The COVID-19 crisis continues to spark a great deal of volatility in corporate credit sentiment, according to Credit Benchmark consensus data.
The ranks of the so-called Fallen Angels, or companies that have seen their credit scores fall from investment grade to high-yield status, have swelled over the course of the last 12 months. The latest monthly update finds that a total of 1,009 firms out of a global sample of 6,895 (about 15%) have deteriorated to high-yield status, and, of that group, 733 (about 11%) still carry this label, meaning that 276 (about 4%) that have migrated back to investment-grade.
The month-to-month movement in credit quality is most pronounced in sectors influenced by supply chain and consumer disruptions. Beyond the usual suspects like Travel & Leisure, Automobiles & Parts and General Retailers have also seen considerable movement. Each sector saw roughly 20% of firms fall from investment-grade to high-yield status and currently about 13% of each sector is still classified as such. Overall credit quality for the Automobiles & Parts and General Retailers sectors on a global basis have each declined by about 30% over the last 12 months.
Of course, just as some firms and sectors see deterioration, others see improvement. The latest update shows that the number of firms whose credit quality was high-yield but then moved to investment-grade – so-called Rising Stars – grew to 396 out of a global sample of 6903 (about 6%) over the 12 month period [please continue below to access full report].
Fallen Angels – Sector Comparison
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