Credit traders' kickstand: European financials outperform as Trump-Xi meeting looms
Credit markets are finely poised going into the weekend, when US president Donald Trump’s crunch G20 meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping likely could set the direction of trade from Monday

Natixis prices second muni-project securitisation of year
Energy Efficient Equity (E3) priced its inaugural 'property-assessed clean energy' (Pace) deal today via Natixis    

Credit traders' kickstand: synthetic credit leads the way as spreads swoop on dovish wings
Dovish comments by the European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve, along with thin bond issuance, contributed to a pronounced rally this week in credit market. But a nervy week may lie ahead as suspense grows before G20 summit talks between the US and China next Friday and Saturday

Barclays rehires high yield credit trader from Goldman Sachs
A high yield specialist has become the second credit trader in as many months to rejoin Barclays from Goldman Sachs

JP Morgan AM names CEO with Willcox set to leave
JP Morgan Asset Management’s chief executive officer Chris Willcox will step down from his job at the end of the year, according to an internal memo seen by Creditflux

US and European basis trades in play as bonds lag CDS rally
A recent outperformance of CDS indices versus cash bonds has opened up basis trade opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic, say credit strategists

CDX IG and iTraxx back to level pegging as oil and trade weigh heaviest
Credit markets, along with stocks, enter the week on a flattish tone with focus once again on the next developments between the US and China over trade tariffs. This follows European credit faring better than the US last week as the mood strengthened around Italian and UK risks, say strategists

GSO generates $4.5 billion capital for energy-focused credit fund
GSO Capital Partners has closed its second energy-focused credit fund with $4.5 billion of capital commitments, the firm has announced. Creditflux understands that the fund originally targeted a $5 billion final close

US pension replaces Cliffwater with Meketa
Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds has selected Meketa as a consultant to oversee its opportunistic investments, which consists of direct lending and opportunistic credit investments, along with investments in hedge funds and real assets.  

Loomis Sayles puts together Asia bond fund
Loomis Sayles has added to its credit offering with the launch of its new Asia Bond Plus strategy

Wells Fargo names CEO and head of its asset management arm
Wells Fargo has promoted Nico Marais to chief executive officer and head of Wells Fargo Asset Management, effective immediately.

Nikko AM garners €144 million for TLAC bond fund
The global total loss-absorbing capacity (TLAC) bond fund will “provide active investors the opportunity to earn a strong premium”

Trump tariffs and oil slip dent Europe vs US credit decompression trades
Underperformance of US credit derivative indices at the end of last week has created a trading entry point for those still convinced that Europe has more problems. But bearish factors continue to coalesce on both sides of the Atlantic

Credit traders' kickstand: nervous equilibrium gives way to weakness as earnings and tariffs weigh
Healthy fund inflows, European and US holidays, and a thinning primary market helped sustain credit spreads this week, but a weaker turn today shows this is a fragile equilibrium and company earnings misses are starting to be punished more severely

Diameter becomes first firm to jump into CBOs without taking a step in CLOs
Diameter Capital Partners has joined the small group of firms who manage CBOs, it has emerged

Credit funds at a glance

Fund performance

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

Details emerge of Natixis's new US leadership structure
Kevin Alexander, who departed Natixis, has not been directly replaced 

Investcorp adds fund placement business as it brings Mercury buyout to the boil
The transaction for the alternatives placement agent will help “serve investors worldwide with an array of attractive opportunities in alternative investments”, says Investcorp

Ares hires Natixis deputy CEO for the Americas to credit investing role
Ares Management has poached the Americas deputy chief executive officer from Natixis's investment banking business

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

New investments drive Canada Pension Plan’s credit returns to 8.7%
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB)’s credit portfolio has delivered good returns during the 2019 fiscal year, despite the market volatility, according to the institution’s annual financial report