Tranche traders aim to navigate default risk while staying clear of coronavirus contagion
The CDS market is navigating between two sources of risk for equity and mezzanine high yield index tranches. The default of US media company McClatchy has focused idiosyncratic concerns, while the spread of the coronavirus has stoked fears of a systemic sell-off.

IHS Markit mulls CDX EM growth and iTraxx ESG screen
Increasing the portfolio size of CDX EM and consulting on an ethically-screened version of iTraxx Europe are among the projects index administrator IHS Markit has been working on ahead of the 20 March roll.

Covid-19 outbreak rattles carry traders
The coronavirus panic hitting financials markets at the end of February has been a strong driver of relative value trades, with CDS underperforming both cash bonds and equity, while financial names felt the heat more than corporate borrowers as geographical risk came into play.

Global CLO b-wic round-up: that's another fine mezz you've gotten me into
European CLO investors are tripping over themselves to buy mezzanine paper in the secondary CLO market

Standard Chartered looks to expand London CLO trading team
Standard Chartered is looking to bolster its CLO team by hiring a trader in London

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.

Global CLO b-wic round-up: equity, equity everywhere, but trading volumes sink
For the second week in a row, over $230 million of US CLO equity went on sale and multiple control equity positions were listed in the CLO secondary market

Global CLO b-wic round-up: US CLO equity returns in big way as four control positions hit the market
Over $230 million of US CLO equity went on sale last week via bid lists, the first time these assets have made their way to the secondary market in 2020. It also marks the most US CLO equity listed in a week since at least 2018, according to CLO-i

Global CLO b-wic round-up: junior mezz rebounds with busiest week since June
Secondary market CLO trading has made a busy start to 2020 with $478.6 million of US deals and €103.3 million of European CLOs up for sale last week

Issuers fashion new outfits for junior mezz

Managers amend CLO structures amid refinancing ripple
CLO managers have deployed various measures to keep their deals ticking amid a European refinancing wave.

Complacency rules after rally in run-up to UK election
UK credits rallying was a familiar sight for much of November, mainly due to investors cutting their previous short positions ahead of the country’s 12 December election, but dealers reported little appetite to replace long, short or hedging trades going into the final stretch.

Deep dive trade is on, but single name risks still abound
High yield CDS is reversing its previous underperformance versus investment grade, reflecting an investor shift down the quality spectrum in cash bonds.

Non-dealers overtake banks as biggest holders of diminishing CDS pie
The share of the CDS market held by non-dealer financial institutions has surpassed that of dealers for the first time, according to latest Bank for International Settlements data. But firms are scrapping over a smaller pie, as outstanding single name CDS continues to fall

Global CLO b-wic round-up: Junior mezz covers return while triple A supply drives big week
Narrowing of the bid-ask gap that has plagued junior mezzanine tranches could bring a change of fortunes in the US CLO secondary market 

Rising idiosyncratic risk leads to calls for high yield index tranche fix from traders
As sources of funding dry up for the weakest borrowers in the credit market, some correlation traders are calling for an overhaul of CDX NA HY index tranches to make trades on wide-end dispersion more effective.

Established firms say managers new to European CLOs will struggle to attract assets
New managers making their way in the European CLO market may have a fight on their hands, with sources noting the difficulty these firms face in getting sizeable allocations.

Past returns: Bond king’s exit ends CLO refis
Five years ago in Creditflux, we reported on a market absorbing the consequences of ‘bond king’ Bill Gross leaving Pimco, the firm he co-founded.

Corporate credit performance expected to catch up with financial borrowers as European quantitative easing begins
The return of European Central Bank quantitative easing on 30 October portends a catch up this month of corporate credit performance with other parts of the market, such as financial borrowers, say strategists.

Over 1,200 sign up to CDS protocol
Plans to improve CDS market integrity have received a boost, with the International Swaps & Derivatives Association drawing a stronger than expected response to its protocol aimed at stamping out narrowly tailored credit events (NTCEs).

Distressed loans get IHS Markit workover as tech service aims to cut settlement times
IHS Markit is unveiling an electronic solution through its ClearPar platform aimed at simplifying trade settlement for distressed leveraged loans, an area that has greatly lagged efficiency in the par loans market    

Global CLO b-wic round-up: volumes jump as investors get their triple A fix
The US CLO secondary market brought over $1.2 billion in total listings last week with the main driver behind last week’s supply being an increase in US CLO triple A bonds and an anchor equity position.

Global CLO b-wic round-up: control stake trades as junior notes come to the fore
The European and US CLO secondary markets produced high volumes of junior and subordinated notes last week. Over 30% of listings were rated as equity, single B or double B.

Any takers for illiquid European CLO equity?
The investor base for European CLO equity is far smaller than for US CLO equity. But for those with the mandate, and willing to stomach the illiquidity, valuations have been strong this year.

LCH and Ice prepare to battle it out over options clearing
A fully cleared market for CDS options is getting closer, with the two largest central clearing counterparties (CCPs) set to expand their services.