple C: ebbs and flows leave triple C levels at a temporary stasis
Following a rising tide of downgrades in May the loan market stabilised somewhat in June, with seven issuers held by CLOs downgraded to triple C and a counter-swell of five names upgraded to single B.

Fund performance: Rocky May piles on the misery for credit hedge funds
Negative fund performance soared in May

Arcmont says liquid loan opportunities depend on timing as it advocates direct lending instead
Arcmont Asset Management has made the case for direct lending over syndicated loans in a white paper, despite having being an admirer of CLO management platforms 

Revlon spares no blushes for CLO managers in filing for Chapter 11
Troubled lender Revlon Consumer Products filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy late Wednesday night. The default is likely to have a weighty impact on the CLO market 

Beneath the triple C: CLOs take first knock since covid scrapes
CLO managers have been hit by a number of loan downgrades to triple C for the first time since the wave of pandemic-related cuts trickled to a halt in early 2021. Companies indirectly linked to the health sector suffered most in May 

You seem familiar
The overlap between European CLOs has risen to 51.6%, but the largest issuers are only slightly more aligned to their peers at 55.19% — so bonds are proving to be an important differentiator

We’ll get through this awkward patch
Wide liabilities have made pricing CLOs trickier in the past few months. But speakers at Creditflux’s CLO Symposium were optimistic that the arbitrage is OK — so long as you can place those triple As

Fund performance: Credit hits another bump in the road after March revival
There was more upheaval for credit funds in April, reversing the mini-recovery in March as 40% of funds made positive returns, a decrease on the 47% in March

Envision exchange leaves some lenders sick, but CSAM finds prevention is better than cure
Envision Healthcare’s distressed debt exchange has rocked the CLO market, with over $1.68 billion of the firm’s loans held by US CLOs. But some of the largest managers have avoided the name completely 

Novicap names new CEO in leadership shuffle as it sets targets for credit division
Novicap, a fintech company offering working capital optimisation solutions to SMEs and mid-market corporates, has shuffled its leadership structure and set a €1 billion cumulative volume target for its credit division by the end of this year

Macro woes have dented CLO and loan outlook: Barclays
Rising interest rates and elevated macro volatility have negatively impacted the performance outlook for both loans and CLOs, according to Barclays credit strategists

European CLO managers aim for bigger bond bucket fix
European CLO managers are eyeing larger fixed rate bond allocations amid dislocation and lower loan supply. This has, in turn, led to an increase in fixed rate tranches