US loan default rates will peak near record levels, says Deutsche Bank
A new research paper from Deutsche Bank has forecast leveraged loan default rates rising to near all-time highs by the fourth quarter of 2024.

Fitch notches up US lev loan and HY 2023 default rate forecasts
Fitch Ratings has raised its US corporate institutional high yield bond default 2023 forecasts from 3%-3.5% to 4.5%-5%, and its leveraged loan default forecast from 2.5%-3% to 4%-4.5%

FCA greenlights synthetic Libor
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has given the go-ahead for ‘synthetic Libor’ as it creates a bridge for Libor contracts that do not have any hard-wired language referencing Sofr. 

LP round up: securitised credit mandate terminated amid $5 billion allocations and expanding relationships
Institutional investors revealed nearly $5 billion of allocations to 31 credit managers across January and February board meetings, according to materials seen by Creditflux. However, there were also two fixed income manager terminations, and one multi-strategy account placed on a watchlist

PGIM's global CLO chief to become CEO of fixed income in 2024
John Vibert, who oversees PGIM’s global CLO business, has been appointed president and chief executive officer of PGIM's fixed income unit effective January 2024

Credit Suisse slumps in bleak Monday, but high yield name sharply bucks trend
Financial markets are beginning the week on an uncertain footing, with anti-covid lockdown protests in China hitting commodity prices hard. But one European high yield company has bucked credit’s widening push with a massive rally

Alcentra structured credit portfolio manager steps up as primary PM for two funds
Alcentra has promoted the official, with Hiram Hamilton and Suhail Shaikh no longer the primary portfolio managers of BNY Mellon Alcentra Global Multi-Strategy Credit Fund and Hamilton no longer primary portfolio manager of BNY Mellon Alcentra Global Credit Income 2024 Target Term Fund 

Russia auction prep on pause after last minute scramble
The Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee has put on pause its preparation for a credit event auction to settle Russian Federation CDS, amid reports the country has made good on sovereign debt payments right at the wire

Heavy mood greets Europe’s return as earnings and rates policy weigh
The European market on its return after the long weekend is greeted with another sizeable push wider in spreads, with focus on US Federal reserve policy, this week’s round of corporate earnings and the prospect of US 10-year inflation linked bond yields turning positive for the first time in two years

Russia extends rally as DC rules against repudiation / moratorium
Russian Federation CDS contracts rallied strongly for a second day on Thursday, after the Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee ruled a repudiation / moratorium had not occurred on the country's sovereign debt

Chemical co beats widening blues as earnings and inflation drive sell-off
Ineos Group leads a small group of tightening credits that are bucking widening pressure in what is turning out to be a negative end to a choppy week

Credit rally extends as Fed hurdle passes and Evergrande views evolve
Credit markets are rallying for a second day, after the US Federal Reserve meeting indicated a shortening timeline to rate hikes but no shocks. A key deadline for China Evergrande bond payments still overshadows the Thursday session, but investor expectations have gravitated to a more localised impact for any fall out

First Eagle targets $1 billion for direct lending
First Eagle is targeting a $1 billion fundraise for First Eagle Direct Lending Fund V

Alcentra co-CIO for liquid credit set to leave this month
A high profile figure in the US CLO business is leaving Alcentra

Europcar bonds hit full throttle on restructuring agreement
Europcar bonds are among the best performing in a flattish market today, after the French vehicle hire firm obtained an agreement with its main creditors on a financial restructuring

WTW to tackle lack of diversity across investment industry
Progress on diversity across the investment industry is “disappointingly slow”, according to research from Willis Towers Watson

Selecta splashes CLOs with bankruptcy credit event
Selecta Group has triggered a bankruptcy credit event, the Emea Determinations Committee has ruled

Tranche traders smell the coffee as Crossover default percolates
Selecta Group looks set to become the third European credit event in as many months to hit series 33 of the iTraxx Crossover index and tranches based on series 32

Ensco CDS leap wider on credit event trigger
CDS contracts referencing Ensco International, a Houston based subsidiary of offshore driller Valaris, have shot wider after the Americas Determinations Committee ruled the company has triggered a bankruptcy credit event

Valaris and Ensco posed to DC as bankruptcy credit events
Valaris and its subsidiary Ensco International Incorporated have been proposed to the Americas Determinations Committee as bankruptcy credit events after the group filed for chapter 11 protection in August

Europcar hits bumps on the road less travelled
A rough road for Europcar this week has taken its bond and CDS spreads back towards the outer reaches, setting the French car rental firm apart from a general improvement in fortunes for names at the wider end of the market

Banks and high yield corps lead charge as results prompt European rally
High yield corporate credit is today's outperforming part of the market as European credit rallies back from its recent wides, as the latest round of earnings proves stronger than many had expected

Chesapeake deliverables point to big pay-out on CDS
An initial list of deliverable obligations to settle CDS referencing Chesapeake Energy Corporation at auction points to a pay-out of over 97 cents to protection buyers - higher than where five-year contracts are priced

Covid-19 second wave fears drive divergence as spread widening accelerates
This week's credit market sell-off has picked up pace, along with a fall in stocks, after the US Federal Reserve painted a pessimistic picture for economic recovery and concerns mount about a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic

Fund performance: CLO tranches move up
April returns managed a partial bounce back after a tumultuous March. 82% of funds listed in the Creditflux database made positive returns, showing at least small signs of recovery after 90% of all funds listed posted negative returns in March