The Insight: Conversations – Full Return World with Howard Marks and Armen Panossian
Nov 2, 2023
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Howard Marks, Oaktree Co-Chairman, and Armen Panossian, Head of Performing Credit, explore the potential sea change reshaping investments, discussing tail risks, borrowing costs, credit analysis, surprises in the economy, and the shift to a full return world.
A sea change in interest rates may disrupt the investment environment, affecting GDP growth, financing for companies, defaults, bankruptcies, and prospective returns.
Higher interest rates pose challenges for companies with high leverage, but also present attractive opportunities in credit markets such as high-yield bonds and senior loans.
Deep dives
The Sea Change Thesis: A Fundamental Development in Interest Rates
Howard Marks discusses the sea change thesis, which suggests a significant and lasting change in interest rates. He highlights that interest rates have been low or declining since 1980, leading investors to believe that this trend will continue. However, Marks argues that declining and ultra-low interest rates may not be the norm for the coming decade. This sea change has far-reaching implications for GDP growth, ease of financing for companies, defaults, bankruptcies, and prospective returns.
Risk and Opportunities in Credit Markets
Armin Pinozian shares key takeaways from Howard's memo and highlights the need for caution in the face of rising interest rates. He emphasizes that higher rates have only recently begun to impact company cash flows and that many businesses, especially those with high leverage or interest rate-sensitive assets, will face challenges in refinancing and maintaining debt payments. However, Armin also identifies opportunities in credit markets, particularly in high-yield bonds and senior loans, which offer attractive yields with contracted returns and lower volatility compared to equities.
The Growing Tail Risk and Potential Opportunities
Armin discusses the growing tail risk in credit markets, characterized by a larger portion of companies struggling to meet their debt obligations. He highlights the increase in weak borrowers as interest rates rise and economic growth slows. This expanding tail poses challenges for collateralized loan obligations and other rating-sensitive investors. However, Armin also identifies attractive investment opportunities in high-quality bonds trading at attractive yields and newly issued private credit, particularly for experienced investors who can navigate a potentially volatile economic period.
Howard Marks (Co-Chairman) and Armen Panossian (Head of Performing Credit) discuss topics related to Howard’s latest memo, Further Thoughts on Sea Change, and Oaktree’s recently published Performing Credit Quarterly 3Q2023 in this crossover episode of The Insight: Conversations and Behind the Memo. They consider the implications of the potential sea change reshaping the investment environment, the tail risks building in today’s markets, and what it means to be in a full return world.
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