The resignation of a top Texas bankruptcy judge after it emerged he was dating a leading lawyer has rocked the insolvency world. To analyze the fallout, we’re joined by Steven Church and Amelia Pollard from Bloomberg News. Creditors may now challenge some of the judge’s prior rulings, while his downfall revives scrutiny of where companies are filing for bankruptcy. Also in this episode of the Credit Edge, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Spencer Cutt...
Oct 19, 2023•29 min
Fortune favors the bold in credit markets this year, with the biggest returns coming from the highest-risk debt. To analyze why and what’s next, we’re joined by Gowri Gurumurthy, a veteran high-yield bond reporter at Bloomberg News. Triple C rated bonds and leveraged loans are poised to extend gains barring a major geopolitical shock, while defaults will probably stay low, Gurumurthy says. Also in this episode of the Credit Edge, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie asks Bloomberg Intellig...
Oct 12, 2023•40 min
The $8 trillion mortgage-bond market plunged to levels rarely seen since the global financial crisis as Treasury yields surged. To analyze why and what’s next, we’re joined by Christopher Maloney, mortgage strategist at BOK Financial Capital Markets, and Bloomberg News reporter Scott Carpenter. Homebuyers face the threat of even larger debt payments, while credit investors may find an opportunity to buy cheap bonds. Also in this episode of the Credit Edge, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crom...
Oct 05, 2023•38 min
China’s property crisis has lurched into a perilous new phase — with significant implications for the world’s second-largest economy, according to Bloomberg News’ Alice Huang. The deepening distress hurts other industries and repels foreign investors, Huang says. In this episode of the Credit Edge, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Spencer Cutter about growing risks to energy debt from depressed natural gas prices. Smaller producers are most vuln...
Sep 28, 2023•31 min
Leveraged finance has sprung back to life with jumbo buyout deals and dividend loans, according to Bloomberg News’ Claire Ruckin. Credit investors are increasingly hungry for risk and companies are piling on debt amid hopes of a soft landing and lower rates ahead, Ruckin says. In this episode of the Credit Edge, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tolu Alamutu about growing distress in real estate. Trouble has spread through Sweden and other parts ...
Sep 21, 2023•29 min
Companies hitting the bond market at record pace left investors hungry for more, according to Bloomberg News’ Caleb Mutua. The deluge will be short-lived as borrowers retreat, waiting for interest rates to come back down, Mutua says. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mary Ellen Olson about what’s next for Vedanta Resources Ltd., the junk-rated Indian mining company with a pile of debt coming due. Extend...
Sep 14, 2023•28 min
Hedge funds are jumping into the collateralized loan obligation market in pursuit of fat and steady returns, according to Bloomberg News’ Lisa Lee. CLOs are meanwhile menaced by the lingering threat of recession and higher rates — while increasingly repackaging private debt — Lee says. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jeroen Julius about the outlook for the AT1 market after the collapse of Credit Suiss...
Sep 07, 2023•29 min
Banks are readying about $15 billion of leverage buyout debt for sale starting in September, stepping back into M&A after losses piled up on their books last year, Bloomberg News’ Paula Seligson, says. Also on this episode of the Credit Edge podcast, Bloomberg News corporate finance reporter Olivia Raimonde chats with Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jody Lurie, who covers the leisure sector. Lurie walks us through the cruise-line industry’s recovery from the pandemic. See omnystudio.com/liste...
Aug 31, 2023•31 min
Companies that borrowed from private markets are struggling to pay as interest rates surge, according to Bloomberg News’ Kat Hidalgo. There’s more distress to come amid record levels of fundraising and ever-increasing deal sizes, Hidalgo says. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Andrew Chan about the brewing debt crisis in China. Offshore bonds from local government financing vehicles may provide relative...
