Know More. Risk Better.

Season 9, Episode 13 This week on “Know More. Risk Better.” Zachary Griffiths sits down with Hunter Martin and Kerry Kantin to break down the largest LBO on record: EA’s $55 billion take-private deal. The team unpacks the investor consortium behind the transaction, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, explores why the equity check is unusually large, and analyzes the implications for EA’s balance sheet, leverage, and outstanding bonds.  They discuss deal timing, with early 2026 targeted for closing, and regulatory hurdles including antitrust and national security reviews. The conversation expands to current market conditions, expectations for future LBO activity, and the impact of elevated rates and AI-driven growth on deal making. Listen for clear takeaways on base case scenarios, market probabilities, and positioning around legal and macro catalysts that could influence spreads and sector performance. 

Season 9, Episode 12 This extended episode provides a comprehensive outlook across US, Euro, EM, and APAC credit markets as we head into 4Q25 and 2026. In US Credit Markets, the team sets an updated macro outlook and credit strategy, flags key trends shaping sovereign and corporate credit, and identifies the risk factors and market catalysts to watch. In Euro Credit Markets, they review sovereign and credit fundamentals, assess sector developments and potential issuer themes, and discuss the implications of policy and macro shifts across the region. For Emerging Market Sovereigns, they share the latest perspectives on EM credit risk and performance, highlight regional and country-specific views, and outline approaches to navigating volatility in global EM credit. In APAC Credit Markets, they examine risk factors and market catalysts, provide the latest read on APAC EM credit risk and performance, and review sovereign and corporate credit fundamentals across the region.

Special Edition Podcast Mini Series: 25 for 25: E5 In the finale of our 25 for 25 series, Winnie Cisar and Zachary Griffiths host CreditSights Co-Heads Erin Lyons and Matt Zloto to explore the future of credit research. They discuss AI’s role in improving efficiency and expanding coverage, the rise of private credit and related regulatory implications, and why people-powered insights and skeptical analysis still matter - plus how CreditSights is investing in talent and purpose-built tools to cut through noise and deliver actionable ideas.

Special Edition Podcast Mini Series: 25 for 25: E4 Winnie Cisar and Zachary Griffiths host a special 25th anniversary roundtable with Tony Canale, Luke Millar, Andrew Maier, and Beau Kuhn exploring how collaboration across the CreditSights and wider Fitch family creates investor advantage. They break down how news flow from LFI, covenant insights from Covenant Review, fundamental analysis from CreditSights, and data standardization from Bixby combine to deliver what Beau calls "the power of three plus data and analytics." Expect candid insights on how human expertise remains the essential differentiator in an increasingly data-driven world, plus a preview of future innovations including enhanced primary transaction coverage, European BSL market expansion, and AI-powered trade idea generation that will further integrate the "technicolor picture" these complementary businesses create together.

Season 9, Episode 11 This week on “Know More. Risk Better.” Logan Miller sits down with Mariya Nurgaziyeva, CFA and Amarveer Singh to decode a mixed European consumer backdrop with real credit implications. They unpack why personal consumption is lagging other growth drivers, what a pause in ECB cuts and softening labor markets mean, and how country-specific pressures in Germany, France, and the UK are filtering into earnings and spreads. Then they tackle tariffs and input costs - who’s truly exposed (spirits and luxury), why the hit has been more manageable than feared, and how mitigation via cost cuts, pass-throughs, and near-shoring is playing out. They map commodity pressures (vegetable oils, cocoa, coffee, dairy, beef, poultry), the surge in private label as volumes flag, and where pricing power still holds - like coffee. Expect clear takeaways on what’s driving consumer sentiment, base cases versus market worries, and how to position around sector and country catalysts that could move spreads—whether they widen on cost shocks or keep grinding tighter on defensives and experience-led demand.

