1 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: Hello, Welcome to the Credit Edge, a weekly markets podcast. 2 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: My name is James Crumby. I'm a senior at his 3 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: twit Bloomberg and. 4 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 2: On Mike Camplone, a senior credit analyst covering high yield 5 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 2: and investment grade retailers at Bloomberg Intelligence. This week, we're 6 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 2: very pleased to welcome Brad Rogueff, Global head of Research 7 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 2: at Barclay's. How are you, Brad? 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 3: I'm doing great. Thank you guys both for having me. 9 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 3: Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. 10 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 2: Absolutely likewise as well for those of you who don't 11 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 2: know Brad. Since joining Barclays in two thousand and eight, 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 2: he's held a number of leadership roles across research before 13 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,279 Speaker 2: assuming his current position in twenty twenty four, including Head 14 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 2: of FIC Research, Head of Credit Research, and Head of 15 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 2: Credit Strategy. In addition to his leadership role, Brad focuses 16 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 2: his research on the US high yield leverd loans, COLO 17 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 2: and private credit markets. James, why don't I hand it 18 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: over to you? Kick us off? 19 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, So, credit markets have had a pretty good year, 20 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: although risk takers haven't really been rewarded. The twenty to 21 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 1: twenty five winners globally held investment grade bonds, and if 22 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:11,559 Speaker 1: you stuck your neck out and bought the junkiest junk bonds, 23 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: the triple c's, you got slammed by tariffs and pulled 24 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: down by some high profile defaults and bankruptcies. Insatiable demand 25 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: for yield and limited net new supply of corporate debt 26 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: are keeping spreads very tight across the board. But there's 27 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: a ton of AI funding to be done and maybe 28 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: more M and A that could tip that balance. Looking ahead, 29 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: the macro outlook seems just as murky as it did 30 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 1: twelve months ago. We'll probably get more rate cuts, but 31 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: inflation is still a problem. US government policy is a 32 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 1: huge wildcard, particularly as we get closer to the midterm elections. 33 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 1: So we have trade wars, immigration reform, the Big Beautiful Bill, 34 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: unreliable macro data, political pressure on the Fed, and widespread 35 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: geo political risk, all making forecasting a very difficult business. 36 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: But Brad, you've crunched the numbers, as you always do 37 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: at this time of year. How are we set up 38 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: for twenty twenty six? 39 00:01:57,320 --> 00:01:58,919 Speaker 3: A lot there, and what you just said, I surprise 40 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 3: when the whole podcast answering that question, I won't don't worry. 41 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 3: I know that wouldn't make for a good one. So 42 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 3: look as we look at twenty twenty six, we are 43 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 3: coming off a year that obviously had that Liberation Day volatility, 44 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 3: but then you look across the rest of the year 45 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 3: and the volatility and credit spreads really pretty modest relative 46 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 3: to points in time historically. If you look at the 47 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 3: investment grade market and go back over the course of 48 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,640 Speaker 3: the last six months, so that doesn't include Liberation Day, clearly, 49 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 3: from today you're looking at max credit spreads that are 50 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 3: as low as any period in time really, and so 51 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 3: that folves super low. You know, you go back to 52 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 3: spreads a year ago, they were a couple basis points 53 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 3: away from where they are today, and so then really 54 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 3: the question is what causes it to change in terily way. 55 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 3: We saw Liberation Day as an example for that in 56 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 3: twenty twenty five. In twenty twenty six, we think generically, 57 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 3: you have to think of this as late cycle, but 58 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 3: still late cycle and part of the cycle, not the 59 00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 3: end of the cycle, right, because if we were in 60 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 3: the end of the cycle, or the end of the 61 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 3: cycle was that imminent, then we would be talking about 62 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 3: recessions and we'd be talking about a lot wider spreads. 63 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 3: We don't think you're quite there, and we don't even 64 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 3: think that you'll be quite there in terms of recession, 65 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 3: just on the horizon by the end of the year. 66 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 3: But that would also lead to materially wider spreads. But 67 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 3: we think you know you mentioned the murky growth picture, 68 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 3: it's still positive, right and for credit and especially the 69 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 3: higher quality stuff that can turn out okay, and so 70 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 3: we do expect spreads to be wider. I would say 71 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 3: the investment grade side, you're looking at spreads in the 72 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 3: probably low nineties is where we think they'll be in 73 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 3: twenty twenty six. You look at high yield with the 74 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 3: leverage finance market, I think there you're pushing into the 75 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 3: three hundreds, maybe somewhere, you know, around the three twenty 76 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 3: five contexts. So certainly in the context of actually all 77 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 3: of credit market's history, nothing material in terms of wider, 78 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 3: but still wider from what we've been used to. Over 79 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 3: the last six. 80 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 2: Months now, we've seen that certain technological investment cycles can 81 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 2: reshape funding dynamics across sectors. How do you think the 82 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 2: current AI and data center CAPEX wave is altering the 83 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 2: credit market playbook? Both in terms of issuer behavior and 84 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 2: how investors should think about sector level evaluation resets. 85 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 3: Well, look, as a guy who started my career on 86 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 3: the turn of the century covering TMT stuff, I certainly 87 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 3: understand what you're asking me there, and I think we 88 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 3: really are in the early innings of this playing out 89 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:29,799 Speaker 3: in the credit markets right and specifically in the public 90 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 3: credit markets. I mean, some of the stats from this 91 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 3: year are pretty remarkable because this news story has become 92 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 3: so relevant today that you know, it's what we're all 93 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 3: focusing on. But if we look at netsupply for the 94 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 3: investment grade market this year, we're down close to ten 95 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 3: percent in nets supply. Now, no one thinks that's going 96 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 3: to be the case next year, including us. We think 97 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 3: that number could be up on the order of forty 98 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 3: percent next year, led by tech and not just tech, 99 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 3: but and M and A supply hasn't been up this 100 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 3: year either, and flatish let's call it right and talking 101 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 3: about you know, big investment, greate M and A. So 102 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 3: you get those two things combined, you can get a 103 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 3: big increase in net supply, and you obviously need demand 104 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 3: to meet that. Now, specifically, the changes in credit markets 105 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:18,799 Speaker 3: that you allude to, right, the changes in credit markets. 