Claim OwnershipThe Credit Edge by Bloomberg Intelligence
Subscribed: 132Played: 4,066
Subscribe
2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
Description
The Credit Edge reviews the top credit news of the week and looks at the week ahead, with in-depth research of the most important corporate sectors, trends and themes. Analysis of specific corporate bonds and credit default swaps is backed by Bloomberg Intelligence's robust data sets and indexes.
164 Episodes
Reverse
Third Point is getting ready to scoop up credit assets that others have to sell to raise liquidity as cracks in the market spread. “This is probably one of the most exciting times to be a credit investor,” Shalini Sriram, the hedge fund’s head of structured credit, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Erica Adelberg in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “You are seeing people trying to sell parts of the portfolio that they can,” says Sriram, who sits on the fund’s risk committee. They also discuss residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, consumer finance and collateralized loan obligations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Consumer discretionary companies are at risk of downgrades and default if the war in the Middle East drags on, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. “We’ll definitely see a bunch of companies that have been holding on finally shake out,” Jody Lurie, a BI credit analyst focused on leisure, travel and lodging, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie in this special episode of the Credit Edge podcast. Car rental firms, theme parks and smaller casinos are exposed as rising gas prices crimp consumer spending. The oil rally is a windfall for energy companies, though gains at larger operators may accrue more to equity investors than bondholders. The debt of smaller independent producers may perform better, says Spencer Cutter, who covers the sector for BI.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fear of software defaults amid AI disruption creates opportunity for high-yield debt buyers, according to Capital Group, which has $3.2 trillion under management. “Markets are adopting a bit of a shoot first ask questions later strategy when it comes to software,” said Shannon Ward, a fixed income portfolio manager who serves on the firm’s fixed income management committee. “There’s going to be some baby out with the bath water when it comes to the sector — and that means bargains can be had,” she tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Steve Flynn in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. They also discuss how Paramount Skydance will reshape junk credit, leveraged loan default risks and the broader impact of private market stress.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Software default rates could hit double digits as AI disruption spreads and loans come due, according to Bain Capital. “We’re going to see real stress,” said Angelo Rufino, the firm’s head of special situations in North America and corporate special situations in Europe. “We will see a full credit cycle as the reckoning really comes to resize capital structures to the earnings power of these business models,” he tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s David Havens in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. They also discuss investment-grade private credit, data center debt and asset-based finance, including the rise of music-royalty deals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1Systematic credit investing has room to expand into leveraged loans, structured finance and emerging markets, according to Acadian Asset Management. “You could take an issuer approach to do security selection in the leveraged loan market,” Scott Richardson, the $178 billion firm’s director of systematic credit tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Sam Geier in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “That could be extended to structured things that sit on top of that, CLOs and the like,” says Richardson, referring to collateralized loan obligations. They also discuss alternative data, private credit and how to build a portfolio “without giving a liver and a kidney to Goldman Sachs along the way.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mortgage-backed securities look attractive even after government purchases snapped spreads tighter, according to Clark Capital Management. “I don’t think the trade is completely over yet because corporates are even tighter,” Oliver Chambers, head of fixed income for the firm’s separately managed accounts, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Erica Adelberg in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “You can go in and clip a 4.5% coupon and have potential for some price appreciation if rates do come down,” says Chambers. They also discuss technology debt risk, the market impact of new leadership at the Federal Reserve and what the central bank would do if there’s a big selloff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Technology companies flooding debt markets are just getting started on funding a $4 trillion artificial intelligence boom, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. “This is the tip of the iceberg,” Robert Schiffman, BI’s senior tech credit analyst, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie in this special episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “A lot will depend on at what pace industries are embracing AI technologies,” adds Anurag Rana, a senior BI equity analyst who also covers the sector. BI expects AI capital expenditure to exceed $4 trillion in the US through the end of 2030. The trio also discuss the impact of surging bond issuance on credit spreads, the appeal of very long-dated debt in a sector susceptible to disruption and the biggest risks for this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Corporate loans signed when rates were low are increasingly hitting a wall as they come due, according to H.I.G Bayside. “There’s a level of discount in these stressed credits that we haven’t seen for a number of years,” Jackson Craig, who co-heads the credit-focused arm of H.I.G. Capital, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Tim Riminton in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “The dislocations that are occurring and the discounts that original lenders are willing to take to shed troubled assets has grown,” says Craig, who focuses on distressed debt. They also discuss private credit defaults, trouble in the chemicals sector, forced selling by collateralized loan obligations and how liability management is adding pressure.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Investors underestimate the hazards in private debt, according to Pacific Investment Management Co. “There’s a lot of additional credit risk that people are often taking in some of these private situations that you kind of turn a blind eye to,” Christian Stracke, the $2.3 trillion asset manager’s president, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Noel Hebert in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “There is a fairly large overhang of problem loans that were made in years earlier this decade that will take years to burn through,” he adds. They also discuss deteriorating debt underwriting standards in the technology sector, Europe’s big defense investment opportunity and the “sell America” trade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Pressure on highly-indebted companies will intensify as interest rates remain elevated, according to Seix Investment Advisors. “We have a lot of credit zombies — B3/B minus or CCC rated credits — that still have very weak interest coverage, generating zero free cash flow,” George Goudelias, chief investment officer of the firm’s leveraged finance platform, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Jean-Yves Coupin in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “There are mine fields to avoid in this market,” he adds. They also discuss the impact of private credit on public leveraged finance, why Seix is bearish on technology and how rising “sell America” sentiment could affect corporate debt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Despite all the negative headlines around private credit, Neuberger Berman says direct loans pay a lot more than traded debt and barely make a loss. “We pretty consistently see a 200 basis point differential,” Susan Kasser, the gobal investment management firm’s head of private debt, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s David Havens in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “Our annualized loss rates are one basis point,” she adds. They also discuss how artificial intelligence helps to pinpoint investment opportunities and why private markets will probably continue to get bad press.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Venezuela debt holders will likely have to wait years to get their money back after regime change in the oil-rich nation, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. “The near-term challenges are nothing short of massive,” says Damian Sassower, chief emerging-markets credit strategist, in this special episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “I think the rest of this year is spent trying to figure out how to make Venezuela investable,” said Spencer Cutter, who covers US energy producers for BI. They also discuss opportunities and risks for American and Canadian oil companies, the sale of Citgo Petroleum and the “domino effect” on China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Credit is one of many overvalued markets and the technology sector is particularly risky, according to Richard Bernstein Advisors. “We’re kind of in an everything bubble at the moment,” Mike Contopoulos, the firm’s deputy chief investment officer, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Robert Schiffman in the latest Credit Edge podcast. “Tech is going to come back down to earth a little bit this year,” said Contopoulos. RBA, which invests across asset classes via exchange-traded funds, has no exposure to corporate credit. They also discuss value in collateralized loan obligations, mortgage-backed securities and Europe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Long-term debt bets on technology companies that are borrowing heavily for AI may end in tears, according to Newfleet Asset Management. “It’s one of the biggest risks out there,” said Dave Albrycht, the multi-sector fixed income manager’s president and chief investment officer. “There’s no free lunch in the bond market,” he tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Arnold Kakuda in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. Besides investment-grade companies borrowing to fund equity-like risk, they discuss the risk of Oracle falling to junk, why asset-backed securities are a hedge and how leveraged loans will be worth buying when the Federal Reserve stops cutting rates.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
KKR is looking to Europe and Japan for yield as US debt spreads grind tighter. “Investors are very focused on relative value in a market where there’s not a lot,” Tal Reback, global investment strategist for the firm’s credit and markets business, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s David Havens in this episode of the Credit Edge podcast. “In general, investors are much more intrigued about how to diversify geographically,” she adds. They also discuss what KKR thinks could be a $1 trillion European asset-backed debt opportunity, private credit default risk, valuations of direct loans, sector bets and business development companies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The technology-funding frenzy could become a bust for credit markets if AI falls short of lofty expectations, according to Barclays. “If we get to a point where we see a lot of this issuance coming to the market — and then there’s some changes, where maybe certain things are a little bit less viable or a little bit less attractive — that leads to some downside risks,” Brad Rogoff, the firm’s global head of research, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Mike Campellone in the latest Credit Edge podcast. They also discuss “late-cycle” behavior, private-debt risk, asset-based finance and portfolio trades, as well as Barclays’ 2026 forecasts for credit spreads, defaults and global issuance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Global investors are looking more at European private credit as US returns get squeezed, according to London-based hedge fund Arini. “They want to focus on a place where they think there’s rule of law, where they think there’s opportunity set — and that’s really been Europe,” Mathew Cestar, the firm’s president, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Stephane Kovatchev in the latest Credit Edge podcast. Europe pays about 50 basis points more on private loans than the US to compensate for its relative complexity, says Cestar, who leads the Arini’s direct lending business. The firm generates additional spread by focusing on middle-market, non-sponsor deals across the continent. Cestar also discusses credit agreements, defaults, the potential for investment in defense and where by country and sector he sees the best opportunity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vanguard Group, the world’s second-largest money manager, is wary of junk bonds given how expensive they’ve become. “Where the market is today doesn’t leave a lot of room for negative surprises,” Michael Chang, head of high-yield corporate credit at the $11 trillion asset manager, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Matthew Geudtner in the latest Credit Edge podcast. “Spreads are pretty tight, yields are about average — it’s not the best time to be investing in high yield,” Chang says. They also discuss Vanguard’s preference for debt from utilities and consumer staples companies, how to get extra yield from leveraged loans and how to profit from liability-management exercises.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Lack of discipline is a concern for credit markets as investors rush to fund artificial intelligence, according to Oaktree Capital Management. “Just how much money is chasing deals — I think you need to be mindful of that,” Danielle Poli, a portfolio manager for the firm’s global credit strategy, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Phil Brendel in the latest Credit Edge podcast. “What stands out is that anything with AI is just getting done,” Poli added. “A lot of the excess we’re seeing is in that space.” They also discuss where to find better returns in collateralized loan obligations, real estate debt, strategies for busted convertibles, private market relative value and opportunities in Europe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Credit investors should be careful about participating in the artificial intelligence boom, according to DoubleLine Capital. “You have to be not only cautious about the tech sector, but the tangential related sectors that are providing support for these new projects,” Robert Cohen, the firm’s director of global developed credit, tells Bloomberg News’ James Crombie and Bloomberg Intelligence’s Robert Schiffman in the latest Credit Edge podcast. “Who knows what the spillover will be if the music stops?” Cohen added. They also discuss compressed returns in private debt markets, commercial mortgage-backed securities, how to invest in corporate bonds by duration, rating and sector — plus the outlook for 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States