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

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. 

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.  

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 

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

Traders hunt for Monday bargains in Black Friday debris
The turmoil of Black Friday has given way to a counter-wise move on Monday, with financial markets latching onto scraps of hope over the weekend following the panic of a newly discovered covid-19 variant

LP round up: no Stoptober as investors allocate $5 billion to credit
US institutional investors allocated $5 billion to credit funds in October, with Oak Hill and Pimco among the biggest mandates    

Beneath the triple C: resurfacing credits surpass divers as tide turns for CLOs
Upgrades above triple C overtook downgrades to that rating or below in February. Moody's or Standard & Poor's cut six corporate debt issuers to triple C or below in February, out of which just four can be found in CLO portfolios

Europcar CDS auction shocks protection buyers with zero pay-out
Wednesay's auction to settle Europcar Mobility Group CDS has left protection buyers on the company with nothing to show for their investments and hedges, after dealers produced an unexpected 100% recovery on contracts due to a technical mismatch in bids and orders

LP round up: Arcmont, Ares and Sixth Street win European direct lending mandates
Investors have allocated around $2 billion to credit funds in recent weeks, according to board documentation seen by Creditflux. Among those to recieve allocations include ADM, Arcmont, Ares, Audax, Bain, Centerbridge, Clearlake, Goldman Sachs merchant banking,  Invesco, Monarch, Oaktree, Raven, Sixth Street and Sound Mark

[update] Beneath the triple C: theme parks take portfolios on downward ride
Seven corporate debt issuers were downgraded to triple C or below in September by Moody’s or Standard and Poor’s – hurting $2.16 billion of US CLO loans and €1.16 billion of European CLO portfolio. The pace of CLO loan downgrades to triple C has slowed steadily since the peak in April

CLOs hold €250 million of defaulted French events organiser Comexposium
CLOs hold €246.1 million of French events organiser Comexposium, which entered safeguard protection in the Commercial Court of Nanterre on Wednesday

Credit fundraising: distressed keeps in favour but CLO ETFs emerge
Five months into global lockdown and distressed debt funds are still proving popular, but several managers have found success pitching other types of credit strategies

Matalan becomes first Crossover index default in over year
Matalan, the UK based retailer, is the first default to hit the on-the-run series of Europe's iTraxx Crossover index, with the Determinations Committee ruling it has triggered a bankruptcy credit event

Fund performance: Credit funds post double-digit gains
June returns have once again been led by CLO funds, as seven out of the top 10 belong to our CLOs category.

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

Europcar on the move with Spanish and shareholder support
Europcar Mobility Group is among the biggest movers today in bonds and CDS, after the French car rental company obtained Spanish government support and shareholder Eurozeo confirmed it would take part in a financing plan

Boston pension seeks distressed debt manager
Boston Retirement System is reissuing its private debt manager search and soliciting proposals from firms to manage a distressed debt mandate 

Credit traders' kickstand: rally makes good on relative value plays, but high yield pitfalls abound
Credit markets are ending the week on a stronger tone overall than they did last Friday, following supportive comments this week from both the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank meeting. But big drops in some individual company bonds shows there are still plenty of pitfalls to catch out the unwary

65% of distressed managers plan new funds over the next year, survey finds
Distressed debt is proving to be a popular strategy for managers, with 65% intending to launch a distressed strategy in the next 12 months, according to a report by Creditflux’s sister publication Debtwire and law firm Ropes & Gray.     

Massachusetts pension fund invests $75 million with TowerBrook
Mass PRIM) has made a $75 million commitment to New-York based TowerBrook Capital Partners for its second structured opportunities fund, according to 15 May board documentation