106 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 3: Let's look at everything, right, and you can't just look 107 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 3: at here public markets. You have to look at private 108 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 3: markets as well. One thing we've been saying for a 109 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 3: long period of time, there's a lot of concerns about 110 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 3: systemic risks, and you guys may ask me about this later, 111 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 3: so I'm happy to talk about it then too. In 112 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 3: private credit markets, what we've said for a while is 113 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 3: if there's risks that are going to come from private 114 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 3: credit markets, I actually think the greatest likelihood is it 115 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 3: comes from the enterprise value on tech companies just you know, 116 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 3: our enterprise value multiples excuse me, and tech companies coming down, 117 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 3: because if you look across these markets, traditionally in IG, 118 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 3: the big tech names, the hyperscalers have been the lowest 119 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 3: beta part of the investment grade market, and that's because 120 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 3: they barely had any net debt, right, And now we're 121 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 3: seeing certain names that do have a little bit more debt, 122 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:14,160 Speaker 3: like Oracle, have higher beta. But and then you look 123 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 3: in high yield, and the names in high yield in 124 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 3: the tech world, they're not necessarily the AI ones are 125 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 3: also not necessarily the software ones that have come really 126 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 3: under the microscope recently, so it hasn't been a particularly 127 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 3: high beta and just becoming more of those part of 128 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 3: the high yield market. Then you move to leverage loans 129 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 3: and you move to private credit, and these are the 130 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 3: biggest sectors in that market. And you know, tech is 131 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,479 Speaker 3: the biggest sector in both those markets. If you include 132 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 3: like business services names, you know, really the private credit market, 133 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 3: if you include tech, business services, financial services, and a 134 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 3: lot of those have a tech component to it, you're 135 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 3: talking about half of the private credit market, right and 136 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:55,839 Speaker 3: so well, right now the focus is on AI, the hyperscalletors, 137 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:59,280 Speaker 3: et cetera, and really what it's doing for the IG market, 138 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 3: where we can also get into what it's doing for 139 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 3: the private IG market. I was focusing more on the 140 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 3: private high yield leverage loan type market there. I mean, 141 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 3: it's it's it's becoming a big part of all of this. 142 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: But if we back up a bit, I just a 143 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: lot of numbers in what you've just said, a lot 144 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: of detail, but in terms of the actual supply, I'm 145 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: interested in the net supply. You're saying it's down ten 146 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: percent this year and it's going to be up forty percent. Yes, 147 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: next year. Well, that'd be the biggest increase we've seen 148 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: and it must be a long time, right. 149 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, it is. It is certainly a very sizable number. 150 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 3: Now you're talking about obviously the net number winds up 151 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 3: being you know, well less than half, probably about forty 152 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 3: percent next year around there of the gross number. Right, 153 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 3: So you still you know, you're still not talking about 154 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 3: the one and a half one one point six trillion 155 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 3: we probably think you can see in terms of gross supply. 156 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 3: But yes, you need demand to feed that, right. And 157 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 3: if you think about the demand that's been feeding the 158 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 3: investment grade market over the last few years, it's come 159 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 3: from a bunch of different places. You've seen it from 160 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 3: the insurance side, annuities, right, Annuity growth has been a 161 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 3: big part of that, and you've seen very good inflows 162 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 3: if you look at the kind of retail space right 163 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 3: where you're looking at ETF's mutual funds. I mean, one 164 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 3: thing that's interesting in that is, okay, can this get 165 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 3: a bit cheaper and then can we see a bit 166 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 3: of a reallocation towards credit. So while often we might 167 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 3: look at investment grade corporate fund flows and just that 168 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 3: data that you can get every week. That's actually a 169 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 3: smaller fraction of what's investing in investment grade than the 170 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 3: contributions that can be made from the larger taxable bond 171 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 3: fund category. And AE might think of it as things 172 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,719 Speaker 3: that follow the Bloomberg are good index, right, And so 173 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 3: if we look at that twenty twenty funds that follow 174 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 3: that index loaded up on credit. It got very cheap 175 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 3: during COVID. Obviously that wound up being a very good trade. 176 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 3: And since then there the shaff credit in those portfolios 177 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 3: has declined every year until this year it's up marginally. 178 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 3: It's not much, but it is up marginally. And so 179 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 3: I think a source like that that can be billions 180 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 3: and billions of dollars in demand if you take that up. Look, 181 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 3: are they probably only taking it up if it gets 182 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 3: a bit cheaper. Yes. Where that demand, where where where 183 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 3: those funds have gone is really towards the securitized products market. 184 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 3: This will be the first year, probably in a while, 185 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 3: that you have seen a little bit about performance from mortgages, 186 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 3: for example, relative to credit. So maybe that relationship is 187 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 3: starting to change. And if credit gets a little bit 188 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 3: cheaper because of new issue discounts can change even more but. 189 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:36,679 Speaker 1: You're saying a big increase in supply and net supply, 190 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: but then not really much increase in spread. So the 191 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 1: demand must be there to pick up all of this supply, 192 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:46,319 Speaker 1: including the AI. Are there any potential kind of you know, 193 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: worries about that forecast in terms of the demand trailing off. 194 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, And look, I think that's one of the reasons 195 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 3: we think spreads wind up probably ten to fifteen basis 196 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:57,319 Speaker 3: points wider. And if you told me, you know, is 197 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 3: there a reason, Look, is there a reason they go 198 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 3: twenty five wider from there? Then it's got to be 199 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:04,200 Speaker 3: way more fundamental. Is there a reason they got another 200 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,719 Speaker 3: five wider from there? Yeah, I think you've nailed it. 201 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 3: I think I think that that supply starts to overwhelm 202 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 3: the market. It'll be interesting to see. You know, some 203 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 3: of the supply may come longer dated, which we have 204 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 3: seen less of in recent years, right that you know, 205 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 3: thirty year type supply has declined just generically speaking over time, 206 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:27,679 Speaker 3: but their demand from Asia, which tends to buy some 207 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,320 Speaker 3: of that, has held up over the course of this year. 208 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 3: So yeah, it is a risk, if you know, if 209 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 3: I want to catch one of the downside risks, of 210 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 3: our forecast, it's definitely one of them. 211 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, so we're entering a year where spreads are tight 212 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 2: issue and expectations are rising and economic signals are somewhat 213 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 2: mixed in that kind of environment. What frameworks are indicators 214 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 2: do you think are most useful for evaluating sector rotation 215 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:51,839 Speaker 2: opportunities and credit? 216 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:54,839 Speaker 3: Yeah, so what's really interesting on the sector side is 217 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 3: most normal feeling years and like I said, wasn't that 218 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 3: high this year? Kind of a normal feeling year, you 219 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 3: would say, Okay, you know, let's look at the starting spread, 220 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 3: let's look at the beta related to that, and see 221 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:12,079 Speaker 3: how it plays out. You chart that this year, it's 222 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 3: just a bunch of dots on a graph. It's there. 223 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 3: It actually doesn't have very much value. So what was 224 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 3: interesting is, especially in the investment grade side, what we 225 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,199 Speaker 3: found is if you actually looked at that supply, the 226 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 3: supplying numbers, and looked at them versus the moving spreads, 227 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 3: they did matter a lot. So I think the change 228 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 3: the last question you know that that that that is 229 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 3: going to continue to be part of the answer. Obviously, 230 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 3: fundamentals always are as well. We've certainly seen some out 231 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 3: of favor sector some sectors we expect to continue to 232 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 3: have pressure. You'd look at something like chemicals where it 233 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 3: doesn't feel like there's a turnaround that's in it, right, 234 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:53,079 Speaker 3: and we'd remain cautious on areas like that. Uh, and 235 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 3: so you've got you've got to overlay the fundamentals. But 236 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 3: it was interesting this year how it was much less 237 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 3: of a beta play and much more of what's going 238 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 3: on technically, which is what I would call supply. 