Higher-Quality Leveraged Credit Should Benefit from Fed Easing Cycle
High-Yield and Bank Loan Outlook
First Quarter 2024
Here are the key takeaways from our latest High-Yield and Bank Loan Outlook report:
- 2023 saw remarkable returns in leveraged credit markets, with high-yield bonds and bank loans returning 13.5 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
- While 2024 will bring its own set of challenges, we think leveraged credit is poised to deliver another year of positive performance.
- The anticipated Fed easing in 2024 could significantly boost borrowers’ ability to cover interest expenses, especially in the loan market.
- Bank loan and corporate bond markets are well positioned to navigate this transition, but the ripple effects on smaller companies warrant close attention.
- The primary factor supporting the credit opportunity is the current allure of all-in credit yields.
- With interest rates likely falling from here and larger firms better positioned to benefit from market conditions, we think 2024 should prove to be a good time to be a credit investor.
Download the Full Report PDF >
Important Notices and Disclosures
Fixed-income investments are subject to credit, liquidity, interest rate and, depending on the instrument, counter-party risk. These risks may be increased to the extent fixed-income investments are concentrated in any one issuer, industry, region, or country. The market value of fixed-income investments generally will fluctuate with, among other things, the financial condition of the obligors on the underlying debt obligations or, with respect to synthetic securities, of the obligors on or issuers of the reference obligations, general economic conditions, the condition of certain financial markets, political events, developments, or trends in any particular industry. Fixed-income investments are subject to the possibility that interest rates could rise, causing their values to decline.
Bank loans are generally below investment grade and may become nonperforming or impaired for a variety of reasons. Nonperforming or impaired loans may require substantial workout negotiations or restructuring that may entail, among other things, a substantial reduction in the interest rate and/or a substantial write down of the principal of the loan. In addition, certain bank loans are highly customized and, thus, may not be purchased or sold as easily as publicly-traded securities. Any secondary trading market also may be limited, and there can be no assurance that an adequate degree of liquidity will be maintained. The transferability of certain bank loans may be restricted. Risks associated with bank loans include the fact that prepayments may generally occur at any time without premium or penalty. High-yield debt securities have greater credit and liquidity risk than investment grade obligations.
High-yield debt securities are generally unsecured and may be subordinated to certain other obligations of the issuer thereof. The lower rating of high-yield debt securities and below investment grade loans reflects a greater possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of an issuer or in general economic conditions, or both, may impair the ability of the issuer thereof to make payments of principal or interest. Securities rated below investment grade are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” Risks of high-yield debt securities may include (among others): (i) limited liquidity and secondary market support, (ii) substantial market place volatility resulting from changes in prevailing interest rates, (iii) the possibility that earnings of the high-yield debt security issuer may be insufficient to meet its debt service, and (iv) the declining creditworthiness and potential for insolvency of the issuer of such high-yield debt securities during periods of rising interest rates and/ or economic downturn. An economic downturn or an increase in interest rates could severely disrupt the market for high-yield debt securities and adversely affect the value of outstanding high-yield debt securities and the ability of the issuers thereof to repay principal and interest. Issuers of high-yield debt securities may be highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing.
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