A growing list of countries have already seen Sovereign ratings slide in the past two years due to COVID costs; some now face a real risk of outright default as the war in Ukraine drives food, fertilizer and energy prices higher.

With tighter global monetary policy already hitting heavily indebted households and firms, could default rates also reach record levels? This insight looks at the relationship between the Fed Effective rate and US Business Loan Delinquencies.

Market risk indicators are increasingly important amid global tensions and interest rate volatility. Consensus credit data offers a view beyond the VIX index and credit spreads – and recent data suggests financial institutions see the current problems translating into higher default rates.

As credit markets become more challenging and volatile amid Fed tightening and expanding credit spreads, consensus data provides a stable reference point for assessing underlying portfolio credit risk. This report analyses a universe of bonds tracked by the iBoxx High Yield Index.

January 2022 has been a difficult month for investors and looming Fed rate hikes mean more “Risk Off” days ahead. The hunt for yield continues, and with equity dividends at a high, consensus credit data can identify which industries are also underpinned by safe credit.

Studies have shown that female-led companies outperform male-led companies on a range of metrics, yet women continue to be perceived as less suitable for leadership roles than men. New analysis from Credit Benchmark suggests that female-led companies are also a better credit risk, particularly in times of economic turmoil.