239 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 2: And it feels like event driven factors, everything from asset 240 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 2: sales to regulatory shifts to M and A are playing 241 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 2: a bigger role in single name credit. How do you 242 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 2: see that trend evolving? And what makes a catalyst actionable 243 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 2: from a credit selection standpoint? 244 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, really really good point, right, And so I would 245 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:25,640 Speaker 3: actually start with financials to answer that question. So if 246 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 3: we think about, as you know, what's going on in 247 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,959 Speaker 3: terms of the ability to do M and A. Look 248 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 3: at you know, and this is mostly on the small side, right, 249 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 3: but look at small bank mergers. How quickly you can 250 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 3: get that through under the current administration relative to what's 251 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:41,679 Speaker 3: occurred in the past, and the ability to do that, 252 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 3: it's it's changed significantly. The other thing is SLR rules 253 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 3: we're just finalized, and if you look at the SLR rules, 254 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 3: the opposite is probably going to be happening. Happening on 255 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:55,079 Speaker 3: the financial side in terms of supply, right then, so 256 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 3: the need you know, if anything, a lot of the 257 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 3: larger banks have more debt than they made need under SLR, 258 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:02,839 Speaker 3: so you can have less pressure. And that is a 259 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,199 Speaker 3: big part of It's not the only part, but it's 260 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 3: a big part of why we continue to like financials 261 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:13,959 Speaker 3: expect that they can get some outperformance relative to industrials. 262 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: In twenty twenty six, going back to the private markets spread, 263 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:18,440 Speaker 1: I mean, you must get asked about this a lot. 264 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: It's the other big theme other than AI as. 265 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 3: All definitely those are the two every time, right, But 266 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 3: it was. 267 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: The Golden Asian, then it became the age of cockroaches, 268 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: and then it became, as Mark Rowan said, we've all 269 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: lost our minds about you know, the risks that are there. 270 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 3: I'm just wondering what minds up in between. 271 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: Well, you get to look at this stuff all day long. 272 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,559 Speaker 1: I wonder, like, you know, how you see private markets 273 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: in terms of the debt. Is it that inherently risky? 274 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: Is it really a big problem? And what impact does 275 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: it have ultimately on the public markets. 276 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,079 Speaker 3: Yeah, so, so, look, I do think the truth probably 277 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 3: lies in between. I was joking first, but I think 278 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:57,439 Speaker 3: on this question that probably is the answer. So I 279 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 3: mentioned those net supply numbers down ten percent. If we 280 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 3: had some of these big mega deals in private IG, 281 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 3: which to be fair, in past years we really haven't had. 282 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 3: Maybe we've had one or two a year, and it's 283 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 3: been ramping up over time. But you go back, you 284 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:15,560 Speaker 3: know pre COVID virtually none of them, and you would 285 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 3: have had nets supply up this year. Okay, So that 286 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 3: took real supply out of the market. I think that 287 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 3: will continue. There's been a lot of capital rays that 288 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 3: is going to go after that. Now, what I think 289 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 3: sometimes gets confused is when people talk about private IG 290 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 3: and look, if I wasn't spending my whole days on this, 291 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 3: I would get confused too. In your head, it's okay, 292 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 3: does XYZ Corporate are they deciding should they issue a 293 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 3: ten year bond in the private space or should they 294 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 3: issue a ten year bond in the public space. That 295 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 3: is not most of what we are talking about in 296 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 3: private IG saying it can't happen, but it is the 297 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 3: best minority. Instead, it's related to what really is you know, 298 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 3: net supply if we get back to that, a CAPEX 299 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 3: project act, maybe an M and a related thing, and 300 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 3: it's typically had an asset associated with right, and so 301 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 3: these are really you know, somewhat secured or asset backed 302 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 3: typed deals, right, and so now are you know in 303 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 3: the sense of, you know, a lot of them have 304 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 3: ironclad leases are very important to you know, singlely rated 305 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 3: parent companies, and you have to take all of that 306 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 3: into account. But they're often done potentially from a separate 307 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 3: you know SPV right, in other words, a separate box 308 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 3: that is not part of the main borrowing group of 309 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 3: a company, which has its benefits you know, as well 310 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 3: as potentially some downsides in terms of being behind some 311 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 3: other debt with with respect to certain assets. So they 312 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 3: are different, right, there are different risks that are inherent 313 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 3: in those. I think most of those large deals that 314 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 3: are still part of of some of these larger corporates, 315 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 3: you know, the risks seem to be priced somewhat appropriately. 316 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 3: Were my concern lives more generally, right. And then, as 317 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 3: you just mentioned before, I go there on the leverage 318 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 3: lending side of things, right, So kind of hig yield 319 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 3: rated if you will, even though a lot of this 320 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 3: stuff doesn't get rated private credit there, Do I think leverage, 321 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 3: You know, we have a bunch of different stats we 322 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 3: can look at, But do I think on average leverage 323 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 3: is higher than you would see in the leverage loan market. Yeah, 324 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 3: I think it probably is. But pricing a half a 325 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 3: turn or a turn more of leverage, we can do that, 326 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 3: and if we think that causes additional stress, we can 327 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 3: look back at histories of defaults and recoveries and all 328 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 3: of those things, and we can price that risk. What 329 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 3: concerns me a bit more is as we move more 330 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 3: and more into the asset backed world and we move 331 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 3: into pools of securities that are constantly changing potentially, because 332 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 3: that's what the asset back world can often be as 333 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 3: opposed to just what I referenced earlier in private credit, 334 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 3: which is, hey, we build this facility. It's CAPEX related 335 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 3: and this is exactly what you're referencing. There's a lot 336 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 3: been made about who does better due diligence, well, the 337 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 3: ability to do due diligence in the same level on 338 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:12,120 Speaker 3: a changing pool of borrowers. It's just lower, No matter 339 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:14,640 Speaker 3: who's doing the due diligence. And I think that's where 340 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 3: some of the risks. We're also securitizing potentially cash flows 341 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 3: that we don't have as much to fault history on 342 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 3: recovery history and all of those things as markets get creative, 343 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 3: which also fits with my hey, it's it's probably late 344 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 3: cycle type theme. I mean we've seen this before, definitely 345 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,120 Speaker 3: in markets. I've certainly seen it before. So I think 346 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,680 Speaker 3: that's where if we continue to move into some of 347 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 3: these assets in the asset backworld that are you know, 348 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:45,440 Speaker 3: not what we've securitized before, I have some concerns. 