Special Edition Podcast Mini Series: 25 for 25: E3 Host Winnie Cisar (Global Head of Strategy) is joined by Andy DeVries (Head of US Investment Grade; Head of Utilities), Eric Axon (Co-Head of High Yield; Head of Healthcare), and Mary Pollock (Head of Real Estate) to discuss the art and science of credit analysis. The conversation centers on turning information into decisions by blending quantitative analysis with qualitative judgment. Andy DeVries illustrates how sector data can inform relative value views. Eric Axon emphasizes a process-first approach that starts with the numbers before incorporating management behavior and industry context. Mary Pollock underscores the importance of governance, incentives, and disclosure - using company materials and past actions to test narratives - and how real-world inflection points refine instincts over time. The team also share approaches for developing junior talent, filtering noise during busy news cycles, gauging consensus, and recognizing potential turning points - balancing art and science to produce clear, actionable credit recommendations.

Season 9, Episode 10 This week on “Know More. Risk Better.” Winnie Cisar sits down with Mark Lightner to decode a whirlwind legal backdrop with real market stakes. They break down the Lisa Cook case - what a last-minute appellate decision could mean for Fed independence, who’s in the room for the next rate call, and how today’s legal signals shape the FOMC’s 2026 lineup. Then they tackle the Supreme Court’s fast-track review of IEEPA tariffs - what the justices will decide, why non-delegation matters, and how a reversal could ripple through refunds, trade deals, and positioning. Finally, they map the broader playbook of government intervention - from agency pressure and funding leverage to DOJ lawsuits - and how it’s hitting sectors differently. Expect clear takeaways on timelines, base cases versus market expectations, and how to position around legal catalysts that could move spreads - whether they break wider or keep grinding tighter.  (Please note, this podcast was recorded on Monday, September 15 at 4.30pm EDT)

Special Edition Podcast Mini Series: 25 for 25: E2 Hosts Winnie Cisar (Global Head of Strategy) and Zachary Griffiths, CFA (Head of US IG & Macro Strategy) are joined by Chris Snow (Global Head of Research), Pramod Shenoi (Head of Asia Pacific Research; Head of Financials, APAC), Brian Studioso (Head of Research, Europe) to discuss navigating credit crises. The conversation explores how experience and disciplined analysis shape CreditSights’ response to market shocks - from the Global Financial Crisis and COVID-19, to policy-driven volatility. The team weighs speed-to-market versus quality, emphasizes management quality and disclosure, and examines liquidity dynamics (“sell what you can”). They discuss calling market bottoms by tracking cross-segment flows, maintaining risk/reward discipline when spreads are tight, and leveraging global client engagement and teamwork to build resilience and deliver trusted, actionable research.

Season 9, Episode 09 This week on “Know More. Risk Better.” Zachary Griffiths interviews Winnie Cisar on the real state of the U.S. consumer and what it means for credit into 2026. They cut through mixed signals - solid balance sheets vs. sticker shock on everyday items like Chick-fil-A, rising car payments, and a cooling jobs market - to explain how spending, inflation, and policy expectations are shaping spreads. Winnie lays out why payroll weakness hasn’t cracked credit, how market cash and technicals are cushioning moves, and what could finally shift sentiment. Expect clear takeaways on positioning, risks to watch, and the scenarios that might push spreads wider - or let them grind tighter. 

Special Edition Podcast Mini Series: 25 for 25: E1 Hosts Winnie Cisar (Global Head of Strategy) and Zachary Griffiths, CFA (Head of US IG & Macro Strategy) sit down with European veterans Simon Adamson (Head of European Financials), Andy Belton (Head of European Basics & Infrastructure), and Andrew Moulder (Head of European Utilities) to explore the origins and evolution of independent credit research at CreditSights. The conversation revisits the founding vision, the launch of our London office, and defining moments from the Global Financial Crisis. The team discusses why cash flow analysis remains core, how relative value migrated from CDS to bonds, and the rise of complex instruments like hybrids and bank bail-in capital. They also dig into client engagement and reverse inquiry (including early work on Icelandic banks), and how European banks, utilities, and infrastructure credit have transformed over two decades.