When the economic cycle reaches the point where corporate earnings are plunging, hundreds of companies will come under closer scrutiny and often become distressed. Investors who get in around the low point will realize huge gains. The trick, of course, is figuring out which pose the risk of bankruptcy and which do not.
Most investors believe the Fed is done or nearly done with its inflation-fighting interest rate hikes – and so far, no recession is in sight. That means perceived risk will remain subdued in the high yield bond sector… for now.
In today’s “two-for-the-price-of-one” recommendation, we pair one of the best distressed debt vehicles available, with a company that offers an inflation hedge through its exposure to higher commodity prices.
Norfolk Southern is the latest poster child for the pitfalls of financial engineering. Years of reckless cost cutting and debt-fueled buybacks, at the expense of infrastructure upgrades, have caused an ecological disaster.
Investors Suddenly Denied Access to Their Own Funds… The day after Slava was sent to the funny farm, his wife marched into our skyscraper office in downtown Moscow – and pulled an Al Haig. Al Haig was Secretary of State when U.S. President Ronald Reagan was felled by an assassin’s bullet on March 30, 1981.
We’re calling the coming market carnage in corporate bonds The Greatest Legal Transfer of Wealth in History. The explosive growth, and deteriorating quality, of the “investment grade” bond universe will play a major role in the coming corporate debt crisis.