349 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: There, and more exposure to the consumer and more exposi subprime, 350 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 1: and more exposure to a lot of loans that may 351 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: just fall apart. Also at a time when there's just 352 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 1: way more demand, it seems than actual supply of these 353 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:59,239 Speaker 1: assets to securitize. And then you know this is constant, Oh, 354 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: we need to get more yield, so let's move into 355 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: stretch of finance. 356 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean the demand is clearly there. If you 357 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 3: look at insurers balance sheets, the abs portion of that 358 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 3: balance sheet is up materially, and it's really the growth 359 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:20,359 Speaker 3: is almost all through private ABS, and the growth has 360 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,440 Speaker 3: been very concentrated. If you look at private equity owned insures, 361 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 3: they tend to have you know, eight nine hundred basis 362 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 3: points more of ABS on their balance sheet than they 363 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,479 Speaker 3: do corporates relative to more traditional insures. 364 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: Right, But have we seen this movie before? I mean 365 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 1: we remember, we all remember two thousand and eight. I 366 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: mean that was you know, the lead up to that 367 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: was a lot of securitization of you know, products that 368 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: didn't turn out to be well, everyone told themselves it 369 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: was uncorrelated and there was a bundle of loans underlying, 370 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 1: so you were, you know, somewhat diversified. But you know, 371 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: give the amount of clos, given the amount of issuance 372 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: of new abs, do you worry at all that we 373 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 1: are creating another bubble in that market? 374 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 3: I worry to some degree. I don't think we're there yet, 375 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 3: But I think if we do go back to that analogy, 376 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 3: and you use CLOS as an example, right, what was 377 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 3: the one thing that if you're buying up in the 378 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 3: capital structure, even though anything that started with C and 379 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,120 Speaker 3: had three letters became essentially a four letter word as 380 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,400 Speaker 3: part of the credit crisis, what was the one thing 381 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:23,120 Speaker 3: that didn't blow up at all. Right, Yeah, triple a's 382 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 3: double as you've never had the fault. I think there's 383 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 3: one single A CLO default in history. I don't think 384 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 3: that's changed really materially for for that product, you know. 385 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:36,880 Speaker 3: And I think a lot of what what we're lending 386 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:40,719 Speaker 3: against is more corporate backed than if you look at 387 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 3: you know, the more mortgage back stuff that we did 388 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 3: in that crisis, and the course of the correlation I 389 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 3: think works out a little bit better. And honestly, I 390 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 3: used to joke at coming out of the credit crisis, 391 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 3: I said, Okay, well, if you survive this, what could happen, 392 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 3: for example, in clos that could actually cause them to 393 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 3: blow up? I mean, I guess you could shut down 394 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 3: the whole economy for three to six months, but that'll 395 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 3: never happen. And then we did that. Right now, you 396 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,920 Speaker 3: can say the government came in and helped out. But 397 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 3: I think generically, I still feel like these assets are 398 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 3: a lot better than what we saw then, But they're 399 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 3: also a lot riskier than where we were five years ago, 400 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 3: I guess the fair comment. 401 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: And we're getting more people on our show talking about 402 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: the equity and the double B and all of the 403 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:24,640 Speaker 1: other stuff to get returns. 404 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 2: And so you know, zooming out a little bit. Your 405 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 2: team often combines systematic signals with fundamental analyst views. How 406 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 2: do you see that relationship evolving as investors increasingly rely 407 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 2: on data driven insights and what does best practice look 408 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 2: like when those two perspectives diverge. 409 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's fascinating. And hey, we're tying in the AI 410 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 3: stuff again because it's constantly, constantly evolving and we're trying 411 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 3: to get smarter and faster and all of those things. 412 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 3: And look, this is something that's been happening in the 413 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 3: equity markets for a long time. As I spend more 414 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 3: time in the equity markets, certainly see more of it. 415 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 3: I think. Right now, what's more interesting is the credit markets, 416 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 3: because the credit markets are going through that evolution. I mean, 417 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:11,879 Speaker 3: we have termed it the equidification of credit, not surprisingly 418 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 3: based on what I just said, but it's one of 419 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 3: the number one topics and it is fascinating, right and 420 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 3: that we've run study after study of trying to say, okay, 421 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 3: you know, we're unique amongst Wall Street banks, I think, 422 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 3: and that we've had this large credit research operation for 423 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 3: years and years. We can go back and mind all 424 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 3: the data of the teams and how they do, and 425 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 3: we look at that and we look at it versus 426 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 3: some of the best you know, systematic signals we can find, 427 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 3: and the answers are pretty similar that the analysts team 428 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:39,440 Speaker 3: tends to do a little bit better, which you know, 429 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 3: always makes me happy. But they're similar enough. But then 430 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:47,159 Speaker 3: when you take the signals right and overlay them on 431 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,920 Speaker 3: top of the analysts recommendations, that performance is really good 432 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 3: and the alpha that generates it's like nothing else that 433 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 3: we really see. And you know, really what it does 434 00:21:56,240 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 3: is is when those signals, meaning the fundamental one and 435 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 3: the systematic one are not aligned and you kind of 436 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 3: kick out those examples, you're really doing a pretty darn 437 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 3: good job of getting rid of things that might not 438 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:15,040 Speaker 3: work in terms of a trade and generating substantial alpha. Right, 439 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:17,840 Speaker 3: And so we are seeing clients increasingly move that way. 440 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:20,640 Speaker 3: Now do I think they could move that way if 441 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 3: we weren't seeing this equification of credit in terms of 442 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 3: the trading side of things, right, the ability to transact 443 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 3: very differently in terms of electronic but portfolio trading really, 444 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 3: you know, and then when you see a price in 445 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 3: a model knowing that, hey, there's a pretty good chance 446 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:40,880 Speaker 3: that that's actually the price, which I mean, I would 447 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 3: say the I mean from the end of the credit 448 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,719 Speaker 3: crisis really almost till the pandemic. The number one thing 449 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 3: I would hear when I walk into a meeting, since 450 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:50,639 Speaker 3: we just talked about the two things I have to 451 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:52,879 Speaker 3: talk about this time, was how bad liquidity was in 452 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 3: credit markets. I never hear that anymore. It's completely changed. 453 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: How big are the trades right now? On the portfolio trades? 454 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,920 Speaker 3: Oh, well, you know, portfolio trades in you know, in 455 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 3: aggregate can be billions of dollars of portfolio trading. The 456 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 3: line items tend to be small. Now on some of 457 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 3: those bigger ones, of course, there are a few million 458 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 3: the line items. But your average portfolio trade has line 459 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 3: items of you know, half a million or lass because 460 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:19,919 Speaker 3: it's dealing with those flows. 461 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 1: And does it inherently mean that spreads in ig credit 462 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: should be tied to because it's easier to trade. 463 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 3: I think that's a great question, and probably people don't 464 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 3: ask it enough. I think the answer to is yes so. 465 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 3: And I also think it explains part of the private 466 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 3: credit frenzy. So if you think about credit markets ig 467 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 3: or high yields. You had some form of liquidity premium 468 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 3: that should have been in those spreads historically because they 469 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:55,200 Speaker 3: were not the most liquid things, and really the need 470 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 3: to have that premium in spreads today, I would argue 471 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 3: it doesn't exist. And so and you also would have said, hey, 472 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 3: some of that's in off the run, some of it's 473 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,640 Speaker 3: down in quality, and now that everything has that kind 474 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:09,760 Speaker 3: of liquidity, it doesn't exist. I think it would tell 475 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,639 Speaker 3: you that, you know, on average spread should be a 476 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 3: bit tighter in public credit markets, So what do you do. 477 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 3: You wind up going into things like private credit that 478 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:23,399 Speaker 3: certainly had a lot more of that illiquidity premium in it. 479 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 3: I think today we've seen a decent amount of that 480 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 3: evaporate in areas. Right so, you know, when there's a 481 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 3: potential large leverage loancoming and it could go to the 482 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:36,400 Speaker 3: private credit markets, it could go to their probably syndicated 483 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,919 Speaker 3: loan markets, a lot of that premium, if not all 484 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:43,359 Speaker 3: of it has evaporated. Just it's obvious it's competition right now. 485 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,959 Speaker 3: There are other unique deals where I think it certainly 486 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 3: still exists, even if not in the size it once did. 487 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 2: And I guess getting a little bit more micro here 488 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 2: and maybe leveraging some of your analysts team views. You know, 489 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 2: every sector you know view naturally embeds a macro assumption. 490 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 2: So how is your team framing the twenty twenty six 491 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 2: economic backdrop from growth, inflation, consumer health, funding conditions, and 492 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 2: how do those assumptions shape your expectations for cyclicals versus 493 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 2: non cyclicals. 494 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:16,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, so we're thinking we will see another year that's 495 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 3: you know, growth doesn't look that dissimilar to this year, 496 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:20,879 Speaker 3: although this year has been a bit lumpy, you know 497 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 3: when you kind of think of the official statistics, especially 498 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 3: because of the government shutdown that we just went through. Right, 499 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 3: But you know, if you're thinking about a year that 500 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 3: you could have like high one percent type growth, we 501 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 3: don't expect huge moves when it comes to treasure yields 502 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:39,119 Speaker 3: as well, Right, So that's not going to have a 503 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 3: massive impact a little bit when it comes to two returns. 504 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,440 Speaker 3: But you know, when you think about a baseline economic 505 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 3: scenario like that, right, as I said earlier, that's okay 506 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,399 Speaker 3: for credit, or it tends to be okay for credit. 507 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 3: We talked about financial side, so I'll talk about the 508 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 3: non financial side as we think through what it means 509 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 3: for certain sectors. You also have to think through with 510 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 3: a lot of those sectors what it means based on 511 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 3: the makeup of it. Right, So you can look at 512 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:12,160 Speaker 3: something like retail and high yield that you might say 513 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 3: still would be sensitive in a sort of low but 514 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 3: positive growth environment or menium growth environment, maybe we'd even 515 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 3: call it in these more leveraged companies. But over time 516 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,640 Speaker 3: the composition of that index has changed a little bit, 517 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 3: and you know, I actually think it should perform okay 518 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 3: next year. Then you look at some areas where there's 519 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 3: potentially secular declining businesses and that and what that potentially 520 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 3: could mean. But if you look at the cyclical non 521 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 3: cyclical premium in general, cyclical premium, I guess this is 522 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,920 Speaker 3: what we should call it. In general. You're not getting 523 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 3: a ton right now for that cyclical premium. I mentioned 524 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 3: sectors like chemicals that were a bit nervous on some 525 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 3: of the premiums come out of autos that was in 526 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,119 Speaker 3: where we're not overly parish but also not not not 527 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 3: super bullsh and so you know, I think you probably 528 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:05,679 Speaker 3: lean in a little bit to the non cyclicals at 529 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:06,199 Speaker 3: levels here. 530 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:08,080 Speaker 1: And the one thing you just don't want to do 531 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 1: is lose any money. So that's what about defaults. There 532 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 1: aren't that many defaults in public markets. I'm wondering whether 533 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:18,200 Speaker 1: you think that they've been kind of you know, pushed 534 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 1: into the private markets or whether sort of paper it 535 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 1: over by the lems, the liability management you know, what's 536 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: going on with defaults? What should we be looking for there? 537 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:28,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, look, the liability management stuff, you can you 538 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 3: can get that and you can include it in your 539 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 3: defaults if you so choose. And that's why the leverage 540 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,399 Speaker 3: loan default rate has looked a decent amount higher than 541 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,440 Speaker 3: the high yield market rate over the last few years. 542 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 3: We think the loan default rate will come down, maybe 543 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 3: not all the way to the high yield the fault rate, 544 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:45,080 Speaker 3: which will probably be like a two to three percent 545 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 3: range for next year, but yeah, a lot closer to 546 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 3: it next year as we've worked through you know, actually 547 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 3: a lot of these uh, these l and mes and 548 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 3: I think to your point in private markets, yeah, there 549 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 3: was a time a few years ago where there are 550 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 3: some loans that were triple c and because of the 551 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:05,159 Speaker 3: way the loan market works, and that two thirds of 552 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 3: the buyer base is colos who can't really be buying 553 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:12,360 Speaker 3: new triple c's. You know, it is difficult to refinance 554 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 3: some of those names. You definitely saw a few of 555 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 3: these triple c's get refinanced into the private credit markets 556 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 3: where they might have been default otherwise. Now those haven't 557 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 3: necessarily gone on the private credit market and just defaulted. 558 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 3: It was probably just a better buyer and it made 559 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 3: more sense for those names to be in that market. 560 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 3: When you look at private credit, there's a lot of 561 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:33,359 Speaker 3: people trying to figure out what default rates are, and 562 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,200 Speaker 3: you can certainly look at NONIC rules. You can get 563 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 3: that information pretty easily. On things like BDC's, the non 564 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 3: AC rule rates are fairly modest and would be below 565 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 3: the numbers that you actually see for the public markets. Now, 566 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 3: if I'm saying, well, we can include L andmes in 567 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 3: public market default rates, it's a little bit disingenuous to 568 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 3: just look at non AC rules in the private markets. 