Bloodbath in primary as credit bleeds months of profit
Some primary market bond issues that investors lapped up in the heady weeks of January are being put to the sword as February ends, while the coronavirus-led downturn in credit has squandered several months of gains in the CDS market

McClatchy initial list points to 48 cent CDS pay-out
McClatchy CDS looks set to pay out around 47.5 cents to protection holders, if bonds on an initial list of deliverable obligations for the media company’s credit event auction make it to the final list

CDS takes brunt of coronavirus panic sell-off
European credit derivatives are among the hardest hit assets today amid a broad sell-off, as the fast spread of the coronavirus into Italy, Korea and Iran has brought a reappraisal of the impact it could have on financial markets

Credit traders’ kickstand: weaker mood, but primary drive strengthens
The primary market for high yield bonds is open again, after a pause around the US holiday on Monday, with issues in Europe today from the likes of SIlgan and Catalent striking a bullish tone and setting the scene for an expected flurry of deals next week. But this comes as credit generally weakens, with concerns about the spread and reappraisal of coronavirus cases causing spreads to push back from their recent tights

LCH goes live with Sub Fin CDS clearing
Clearing house LCH has expanded its CDSClear service to clear the iTraxx Europe Subordinated Financials index and its 30 single name CDS constituents

McClatchy CDS auction set for 10 March, despite fast-track request
Dealers on the Americas Determinations Committee have unanimously agreed to hold an auction to settle McClatchy CDS on 10 March, ignoring a request to expedite the process ahead of the media company’s scheduled plan of reorganisation

Super-fast CDS auction demanded on McClatchy
The DC has ruled that media company McClatchy triggered a bankruptcy credit event on 13 February. But it is yet to set a date for the credit event auction

EIB buys mezzanine tranche in Commerzbank SRT
Commerzbank has launched a €1.5 billion significant risk transfer with the European Investment Bank (EIB) announcing that it has invested in the mezzanine tranche of the securitisation

Credit retraces wider as coronavirus weakens sentiment
Credit and equity are proving resilient as fears mount about the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, but there is weakness in the tone of both asset classes today

Axa IM launches SRT fund after record-breaking 2019
Axa Investment Managers says it has held a first close on a fund that invests in significant risk transfers

McClatchy bankruptcy adds to slew of US media credit events
The McClatchy Company, a media sector constituent of CDS index CDX HY, has triggered a bankruptcy credit event, the Americas Determinations Committee has ruled

Crossover and senior financials lead widening on coronavirus uptick
iTraxx Senior Financial and Crossover credits are taking the brunt of a move wider today, along with slumping stock markets, as fears about the spread of novel coronavirus took another turn upwards

Whiting Petroleum CDS gaps wider as it engages debt advisors
Credit event concerns have taken CDX HY constituent Whiting Petroleum to a recent wide print, after the energy exploration firm’s management held talks with advisors to find ways to remedy its capital structure

Sprint Comms CDS races tighter on T-Mobile merger nod
Sprint Communications, a telco constituent of US high yield index CDX HY, was by far the biggest mover in CDS yesterday, after the Federal Court in New York approved the company’s proposed merger with T-Mobile US

TUI enjoys 100bp two-week getaway
TUI is today’s biggest mover among constituents of CDS index iTraxx Crossover, after the Hannover headquartered travel company said it recorded its highest ever booking volumes in January – seizing market share after the collapse of UK rival Thomas Cook

UK financials push wider following Irish election surprise
UK and Italian financials are the weakest part of the credit market today, against an otherwise flattish backdrop, with the Irish general election result adding to concerns about how Brexit negotiations will fare this year

Credit Rendezvous: the outlook in 2020 across a dozen segments of the credit market
Welcome to the Credit Rendezvous, the first instalment of a regular feature published by Creditflux that tracks credit market dynamics in a dozen segments from investment grade, liquid loans, CLOs and CSOs all the way through to distressed debt. We view this as the meeting point for credit specialists across strategies to share their perspectives

Citi reallocates credit index trading as veteran moves to buy side
A senior Citi credit official has expanded his remit following the departure of a veteran credit index trader

Correlation rise stokes mezz rally but adds to CSO woes
Below the calm surface of the credit market, correlation has been churning and creating dislocations rich with reward for index tranche traders but complicating bespoke issuance, say sources.

CSO arrangers take notes from success of CLOs
CSO arrangers are looking to follow the CLO template in more ways than one, with sources indicating that some dealers are looking to structure their deals in note format (as opposed to swaps).

Italian financials put Europe's best foot forward as US outperforms
Financial credits are once again leading the way as the market continues this week’s sharp return rally

US races to catch Europe as rally opens CDS gap
US credit is playing catch-up with Europe in today’s session, after the iTraxx Europe CDS index opened a 4.5bp gap with CDX IG before the US market opened

Hedge against coronavirus, says JP Morgan, naming 40 most exposed credits
With novel coronavirus cases rising at what looks to be an exponential rate, JP Morgan strategists have proposed a high yield hedge to address the rising threat to European credit spreads and listed 40 borrowers they think are most exposed to impact

Wind blows against UK credits after Brexit day bluster
After all the Friday fanfare of the UK’s exit from the European Union, Brexit-exposed credits are quietly heading wider at the start of this week, against the general tightening trend

Credit traders' kickstand: full reversal for Crossover as coronavirus spreads
European high yield CDS index iTraxx Crossver is ending the week back at around 230bp, in effect undoing all its improvement since the start of December