Tale of two defaults as JC Penney and Hertz recoveries diverge
A credit event auction to settle JC Penney will take place today, with the pay-out to CDS protection buyers looking likely to be the highest for over a year - a tall order given the paltry recoveries of recent US high yield defaults

Argentina auction deliverables list points to lower recovery than CDS
Over 30 bonds have made it onto an initial list of deliverable obligations for an auction next week to settle Argentina sovereign CDS. These notes are mainly denominated in US dollars and euros, but some also in Japanese yen and Swiss francs

Intelsat CDS set for deemed auction today at 100% recovery
Intelsat Investments CDS will be settled today at 100% recovery through a deemed auction, the Determinations Committee has said

Convergence trades in focus as US high yield wobbles at the tights
US convergence with Europe is the theme of this week, at least in high yield, with CDX HY having narrowed to within 80bp of iTraxx Crossover 

Credit dips inside key levels as wide end outperforms
A second day of rallying credit spreads has taken the iTraxx Crossover index inside 400bp for the first time since 9 March, with positive sentiment on reopening economies outweighing other concerns

Argentina triggers failure-to-pay credit event
Argentina has triggered a failure to pay credit event on its sovereign CDS, the Americas Determinations Committee has ruled

PGIM prepares listed credit fund
PGIM is marketing a ‘flexible’ listed fund, dubbed PGIM Strategic Credit Fund , to invest at least 80% across fixed income

There will surely be jewels in the high yield dung heap, but the risk-reward is more compelling in IG
Whatever the long-term effects of the pandemic, one thing stays the same: IG looks attractive

US lags as credit explores three-month tights
Credit markets in Europe and Asia have begun June on a rally to their tightest levels in nearly three months, with optimism over reopening economies outweighing concern about US/China trade negotiations. But US credit looks set for a more cautious opening, after a weekend of widespread protests and rioting

Basis and capital structure strategies zing for Xaia as market anomalies multiply
April was another challenging month for most funds. But some managers were able to take advantage of relative value opportunities and growing investor appetite for this form of investment strategy

US and Europe diverge on credit spreads and more
US and European corporate credit performance has diverged since cities went into lockdown in March, with Europe tending to do better. But the CLO market gives a different picture, with 17 US transactions pricing to four in Europe since 1 April, and with tighter investment grade spreads

PGGM pairs with pension fund Alecta to set SRT standards
The landmark co-investment partnership between Swedish pension fund Alecta and PGGM, the largest investor in significant risk transfer deals, has its roots in establishing a concrete set of standards for the SRT market, according to company officials

Index equity tranches show resilience in face of default spike
Lower credit index volatility in May refocused investor minds on idiosyncratic risk, with some give-up by previously outperforming equity tranches

Points up front: We knew it, Jon Snow
When Tripp Smith, the co-founder of GSO Capital Partners, launched asset manager Iron Park Capital Partners a year ago we guessed he might like TV series Game of Thrones

Default cluster brings warning for recoveries and operations
The pace at which credit event auctions stacked up in May sent investors a strong warning to review default and recovery expectations, as well as to ensure operational readiness after years of benign markets

RBC gets dressed for distress as it targets credit auctions
Royal Bank of Canada has emerged as a new entrant in the world of credit event auction bidding, a move that chimes with the bank’s recent push into distressed credit trading and suggests it sees a strong line of CDS settlement business in the coming months

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

Credit funds at a glance (June 2020)
A round-up of fundraising and people moves

Ucits at a glance: Ucits begin recovery phase
April returns prove positive for Ucits funds as 85% of those listed in the Creditflux database have moved into the black after a rough March

Saba launches new credit hedge fund
Saba Capital has raised at least $165 million for a new credit hedge fund,

Diamond auction settles CDS at 7.4 cents
A credit event auction to settle Diamond Offshore Drilling CDS produced a final price of 7.375 cents, resulting in a pay-out to protection buyers of 92.625

Bankrupt Hertz runs out of gas with CLOs holding $245 million
CLOs hold $245 million of Hertz’ debt as the US-based car rental company drives into bankruptcy protection, with the coronavirus panedemic putting brakes on the Estero, Florida-headquartered's firm car rental operations

Volatility trading has room to run, say strategists, as market holds firm after rally
Big intraday swings have abated from the credit market, but spreads are finely poised in their mid-range positioning between the March peaks of the crisis and pre-crisis levels. According to strategists, this leaves plenty to play for in volatility trading

Intelsat CDS has no deliverables for an auction, says DC
CDS contracts referencing Intelsat Investments look to have no deliverable obligations, according to the Americas Determinations Committee, making a pay-out to protection buyers unlikely

Ecuador auction settles CDS at 34.9 cents
A credit event auction to settle Ecuador sovereign CDS produced a final price of 34.88 cents, closely reflecting where bonds had been quoted beforehand