569 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 3: There's some data that we see out there that shows, 570 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 3: for example, covenant defaults in private markets. If you added 571 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 3: that to non accrules, the numbers would look pretty darn similar, 572 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 3: if not a tiny bit higher than the public markets. Now, 573 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 3: that's probably being too harsh actually in private markets because 574 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 3: you know, not every covenant default rate, not every covenant 575 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 3: default would be enough to lead to an LME or 576 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 3: something like that. So I actually think the numbers point 577 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:31,720 Speaker 3: to pretty similar levels between them. I've also seen some 578 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:36,240 Speaker 3: studies on picks or paying payment in kind in the 579 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 3: private credit markets. You hear that coming up a lot. 580 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 3: I think you guys have discussed that in the past 581 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 3: on this show. And if you look at that, you know, 582 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 3: let's use around number, it's about ten percent of most 583 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 3: of the data you can find, you know, for BBC's 584 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 3: in other areas in private credit markets. You know, I've 585 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 3: seen some studies that show that okay, well you know 586 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 3: about you know, fifty five sixty percent of those picks 587 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 3: or what people have now been terming bad picks. I'm 588 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:07,000 Speaker 3: sure you're getting familiar with, i e. What they're saying 589 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 3: there is picks that aren't given at the outset because 590 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:11,840 Speaker 3: the company knows it just needs a couple of years 591 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 3: to grow into things. But they're picks that are part 592 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 3: of a renegotiation, which you know that feels like, you know, 593 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 3: potentially something that could have led to a public market 594 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 3: to fault, right, and so you can say, okay, that's 595 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 3: like a six percent rate. Once again, probably a little 596 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 3: bit too harsh to say it's a six percent of fault. 597 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 3: Wait for the private credit markets, it's just meant to 598 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 3: say that not a cruel rates. Probably not the rate 599 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:33,480 Speaker 3: number either, And like I said, I think the numbers 600 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 3: are pretty similar. 601 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 1: So absolute a recession then it just seems like pretty 602 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: easy to avoid trouble. You just done by any triple cs. 603 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 1: You kind of do a bit more credit work. You 604 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: you know, stay out of things that look a bit 605 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: stress in terms of sects. But if you if you 606 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 1: are worried, and if you do think that, you know, 607 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 1: the economies may be going into a downtown or there 608 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 1: are other things to look out for, how would you 609 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: hedge the risk and credit right now? 610 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, if you think about it, these credit 611 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 3: One of the nice things about the public markets, and 612 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 3: maybe it's a comment about the fact that we have 613 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 3: public credit and private credit markets, is the quality of 614 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 3: those markets is the best it's been in a long time, 615 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 3: or amongst the best it's been in a long time. Right, 616 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 3: And so if you look at the investment grade market, 617 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 3: right within the investment grade market, we're seeing you know, 618 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 3: very high levels of upgrades from triple bs to single a's. 619 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 3: We're seeing triple b's be a much smaller portion of 620 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 3: the investment grade market than they've been in several years. 621 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 3: If you think about going into twenty twenty, let's go 622 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 3: back to you know, what was the most popular question 623 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:40,040 Speaker 3: at the time. Going into twenty twenty, Everything started with 624 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:44,400 Speaker 3: triple B bubble. Okay, that does not exist today. Now 625 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 3: we think there's some chunky names that can get downgrade 626 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 3: and we'll actually see a net fallen angel relative to 627 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 3: rising star year. It's a little bit more specific to 628 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 3: some single names. 629 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 1: Is that on credit quality or is it own levering 630 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 1: up for M and as. 631 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:02,960 Speaker 3: It's more on credit quality and uh, some cyclical areas, 632 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 3: you know, and you know, some of it was past 633 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 3: M and A right, you know, how to WBD get 634 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 3: downgraded this year was past M and A right, and 635 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 3: so you know it's some isolatedt stuff, but you know, 636 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 3: within ig actually we've seen a huge net upgrade ratio 637 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 3: and I think with triple B is shrinking in general, right, 638 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 3: it's actually an interesting part of the credit markets to own. 639 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 3: Then you look at the high yield market and with 640 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 3: the exception of right after COVID when when a bunch 641 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 3: of stuff got downgraded, you really have one of the 642 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 3: highest double B portions of the market ever, so you 643 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:44,760 Speaker 3: actually have places, you know, because we can use the 644 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 3: term hide out. But the ability to do that definitely 645 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 3: exists in today's markets. Now, you know, the double B 646 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:54,280 Speaker 3: single bee ratio this point in time is a bit tight. 647 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 3: So you know, maybe say, okay, I don't want to 648 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 3: add too much to double b's today. And look, I 649 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 3: think to your point on avoiding triple c's. While we're 650 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 3: not going to sit here and pound the table on 651 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 3: triple c's, it is the only part of the credit 652 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 3: market that if you look at in a historical context, 653 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:14,240 Speaker 3: you could argue that from a spread standpoint, it's cheap. 654 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 3: And so that tells me you can't ignore it either, 655 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 3: and you've got to pick and choose there Also. 656 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 1: On spread, though, the gap between double be's and triple 657 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 1: be's is not very big, so you're not really getting 658 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: paid that much to take more junk risk. Therefore, is 659 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 1: it not you know, simple just to say triple b's 660 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 1: and you know, I. 661 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 3: Think triple b's look good right now. Yes, to answer 662 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 3: your question, it looks like a sweet sports spot. Certainly 663 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:44,000 Speaker 3: of markets today. You know, there's that double B tribleship 664 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 3: can tend to change very very rapidly. But I agree 665 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 3: if you look at it today, it does it does 666 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 3: look better. 667 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 1: So in terms of the globe, I mean, I love 668 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 1: the fact you have a global responsibility. We don't get 669 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:57,480 Speaker 1: to talk enough about the rest of the world here. 670 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:02,120 Speaker 1: We we have had, you know, swings. It's maybe off 671 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 1: the Liberation day of you know, look at our portfolio 672 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 1: so long the US, We've got to start diversifying. Everyone 673 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: kind of had that reaction to the tariffs that kind 674 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,200 Speaker 1: of faded a bit. But what are you thinking in 675 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:16,360 Speaker 1: terms of opportunities in Europe? And you know, how does 676 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: it compared to the US. 677 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, so the Cell America narrative, right, which is probably 678 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,719 Speaker 3: what you were referring to, it didn't really amount too 679 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:27,760 Speaker 3: much in my opinion, you know, where their marginal flows 680 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:30,879 Speaker 3: that didn't come to the US. I think that's true. 681 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 3: I think there was less selling. Look a year ago 682 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 3: we put on an outlook and we said Europe look 683 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:41,840 Speaker 3: really cheap from a spread standpoint, and it has performed 684 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 3: quite well. If we look at it today, marginally cheap. 685 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:48,120 Speaker 3: I would say, you know, if I had a pick, 686 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 3: you know, who would have perform next year, probably Europe. 687 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:55,399 Speaker 3: But it's by a really slim margin at this point. 