Markets have been very volatile over the past week, resulting in a repricing of high yield and commodity related credit risk.  With lending standards tightening, global growth stubbornly low, and commodity price volatility remaining high, we continue to advocate a defensive, high quality position in corporate credit.

Market volatility has increased this month.  The sell off has been most pronounced in high yield with spreads wider by approximately 100 basis points (bps).  In contrast, the investment grade market has widened by 10 bps with the majority of that widening driven by the Energy and Metals and Mining sectors.  We believe the primary drivers of this underperformance are: (1) commodities, (2) poor market liquidity, and (3) reduced demand for credit risk.

Commodity prices came under renewed selling pressure after OPEC failed to adjust its production target and Chinese economic data was lackluster. Moody’s lowered its commodity price assumptions, increasing the risk of credit rating downgrades. And, high yield companies took advantage of the bear sentiment and lower security prices to pursue distressed debt exchanges, setting off a panic among unsecured bondholders. Management teams at investment grade companies have reiterated that although they have secured debt capacity, they do not intend to use it. Our analysts are comfortable with the liquidity outlooks of the credits on AAM’s Focus List for the near term, as such, we do not expect investment grade companies (or fallen angels aspiring to return to investment grade) to pursue distressed debt exchanges.

Market liquidity seasonally sours at the end of the year and this year is no exception, especially after broker dealers increased their corporate credit inventories over 200% since the end of October 2015. This, in addition to the contraction and repricing of the repo market due to regulatory changes and the negative headlines surrounding the mutual fund closes, negatively affects an already illiquid corporate credit market.

Lastly, an area that we have been acutely concerned with for the past 12 months is the trend in lending standards in the bank, non-bank, and credit markets. In the third quarter of 2015, for the first time since the European related debt crisis in 2012 (and prior to that, before/after the last recession), banks tightened their lending standards citing a less favorable, more uncertain economic outlook and worsening of industry specific problems. Historically, lending standards has been a leading indicator for the change in investment grade spreads. Moreover, we are seeing conditions outside of the bank market worsen. The Credit Managers Index measures non-bank lending conditions and while the overall measure remains slightly above the “contraction” zone, the leading indicator in this Index weakened, and is now firmly in contraction territory as both manufacturing and service sector “accounts for collection” deteriorated. Global growth remains low and U.S. growth has disappointed this year, causing investors in higher risk securities (e.g., CCC rated) to reprice risk due to lowered future cash flow projections. CCC credit is as wide versus higher quality B rated paper as it has been since 2008 – 2009, reflecting the default risk in that portion of the market. However, default rate estimates continue to be quite low at around 3-4% for 2016, mostly reflecting the expectation for commodity related defaults.

With lending standards tightening, global growth remaining stubbornly low, and commodity price volatility remaining high, we and our high yield sub-advisor, Muzinich & Co., continue to advocate defensive, high quality, liquid credit portfolios. The risk premiums to take credit risk are lackluster. For example, the pick up in yield for a BBB versus A rated non-financial credit remains approximately 65 bps when excluding Energy and Basic Industries. We wait for an opportunity to get more aggressive in credit when: (1) credit reprices and the cost of debt gets closer to the cost of equity as is typical when a cycle bottoms (that differential is currently over 200 bps), (2) management teams begin to shift their focus to balance sheet improvement, and (3) commodity prices stabilize.

Written by:

Elizabeth G. Henderson, CFA
Director of Corporate Credit

For more information, contact:

Colin Dowdall, CFADirector of Marketing and Business Development

colin.dowdall@aamcompany.com

John Olvany, Vice President of Business Development

john.olvany@aamcompany.com

Neelm Hameer, Vice President of Business Development

neelm.hameer@aamcompany.com

30 North LaSalle Street
Suite 3500
Chicago, IL 60602
312.263.2900

Disclaimer: Asset Allocation & Management Company, LLC (AAM) is an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specializing in fixed-income asset management services for insurance companies. This information was developed using publicly available information, internally developed data and outside sources believed to be reliable. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the facts stated and the opinions given are accurate, complete and reasonable, liability is expressly disclaimed by AAM and any affiliates (collectively known as “AAM”), and their representative officers and employees. This report has been prepared for informational purposes only and does not purport to represent a complete analysis of any security, company or industry discussed. Any opinions and/or recommendations expressed are subject to change without notice and should be considered only as part of a diversified portfolio. A complete list of investment recommendations made during the past year is available upon request. Past performance is not an indication of future returns.

This information is distributed to recipients including AAM, any of which may have acted on the basis of the information, or may have an ownership interest in securities to which the information relates. It may also be distributed to clients of AAM, as well as to other recipients with whom no such client relationship exists. Providing this information does not, in and of itself, constitute a recommendation by AAM, nor does it imply that the purchase or sale of any security is suitable for the recipient. Investing in the bond market is subject to certain risks including market, interest-rate, issuer, credit, inflation, liquidity, valuation, volatility, prepayment and extension. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission.

Disclaimer: Asset Allocation & Management Company, LLC (AAM) is an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specializing in fixed-income asset management services for insurance companies. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. This information was developed using publicly available information, internally developed data and outside sources believed to be reliable. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the facts stated and the opinions given are accurate, complete and reasonable, liability is expressly disclaimed by AAM and any affiliates (collectively known as “AAM”), and their representative officers and employees. This report has been prepared for informational purposes only and does not purport to represent a complete analysis of any security, company or industry discussed. Any opinions and/or recommendations expressed are subject to change without notice and should be considered only as part of a diversified portfolio. Any opinions and statements contained herein of financial market trends based on market conditions constitute our judgment. This material may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events, targets or expectations, and is only current as of the date indicated. There is no assurance that such events or targets will be achieved, and may be significantly different than that discussed here. The information presented, including any statements concerning financial market trends, is based on current market conditions, which will fluctuate and may be superseded by subsequent market events or for other reasons. Although the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements that may be contained herein are believed to be reasonable they can be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. AAM assumes no duty to provide updates to any analysis contained herein. A complete list of investment recommendations made during the past year is available upon request. Past performance is not an indication of future returns. This information is distributed to recipients including AAM, any of which may have acted on the basis of the information, or may have an ownership interest in securities to which the information relates. It may also be distributed to clients of AAM, as well as to other recipients with whom no such client relationship exists. Providing this information does not, in and of itself, constitute a recommendation by AAM, nor does it imply that the purchase or sale of any security is suitable for the recipient. Investing in the bond market is subject to certain risks including market, interest-rate, issuer, credit, inflation, liquidity, valuation, volatility, prepayment and extension. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission.