Points up front: A true rock star lawyer
When corporations proclaim they are looking to recruit ‘rock stars’ (as is common these days), this usually means they are seeking highly proficient candidates for a desk job

"Boardrooms are being hustled by activist shareholders using ESG data to drive economic value"
Pledges have been made and the Race to Zero has begun. Firms need to put their plans in place

Fund performance: Wasserstein's early 2021 performance drives it to the top
The final top 10 of 2021 featured a variety of funds as five different strategies were ranked among the best. US high yield was the most highly represented with two BlackRock funds and an Angel Oak in the top 10

Ucits at a glance: Robus claims top spot in 2021 after tight race
Ucits funds have ended 2021 on a high as 62% made positive returns in December

Broad sell-off as market moves to price five or more Fed hikes
Financial market sentiment has taken another dive in the wake of the US Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday, with many taking Fed chairman Jerome Powell’s comment that “this cycle is different from the previous one” to mean a steeper tightening than previously thought

Credit Rendezvous: the upside of inflation
It is clear, inflation is not transitory and central banks are acting with several interest rate hikes likely in store for the US this year. That makes loans and CLO debt tranches attractive, but there could be opportunities beyond these floating rate assets

Gapstow expects strategic deals as credit manager M&A volume slumps to $120 billion
M&A volume involving credit asset managers dropped last year with total target value assets under management slumping to $120 billion from $149 billion in 2020 (and $254 billion in 2019), according to Gapstow Capital Partners

Värde promotes three credit specialists to partner
Värde Partners has promoted Jim Dunbar, Aneek Mamik and Carlos Sanz Esteve to partner

Investors take nuanced approach to ESG as they move on from negative screening: Elfa
European bond and loan investors have evolved their ESG investment frameworks with 86% saying that they integrate ESG factors 'systematically and explicitly' in their investment process

Banks and loans to benefit in 2022 as safe havens dwindle
Safe havens and sector pitfalls are among some of the top considerations for portfolio managers this year, as a consensus forms that credit could suffer versus other asset classes

Credit hedge funds (January 2022)
Credit hedge fund returns

Ucits at a glance: Robus and Altana dip but stay at the top
In October, Ucits funds continued a slide that had begun the previous month with 60% of them in the red

Credit funds at a glance (January 2022)
A round up of fundraising and people moves in credit

NatWest hires head of Emea leveraged credit sales
NatWest has tapped Nomura for a head of leveraged credit sales position after its head of credit sales left for Jefferies in September 

Loans will be winners in bearish year for credit: BNP Paribas
Floating rate loans are best positioned for a year of widening credit spreads, but high yield bonds will outperform investment grade and EM credit is set for losses, says BNP Paribas in its 2022 outlook

Amundi replaces European loan head and appoints deputy
Amundi has shaken up the hierarchy of its loan business with a personnel shuffle at the top

BlueBay launches Article 8 multi-asset credit fund with Lloyds of London backing
The Article 8 fund will invest in high yield, bank loans, financial capital bonds, structured credit, convertible bonds, emerging markets and developed market investment grade

BNP Paribas bolsters credit business with European strategy head hire
BNP Paribas is looking to strategy to help drive growth in its credit business and has hired a head of European credit strategy from UBS 

Elfa launches ESG exclusion checklist to streamline process for CLO managers
The European Leveraged Finance Association has launched an environmental, social and governance exclusion checklist, which it says is designed to “streamline the negative screening and exclusion” for CLO managers

Credit hedge funds (November 2021)
Credit hedge fund returns

Ucits at a glance: Robus and Altana enter the final sprint neck and neck
A downward turn hit Ucits funds as 65% of them made positive returns in September,

Hayfin creates head of ESG role in London
Hayfin Capital Management says it has hired a head of ESG. This is a newly-created role, but Hayfin says it has “well-established environmental, social and governance capabilities”

There's still time to pick up pennies in credit before steamroller arrives: BNP Paribas
Declining dealer inventories, rising fund cash balances, and a greater prevalence of hedging have added up to produce a credit market that is positioned too short, according to BNP Paribas strategists

Wells Fargo AM becomes Allspring under new ownership
Wells Fargo Asset Management has completed its transformation into Allspring Global Investment 

Brookfield hires industry veteran as public securities CIO
Brookfield Asset Management has hired a long-serving credit and equity market professional as chief investment officer for its public securities group