688 00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:59,800 Speaker 3: And look, some of that is while the growth picture 689 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,400 Speaker 3: is you know, growth picture, it you know, from an 690 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,839 Speaker 3: absolute standpoint should be a little better in the US, 691 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:07,320 Speaker 3: that's been the case for a long time. The delta 692 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 3: should be a little bit lower. A lot of that 693 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 3: obviously is uh, you know, kind of boosting fiscal spending, 694 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,759 Speaker 3: with Germany being the empicenter of that. We got through 695 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:22,320 Speaker 3: the UK budget seemingly without the worst results in the 696 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,080 Speaker 3: past week. There's still a lot of risks coming out 697 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:29,000 Speaker 3: of France, you know, as they struggle to pass budgets 698 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:31,279 Speaker 3: and and form governments and all those things. So there 699 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:35,279 Speaker 3: are some risks like that. But at the same time, 700 00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:36,920 Speaker 3: with a little bit of that, more of the fiscal 701 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 3: stabilizer over in Europe than we've had in the past, 702 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:43,440 Speaker 3: it probably gives you enough stability to get very marginal 703 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 3: out performance. 704 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 1: Is there a risk the fysical spending, all this defense 705 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:52,040 Speaker 1: spending particularly crowds out the corporates in the European market. 706 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:54,920 Speaker 3: It's a risk, you know, it's certainly a risk. And 707 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:58,320 Speaker 3: and when you look at the defense spending, you know, 708 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:02,439 Speaker 3: in general you can see, okay, Germany's the biggest chunk 709 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:04,600 Speaker 3: of it as they kind of you know, loosened up 710 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 3: the debt break, but everyone is spending more right across Europe, 711 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 3: and you know, I think most of it will be 712 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:15,319 Speaker 3: spent on European companies. Obviously not all of it will, 713 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:19,239 Speaker 3: so there should be some boosts there. But look, there's 714 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:24,040 Speaker 3: certainly a risk. However, you know, I think when you're 715 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 3: in a world that's unfortunately as viollatile as it is today, 716 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 3: I think we continue to see that spending and it 717 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 3: is incremental in some way, at least to what we 718 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:37,799 Speaker 3: were seeing versus say, twelve months ago. Right. 719 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:40,520 Speaker 1: Asia's also another market we don't get enough to talk 720 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:44,160 Speaker 1: about here. China was, you know, not that longer uninvestible 721 00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:46,200 Speaker 1: to most people, but now it has become you know, 722 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 1: it's back in the fold. It's the potential. We're still 723 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: going through the housing and you know, real estate crisis there, 724 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:55,200 Speaker 1: but there seems to be appetite and certainly there's yield 725 00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:58,320 Speaker 1: and there's return if you go that way. Do you 726 00:36:58,400 --> 00:36:59,600 Speaker 1: see any opportunity and. 727 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 3: We talk about credit markets, right, what happened for years 728 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 3: and years was that China and Asia were becoming a 729 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 3: much bigger portion of any EM portfolio, especially on the 730 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 3: high yield side with property right, and I mean, those 731 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 3: property bonds have shrunk massively the amount outstanding because of 732 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:23,120 Speaker 3: defaults and structuring and all of those things. So I 733 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:26,320 Speaker 3: think it's a bit tougher to focus on that just 734 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:28,440 Speaker 3: just not a lot left. And we do think the 735 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:32,759 Speaker 3: property sector still has issues moving forward, right, Instead, it 736 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:36,520 Speaker 3: becomes a little bit more of the TMT space on 737 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:39,399 Speaker 3: the IG side, really on the high yeld side, it's 738 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:42,400 Speaker 3: more of like Macaw gaming and stuff like that, and 739 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:45,319 Speaker 3: it's becoming a smaller part. And then instead, what you're 740 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 3: finding is that in the EM landscape overall, you're actually 741 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:52,919 Speaker 3: seeing the rest of the world become a bigger portion 742 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:55,920 Speaker 3: of it. And if you look at where that issuance 743 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:58,440 Speaker 3: is occurring, and you know, if we think through next year, 744 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:00,800 Speaker 3: especially in the higher quality stuff, it's really going to 745 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:04,279 Speaker 3: be the GCC Middle East area that's adding a lot 746 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,040 Speaker 3: to the net issuance. And you know, and and ironically 747 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:11,480 Speaker 3: some of that gets bought as a replacement out in Asia, right, 748 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:14,120 Speaker 3: but to replace some of the issuance that traditionally was 749 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:17,120 Speaker 3: coming maybe from China, right, and so we think that'll 750 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:19,920 Speaker 3: remain interesting. I mean, Latin America has certainly been interesting 751 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:22,840 Speaker 3: on the corporate side. Brazilian corporates have been really validle 752 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:24,560 Speaker 3: it feels like we're at a point right now, or 753 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:28,719 Speaker 3: maybe moving towards the other side of that. But you know, 754 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:31,600 Speaker 3: there's there's gonna be plenty of interesting things in the MS, 755 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:32,440 Speaker 3: there always is. 756 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 1: But you think the best relative value remains in the US. 757 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:39,640 Speaker 3: You know, look, I think the US is the market 758 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:44,920 Speaker 3: that is large liquid, and you you know, you are 759 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:48,439 Speaker 3: able to invest position and take different views. I would 760 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 3: say I could see, you know, Europe outperforming very marginally, 761 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:56,480 Speaker 3: so so I guess a tiny bit of a relative 762 00:38:56,600 --> 00:39:00,640 Speaker 3: value lean to Europe, but not new as strong as 763 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 3: we felt last year when European spreads were clearly cheap 764 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:04,680 Speaker 3: to US spreads. 765 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:07,160 Speaker 1: You do a lot of traveling, You talk to people 766 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:09,360 Speaker 1: all around the world. What kind of questions are they 767 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:13,000 Speaker 1: asking you right now about credit markets? How interested? Alicuely, 768 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,480 Speaker 1: I'm interested in the the funds that could invest in anything, 769 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:19,400 Speaker 1: And you know, what what do they what do they make? 770 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:19,880 Speaker 3: Of credit. 771 00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:21,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, it seems to be more popular. 772 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:24,759 Speaker 3: It is, but not always for good reasons. I guess 773 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:25,520 Speaker 3: that is what I would say. 774 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:27,399 Speaker 1: Okay, tell us about the bad reasons. 775 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:30,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, Well I think I think you sort of 776 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:33,320 Speaker 3: hit on it a little bit earlier, right, And so 777 00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:38,200 Speaker 3: when you've got the comment like the cockroaches comment, people 778 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:40,719 Speaker 3: want to know about that when they know your background 779 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:43,600 Speaker 3: is certainly on the on the credit side. And then 780 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:46,879 Speaker 3: when you think about the AI, when you think about 781 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:49,040 Speaker 3: the cap X funding, you know, for a long time, 782 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:53,920 Speaker 3: AI was just a story and inequity markets, and in 783 00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:56,680 Speaker 3: my opinion, it really wasn't that interesting for credit markets 784 00:39:56,719 --> 00:39:59,320 Speaker 3: because the low beta nature of a lot of those names, 785 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 3: and you know that being said, you know, some of 786 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,600 Speaker 3: these private credit deals even strike the interests of people 787 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:07,600 Speaker 3: who from outside the asset class when they see they 788 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:11,560 Speaker 3: can potentially get those those kind of spreads on the 789 00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:14,879 Speaker 3: on the death side, right, it makes you know, could 790 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:18,120 Speaker 3: potentially make sense for people. I think, to your point, 791 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 3: we are seeing people look at interesting ways, you know, 792 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:25,280 Speaker 3: to securitize things we have seen. You know, you mentioned 793 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:28,319 Speaker 3: you know, Colo Equity and double b's and those kind 794 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:30,440 Speaker 3: of things, you know, in a world where yields are 795 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:33,560 Speaker 3: a little bit lower, those are going to garner focus, right, 796 00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:37,480 Speaker 3: and so structure is going to continue to garner focus. 