Aug 24, 2023•34 min
Companies with floating-rate debt are feeling the pain of higher interest costs as leveraged loan defaults outpace that of junk bonds, Bloomberg News’ Jill Shah , says. The one-year default rate for US loan borrowers has soared to 4%, an analysis by Morgan Stanley shows. Also on this episode of the Credit Edge podcast, Bloomberg News corporate finance reporter Olivia Raimonde chats with Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Daniel Fan who covers China properties. He walks us through the debt crisis unf...
Aug 17, 2023•25 min
Yellow — the bankrupt trucking firm — is deciding between competing financing packages from lenders including Apollo, Bloomberg News’ Amelia Pollard says. The company owes the US government more than $700 million from a pandemic-era loan. Also on this episode of the Credit Edge podcast, Bloomberg News corporate finance reporter Olivia Raimonde chats with Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Julie Hung about M&A in the consumer sector. Hung walks us through recent credit downgrades in the industry....
Aug 10, 2023•30 min
Leveraged loans are enjoying a euphoric risk-on period of excess demand for limited supply, according to Bloomberg News’ Jeannine Amodeo. Banks offloading hung buyout debt at a steep discount could send prices back down but there are reasons to be bullish on the market for the rest of this year, Amodeo says. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mary Ellen Olson about high-yield opportunities in the Indones...
Aug 03, 2023•27 min
Carvana is a rare case of lenders working together to agree restructuring terms and could be a blueprint for other distressed debt situations, according to Bloomberg News’ Erin Hudson. The used-car seller won a second chance by eliminating $1.2 billion of debt, but it still faces fundamental headwinds. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Aidan Cheslin about the risks to Telecom Italia’s bonds as the compa...
Jul 27, 2023•22 min
China’s local governments are struggling to repay trillions of dollars in infrastructure debt, just as more property developers tip into distress, according to Bloomberg News’ Wei Zhou. A Chinese municipal default would send shock waves through global markets, but Beijing is at pains to avoid the moral hazard of a bailout. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Himanshu Bakshi about the risk to Canadian bank...
Jul 20, 2023•29 min
Signs of life in collateralized loan obligations signal credit market healing, according to Bloomberg News’ Lisa Lee. But it’s too early to predict broad and sustained recovery as interest rate and macroeconomic risks abound. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Stephane Kovatchev about growing stress on the container shipping sector as demand crumbles. Smaller companies are most threatened by a steep drop...
Jul 13, 2023•24 min
Bonds backed by car loans are headed for their first loss since the 1990s as Americans fall behind on payments and dealerships collapse, says Bloomberg News’ Carmen Arroyo. Consumers are burning through pandemic-era savings and hitting a wall with interest costs soaring. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Paul Vickars about distress at Thames Water, the UK’s biggest water provider. Other companies in the...
Jul 06, 2023•24 min
Canadian pensions are piling into private debt, lured by fatter returns than in corporate bonds, says Bloomberg News’ Paula Sambo. But smaller funds are struggling to raise cash for the strategy as public markets get cheaper, and there may be more private credit distress to come. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Stephen Flynn about the telecoms and media outlook. The debt of Paramount Global trades at ...
Jun 29, 2023•20 min
Troubled companies are selling assets to relieve pressure from rising rates, slumping earnings and a looming maturity wall, says Irene Garcia Perez, who covers distressed debt for Bloomberg News. But potential buyers are offering less than sellers hoped and some corporations are offloading trophy holdings to generate cash. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tolu Alamutu about the outlook for SBB, the Swe...
Jun 22, 2023•32 min
Office landlords are falling behind on debt payments at the fastest rate in five years as tenants flee, says Scott Carpenter, who covers structured finance for Bloomberg News. Working from home slashed demand for office space, just as surging interest rates boost costs, spelling trouble for lenders. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also examines the impact of US culture wars on consumer companies with Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Louise Par...
Jun 15, 2023•27 min
More companies are going bust not long after securing cash that was supposed to save them, highlighting growing stress as rates rise and the economy slows, says Amelia Pollard, who covers distressed debt for Bloomberg News. More of these so-called liability management deals are expected to fail, making bankruptcies messier and more complex. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also quizzes Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mike Campellone on the ret...
