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Marcel Benjamin - High Yield Bonds Explained – What are Zombie Companies?

Broadcast on:
19 Apr 2021

Marcel Benjamin, Fixed Income Strategist with State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETF Fixed Income Group, joins to present a deep dive into the High Yield Fixed Income space. What makes a bond part of high yield? What are the risks with High Yield Bonds? How do the ratings differ across the spectrum? Plus, what makes a company a “Zombie Company”?

 

 

  • • US What does it mean to be considered high yield?
  • • Differences in companies who go from BBB to Junk.
  • • CCC vs BB
  • • Size of high yield market
  • • Size of high yield market by rating
  • • Risk of defaults historically
  • • Defaults 2008 vs 2020/21 so far
  • • Spreads widening vs narrowing.
  • • Short duration high yield vs longer duration
  • • Implied risk of default by yield spread. 
  • • Historical recovery rates
  • • Brief explanation of default process for bonds

 

  • • Zombie Companies
  • • What are they (i.e., 3 years Operating Earnings < net interest payments?) 
  • • Interest coverage ratios
  • • % of companies now vs historical considered zombies
  • • How companies may recycle and roll debt upon maturity

 

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

 

Information on State Street Global Advisors SPDR fixed income products https://www.ssga.com/us/en/intermediary/etfs/capabilities/simplify-investing-with-fixed-income-etfs/sdpr-fixed-income-etfs

 

CCC High Yield Spread from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/BAMLH0A3HYC

 

High Yield Spread from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/BAMLH0A0HYM2

 

 

Derek Moore’s book Broken Pie Chart https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Pie-Chart-Investment-Portfolio/dp/1787435547/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=broken+pie+chart&qid=1558722226&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr