Cutting through Central Park on our way to a meeting recently, we encountered a worker fiddling with what looked like a centrifuge for uranium enrichment. Somewhat alarmed, we slowed our pace. “What is that?” “It’s to keep armadillos away.” “Didn’t think there were any armadillos in Central Park.” With a grin, he said: “Well, then,…
It’s hard to know exactly when second-lien term loans first appeared in the leveraged loan market. According to S&P’s Loan Primer, they showed up in the mid-1990s, as the institutional market grew, and then vanished with the Russian debt crisis of 1998. Our suspicion is these structures evolved from “over-advance” facilities in conjunction with asset-based loans,…
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s an Eastern Airlines plane! We thought we were having flashbacks from rum-soaked Acapulco trips we took back in the 1970’s, but turns out the iconic “Wings of Man” brand is making a comeback of sorts. Beginning with charter flights, Eastern is re-launching aviation service in March. No mention…
We noted with amusement a tidbit in Friday’s WSJ on professional cuddling. Apparently a growing number of fully clothed people are paying snuggle experts for services that include squeezing, tickling, and bear-hugging. “I felt transformed,” one client reported. Besides trying to wrap our brain around the fine distinction between this activity and…well, others, we were…
As oil prices continue to drop, taking other asset values with them, capital markets are beginning the new year sorting through what this all means for them. In high yield land, while secondary prices for energy credits took it on the chin in early December, the overall theme is “recovery.” As junk guru Martin Fridson…
We had planned on concluding our 2015 predictions with a forecast of structure and pricing in leveraged loans. But market developments compel us to address first what could a factor in changing both those elements dramatically next year. Like all things unexpected, the precipitous drop in oil prices could have been foreseen if you knew…
One of the enduring mysteries of life, other than the fact that Kanye West is Bruce Jenner’s son-in-law, is getting a handle on deal supply in the leveraged loan markets. By the numbers, the forward institutional pipeline has been drifting south since Labor Day. According to S&P Capital IQ, last week’s calendar stood at $40…
We had just polished off our second helping of pumpkin pie last Thursday evening when the first (of what we assume will be many) “2015 Market Outlook” hit our in-box. Always big supporters of the crystal ball crowd, we thought we’d begin our own prognostication series by sharing some of the contents of that forecast…
Everybody talks about yield, but nobody does anything about it. In particular, the Fed’s reluctance to be pinned down to a date certain when rates will rise has lent a “she-loves-me-she-loves-me-not” tone to investors’ worries. The buy-side has toggled all year between loans and bonds in search of optimal returns. Mutual fund flows have oscillated like…
Maybe it was the high caliber attendees and top-notch panels. Could have been the stellar master of ceremonies and sponsor. Whatever the reason, the Wells Fargo Middle Market BDC CEO Forum may have breathed new life into the leveraged loan industry. Led by Jonathan Bock, this gathering of gurus spent the day discussing the role…