Jun 08, 2023•27 min
New accounting rules have exposed $64 billion in debt held by the largest US businesses, according to Lucca de Paoli, who covers distressed debt for Bloomberg News. This so-called supplier finance can be a safe way to manage cash flow — but it’s also been at the heart of some major corporate collapses, and could fuel ratings downgrades. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also talks to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Sharon Chen about the outlook...
Jun 01, 2023•28 min
Private credit is having a coming-of-age moment, luring investors with double-digit returns and jumbo-sized deals, according to Silas Brown, who covers private credit for Bloomberg News. The $1.5 trillion market isn’t without risk, as borrowers grapple with surging costs and slowing earnings, while investors face liquidity and transparency challenges. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also talks to Bloomberg Intelligence credit analyst Rena Kw...
May 25, 2023•27 min
Companies are going bankrupt at the fastest pace since 2009 and there’s no end in sight as rates rise and the economy sputters, according to Jeremy Hill, who covers distressed debt for Bloomberg News. Lenders are no longer providing fresh liquidity to zombie firms across sectors -- from retail to commercial real estate -- leaving them to perish. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also talks to Bloomberg Intelligence credit analyst Jaimin Patel ...
May 18, 2023•26 min
Investors in troubled company debt are excited about the opportunities in banks, retail and health care as rates grind higher and the economy sputters, with one fund making $30 million on a single distressed debt trade. Consumers have been resilient but cracks are spreading, while a shift to electric vehicles adds stress in autos, according to Erin Hudson, who covers distressed debt for Bloomberg News. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also ta...
May 11, 2023•31 min
Credit markets are cracking up as liquidity evaporates, according to Jill Shah, who covers leveraged finance for Bloomberg News in New York. Small businesses are struggling to borrow, distressed debt has surged, defaults are ticking up, banks have tightened lending standards and bankruptcies are on the rise, particularly in construction and retail. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie asks whether this is all bad for the US economy. Bloomberg Int...
May 04, 2023•25 min
Distressed companies are moving assets out of lenders’ reach to raise new funds and buy time as higher interest rates and a slower economy bite. These controversial debt moves — known as drop-downs — are fueling a rash of creditor lawsuits, according to Reshmi Basu, who covers distressed debt for Bloomberg News. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also talks to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Himanshu Bakshi about winners and losers in the financ...
Apr 27, 2023•19 min
The restructuring of China Evergrande’s massive debt pile has been one of the riskiest bets in all of distressed investing. Redwood and Saba are among funds that recently endorsed a plan hammered out by the property-development giant and global creditors, according to Rachel Butt, a reporter at Bloomberg News in New York. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also talks to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Matthew Geudtner about junk borrowers headin...
Apr 20, 2023•21 min
The takeover by creditors of German retailer Takko Fashion, with a solid operating performance, highlights the rising risk for junk-rated issuers facing a mountain of debt coming due. Some will require drastic solutions as funding costs jump and the economy slows, according to Giulia Morpurgo, a reporter at Bloomberg News in London. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also talks to Hong Kong-based Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Pri de Silva abou...
Apr 13, 2023•26 min
Wall Street banks lost billions of dollars on leveraged buyout financing that they committed to before rates surged. A junk debt market reopening allows them to sell some of that down, but there are lingering concerns about the ability of very risky companies to access funds, according to Paula Seligson, a reporter at Bloomberg News in New York. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks London-based Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Aidan Chesl...
Apr 06, 2023•21 min
The banking crisis has made it harder and more expensive to borrow, tipping some of the riskiest companies into distress. In this episode of the Credit Edge Podcast, Eliza Ronalds-Hannon, who covers credit markets for Bloomberg News in Atlanta, looks at the biggest losers and winners — including Saba Capital Management’s Boaz Weinstein. Bloomberg News senior editor James Crombie also asks Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Spencer Cutter about opportunities in the energy sector. Oil companies that s...
Mar 30, 2023•23 min