797 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:40,279 Speaker 3: But look, a lot of it right now is the 798 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 3: question of is credit the canary in the coal mine 799 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:46,600 Speaker 3: or what do you know that our market doesn't know? 800 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:48,440 Speaker 3: And obviously equity markets have been a little bit more 801 00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:51,760 Speaker 3: volatile recently, but still trading it decently high multiples. 802 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,080 Speaker 1: When you're talking about AI to people that don't look 803 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:56,440 Speaker 1: at credit all the time, and they're discussing it, let's 804 00:40:56,440 --> 00:40:58,560 Speaker 1: say an Oracle thirty year bond or another reason with 805 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:01,040 Speaker 1: thirty year bond, you know you'll you'll aim in credit 806 00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:03,000 Speaker 1: is to get your money back. Yes, and this is 807 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:04,880 Speaker 1: business where you've don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, 808 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:07,400 Speaker 1: let alone thirty years later. How do you kind of 809 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:11,640 Speaker 1: reconcile you know, the lung term debt investment for some 810 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:14,719 Speaker 1: of these projects that you know appear entirely speculative to me. 811 00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:17,279 Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's and that's why I think as we 812 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:21,359 Speaker 3: move forward, if we continue to see issue in out 813 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:24,080 Speaker 3: the curve, it'll be interesting to see the appetite for that, 814 00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:27,640 Speaker 3: especially in a market that hasn't seen as much thirty 815 00:41:27,719 --> 00:41:30,480 Speaker 3: year type investments. But look, I mean we could have 816 00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:33,319 Speaker 3: probably make the same argument for ten year type paper, right. 817 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,319 Speaker 3: And what's been interesting though, is in a highal market, 818 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:40,000 Speaker 3: which is more speculative, right, ten year bonds when I started, 819 00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:43,120 Speaker 3: every bomb was a ten year non call five right. 820 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:47,320 Speaker 3: We don't see those anymore. Almost no one issues outside 821 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:50,400 Speaker 3: of eight years in high yield. Now those bonds are callable, 822 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:52,799 Speaker 3: and people are always thinking that they could potentially call 823 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:54,680 Speaker 3: them and refinance them at a better rate. And you 824 00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:56,960 Speaker 3: can argue that's part of it, but I think part 825 00:41:57,000 --> 00:42:00,719 Speaker 3: of it is, you know, as more speculative companies, you 826 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:03,960 Speaker 3: don't issue that for out the curve, right, And so 827 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:07,480 Speaker 3: we could certainly see some transit issuance. But but look, 828 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:09,719 Speaker 3: when you think about some of these data centers, they're 829 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:13,320 Speaker 3: signing leases off in like twenty year type leases that 830 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:16,600 Speaker 3: are quite binding, and so there is the ability to 831 00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:19,440 Speaker 3: definitely support the cash flows for a long period of time. 832 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:21,160 Speaker 3: So maybe it doesn't go out with thirty years, maybe 833 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:23,080 Speaker 3: it winds up being twenty year bonds. But I think 834 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:27,000 Speaker 3: if you have those clear leases that no one can 835 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:29,319 Speaker 3: get out of, and most of the hyperscales have been 836 00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:32,400 Speaker 3: clear about that, then your ability to issue debt with 837 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:33,680 Speaker 3: some term will exist. 838 00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:36,920 Speaker 1: Hoping though that you're in a company that whose technology 839 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:38,440 Speaker 1: is not going to be absolete. 840 00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:42,520 Speaker 3: Yes, the technology side of things is at some point mark, which. 841 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:45,640 Speaker 1: You know concerns me. But going back to forecasting, one 842 00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:48,280 Speaker 1: of our guest studies year described forecasting as a crime 843 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:50,719 Speaker 1: on wool Street. It was actually a crime. You could 844 00:42:50,719 --> 00:42:52,840 Speaker 1: get fined or punished or something for it. You do 845 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:54,799 Speaker 1: have to forecast. So you were very good this year 846 00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:56,960 Speaker 1: in terms of your IG spread forecast. You said it 847 00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:59,240 Speaker 1: would end in an eighty five to ninety basis points 848 00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:01,040 Speaker 1: ranged by the end of the year. Wait below that, 849 00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:03,800 Speaker 1: but we could will wide. Now ilet'll say, still a 850 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:06,319 Speaker 1: good cool But what did you get wrong about this year? 851 00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:08,200 Speaker 1: And you know where did you get calls off God? 852 00:43:08,239 --> 00:43:13,120 Speaker 3: And why do you think? Yeah? Look, so I think 853 00:43:13,719 --> 00:43:17,800 Speaker 3: understanding just how extreme the moves were going to be 854 00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:24,080 Speaker 3: in both directions around Liberation Day was not easy for most. 855 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:29,040 Speaker 3: It certainly did feel like a buying opportunity at some point. 856 00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:33,200 Speaker 3: But I wouldn't say we perfectly called the tops and 857 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:38,560 Speaker 3: bottoms around that. I think you know where we've had 858 00:43:38,640 --> 00:43:43,759 Speaker 3: a view that's been helpful is that as we work 859 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:46,320 Speaker 3: through that and really start to do the math around 860 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:48,879 Speaker 3: it and realize that the tariffs were going to add 861 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:50,840 Speaker 3: up to a lot of revenue and that the deficit 862 00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:55,279 Speaker 3: side of things was not going to be as bad 863 00:43:55,400 --> 00:43:58,080 Speaker 3: probably in twenty twenty six as a result of the 864 00:43:58,120 --> 00:44:00,680 Speaker 3: tariff revenues. Now, let's obviously they've got some core cases 865 00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:04,440 Speaker 3: coming up too, I understand that, but based on the 866 00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:07,920 Speaker 3: current status quo, that that was going to lead to 867 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:10,640 Speaker 3: a little bit better environment in terms of the risks 868 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:13,400 Speaker 3: that people were seeing in a sell off and treasuries 869 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:15,360 Speaker 3: which were going to be a general risk off event. 870 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:17,640 Speaker 3: I think that's something we were able to focus on 871 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:21,920 Speaker 3: and identify as part of that next move tighter. You know, 872 00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:23,840 Speaker 3: even if we didn't get the first one, and it. 873 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:25,719 Speaker 1: Terms of focusing out for next year, what are you 874 00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:27,880 Speaker 1: most worried about in terms of you know this, if 875 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:30,399 Speaker 1: this thing happens, then all bets are off. 876 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:35,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. Look, I think you know to your point on 877 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:37,479 Speaker 3: the technology change, right. So we had the deep seek 878 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:40,400 Speaker 3: moment at the beginning of this year, which was a 879 00:44:40,480 --> 00:44:43,040 Speaker 3: real freak out for a lot of people. Turned out 880 00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:44,840 Speaker 3: at least in the short term that that shouldn't have 881 00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:50,800 Speaker 3: been that troubling for markets. But I think, you know, 882 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:53,040 Speaker 3: as the technology changes, if we get to a point 883 00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:54,759 Speaker 3: where we see a lot of this issuance coming to 884 00:44:54,840 --> 00:44:58,520 Speaker 3: the market, and then there's some changes where maybe certain 885 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:00,360 Speaker 3: things are a little bit less viable, a little bit 886 00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:04,040 Speaker 3: less attractive, and you've already stuck the market with off 887 00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:06,919 Speaker 3: that paper, I think that leads to some downside risks 888 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:09,759 Speaker 3: that we're not fully putting in our forecast at least. 889 00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:12,560 Speaker 1: And we started the call talking about the late cycle, 890 00:45:13,239 --> 00:45:15,399 Speaker 1: and you use the word innings, and we've got loads 891 00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:17,760 Speaker 1: of baseball fans, although I don't really understand the game myself, 892 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:19,040 Speaker 1: but what inning are we actually in? 893 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:23,200 Speaker 3: You know, I think we're approaching the seventh inning stretch here. 894 00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:26,840 Speaker 1: Probably we'll see, we'll see, all right. Brilliant, great stuff. 895 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:29,200 Speaker 1: Brad Rogoff from Berkley's, thank you so much for joining 896 00:45:29,280 --> 00:45:29,440 Speaker 1: us on. 897 00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:29,960 Speaker 3: The Credit Edge. 898 00:45:30,239 --> 00:45:31,879 Speaker 1: Thank you guys both for having me, and of course 899 00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:35,120 Speaker 1: we're very grateful to Mike camp Alone from Bloomberg Intelligence. Cheers, Mike, 900 00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:38,200 Speaker 1: thank you very much for even more credit market analysis 901 00:45:38,239 --> 00:45:39,840 Speaker 1: and insight. Read all of Mike's great work on the 902 00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:42,920 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Terminal. 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It's been a pleasure having you join 912 00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:13,759 Speaker 1: us again next week on the Credit Edge