November 2023 US Leveraged Highlights
Debtwire today releases the November 2023 US Leveraged Highlights, featuring key trends in the leveraged loan and high-yield bond markets

Lumen Technologies ad-hoc group preps competing proposal
The refinancing of Lumen Technologies, currently held by 1311 different CLOs with a combined principal balance of USD 3.8bn, took a new twist today as details of a competing proposal emerged

US CLO credit Air Methods Corporation files for bankruptcy
Air Methods Corporation, a widely held name in the US CLO market, filed for Chapter 11 this morning reporting USD 1bn to USD 10bn in liabilities.

Fund performance
Positive August for credit sees CLO funds on top again

Fund performance
Good month for CLO funds sees six in top 10 as Axiom sets pace

Jump in loan prices sees CLO primary stall in the US
US CLO primary supply almost ground to a halt in June with just three transactions printing in the first half of the month

Beneath the triple C: Life could be better, but it’s just a letter, under the CCC
Many market participants were eagerly looking forward to a break in December after a gruelling year, but the rating agencies were in no mood to oblige. 

Manager looks to cut HY exposures in CLO-heavy credit interval fund
A credit fund manager has provided a performance update on is multi-strategy closed-end credit fund through regulatory filings, revealing it has beat its benchmark from 1 April to 30 September despite losing 13.66%

European CLO managers trade loans to avoid (par) burn
Between March and July, European CLO managers traded €21 billion of assets within CLOs that were still in their reinvestment period as opportunities arose amid a weaker macro environment and Russia’s war with Ukraine

Credit Suisse to streamline European CLO manager client list
Credit Suisse is unlikely to be among the heavyweights in European CLO origination with market sources indicating that the bank is reducing its CLO manager client list

Beneath the triple C: Stormy October hits CLOs with rising tide of downgrades
After a slight respite in the pace of downgrades over the summer for CLOs, October brought renewed momentum as macro-economic pressures - primarily high interest rate burdens for corporate borrowers and supply side inflation - became the recurring rationale

Beneath the triple C: US CLOs take a dip in the triple C as Europe watches from the sun lounger
The US CLO market bore the brunt of downgrades to triple C in July and August, with a total of $6.22 billion of paper affected. European CLOs enjoyed a more relaxing summer holiday, with only 1 name representing €33.88 million worth of bonds downgraded to triple C.  

Secondary CLOs stand firm as credit markets take a hit
Macro weakness is seeping into credit with CDS indices gapping wider and US loans suffering a setback after dropping below 95 points this week. Traders say the CLO secondary market has reflected this turn in sentiment, with did-not-trades racking up – although spreads have held up better than other parts of the credit market

Beneath the triple C: ebbs and flows leave triple C levels at a temporary stasis
Following a rising tide of downgrades in May the loan market stabilised somewhat in June, with seven issuers held by CLOs downgraded to triple C and a counter-swell of five names upgraded to single B.

Beneath the triple C: CLOs take first knock since covid scrapes
CLO managers have been hit by a number of loan downgrades to triple C for the first time since the wave of pandemic-related cuts trickled to a halt in early 2021. Companies indirectly linked to the health sector suffered most in May 

Ucits at a glance: Robus stands tall among Ucits funds
27% of Ucits funds had positive returns in March, a slight improvement from 10% in February

Fund performance: Credit slumps widely as CLOs lag furthest behind
February’s market turn brought a variety of fund categories into the Creditflux top ten as six different categories were represented -- US high yield standing tallest among them

Ucits at a glance: Robus and Altana dip but stay at the top
In October, Ucits funds continued a slide that had begun the previous month with 60% of them in the red

Still plenty more fish in the triple C

Liquidations emerge as speed bump to $1 trillion CLO market
CLOs are now a $1 trillion global industry, but liquidations are picking up and could hamper growth — as well as providing welcome relief to an engine that’s running somewhat hot. CLOs are now a $1 trillion global industry, but liquidations are picking up and could hamper growth — as well as providing welcome relief to an engine that’s running somewhat hot.

Beneath the triple C: CLOs benefit as upgrades make for lighter triple C buckets
For the first time since the sell off in March last year, downgrades to triple C have come to a near-standstill

It's all relative: CLO spreads explore record tights as credit indices hit impasse
CLO spreads are grinding to ever tighter levels, despite a flattish week for credit in which corporate credit indices have ended up more or less unchanged

It's all relative: CLOs are lagging no more, as Carlyle deal drags market tighter
“CLOs are lagging” has been a much repeated refrain over the last nine months. But Carlyle Group has this week produced a US CLO that has dragged spreads to their tightest point in three years so that, rather than comparing CLOs to pre-covid levels, they should be assessed against early 2018

Beneath the triple C: 13 CLO loans take a dive but defaults subside to a ripple
22 corporate debt issuers were downgraded to triple C or below in November and December by Moody’s or S&P, out of which 13 can be found in CLO portfolios  – hurting $4.55 billion of US CLO loans, €1.87 billion of European CLO portfolios and almost $80 million of middle market CLOs loans, according to CLO-i

Vaccine boosts credit as PE firms open up to bridge loans
The leveraged loan and CLO markets ended 2020 on a long-awaited high after multiple vaccines for covid-19 were rubber-stamped by regulators