Credit spread improvement is calm before the storm, warn strategists
European and US credit markets have begun 2019 with a more buoyant tone than they ended 2018, but strategists warn that bearish factors still outweigh and suggest the overall direction of spreads this year is likely to be wider

Robeco looks to align macro fixed income with credit as it makes senior hire
Robeco has hired Jamie Stuttard as co-head of the global fixed income macro team and fixed income strategist  

JP Morgan AM's global fixed income chief steps down
JP Morgan Asset Management’s global fixed income and currency and commodities group chief investment officer has departed the firm, a spokesperson has confirmed

Muzinich poaches Neuberger Berman MD for top fund distribution role
Muzinich has hired a global head of distribution, according to an announcement today, picking up the role previously held by Joshua Hughes, who left for CIFC Asset Management in May

Cash-CDS basis set for comeback after "falling knife" mishap, predicts BNP Paribas
The beginning of 2019 should revive interest among credit investors to trade the basis between cash bonds and credit default swaps, according to BNP Paribas strategists – following what they term “falling knife” dynamics in this year’s fourth quarter

BNP Paribas Asset Management hires multi-strategy products head
BNP Paribas Asset Management has created a new position within its fixed income division

Neuberger Berman unveils three European fixed income funds
The three new European fixed income portfolios will be managed by Patrick Barbe and his six-strong team, who all recently joined from BNP Paribas

Creditex obtains CFTC swap execution facility exemption
Creditex, the electronic brokerage for corporate bonds and credit default swaps, has been granted an exemption from a requirement to register with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission as a swap execution facility

Blackstone builds on multi-asset approach with fifth fund
The new vehicle will invest directly into Blackstone deals across its alternatives platform

Credit sell-off has room to run and pricing is out of whack, says BNP Paribas
The credit market sell-off could have further to go despite recent widening and is “in the process of a late-stage business cycle unwind”, according to a strategist note seen by Creditflux

European CDS index tightens inside US even as bonds languish
Credit derivatives markets have hit a key point of trend reversal this week, with the iTraxx Europe five-year CDS index trading inside its US counterpart CDX IG for the first time since May

Ex-Citi CDO trading chief joins Jefferies as head of European fixed income
Jefferies has appointed a former Citi European credit and pre-crisis CDO trading head to lead its European fixed income business

Market rout drives US/Europe credit convergence, as Brazil leads Latin widening
Credit spreads have sharply widened globally as financial markets are being rocked by concerns for a trade war and rising US rates. An equity-led rout in the US yesterday afternoon

Pimco launches latest ESG-focused credit offering
Pimco has launched its latest environmental, social and governance (ESG) fixed income offering - GIS Global Investment Grade Credit ESG Fund.

August: fund performance
CLO spreads jumped wider in August, but funds that invest in these assets have been able to outperform

September: credit funds at a glance
White Oak Global Advisors held a $2.1 billion final close on a new direct lending fund, while Phil Raciti's move from CVC Credit Partners to Halcyon Capital Management was one of the biggest moves in the credit industry

M&G targets £250 million for UK-listed multi-strategy credit fund
M&G is targeting £250 million (£328.6 million) for a new closed-end investment trust, which will be listed in the UK

BlackRock becomes latest manager to explore interval fund structure for credit
Several managers have hit the market with the interval fund structure, as investors look to invest in illiquid strategies through an illiquid fund structure

Orchard hires former UBS credit index options and tranches global head
Orchard Global Asset Management has hired an ex-UBS senior correlation trader as a portfolio manager in London

The perception of liquidity is often not the same as the reality
Investec Asset Management's Jeff Boswell takes our credit quiz and discusses liquidity in Europe, the former "darling of the European debt market" Vivarte and the Matrix

Nomura hires EMEA flow credit trading head following departures
Nomura has hired John Gousias to head its flow credit trading business in Europe, the middle east and Africa

Pimco receives nearly $400 million for ESG fixed income mandate
 An $11 billion super fund has awarded a new ESG-focused fixed income mandate to Pimco

Wells Fargo AM chief Norris to retire
Wells Fargo Asset Management's Anthony Norris - managing director, chief investment officer and senior portfolio manager - is set to retire from the fund management industry in October

Mediobanca hires experienced credit trader to build out loan franchise
Mediobanca has appointed an ex-Deutsche Bank senior credit trader as head of loan trading

BNP Paribas hires global credit strategy head
BNP Paribas has appointed a global head of credit strategy and desk analysts.