Show Notes
The HALO (heavy assets, low obsolescence) trade has gained traction in recent months — particularly in the equity markets — as investors turn away from software businesses amid AI displacement concerns. In this week’s episode of Syndication Nation, 9fin’s podcast on all things leveraged finance, LevFin reporter David Westenhaver joins US deputy editor Sasha Padbidri in unpacking HALO for our side of the market — which credits are actually benefitting from the trade, and whether this is truly a safe haven for LevFin investors. Have any feedback for us? Send us a note at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
More from Cloud 9fin
Puerto Rico may have filed to formally restructure back in 2017, but the lessons that can be learned still apply today. Former oversight board member David Skeel joins Jane Komsky to discuss his new book Promise Land which delves into the creditor battles, political compromises and lessons behind and beyond his experience navigating the restructuring. Skeel maps the competing claims of roughly $18bn of General Obligation bonds, $18bn of sales tax-backed Cofina bonds, clawback creditors, pension bonds and general unsecured creditors. He also recounts Aurelius’ role and attempt to mastermind the restructuring. The discussion explains how Promesa created the oversight board and Title III restructuring framework, and why Skeel believes an out-of-court resolution was ultimately unworkable. He recounts some of the unforeseeable obstacles including Hurricane Maria, political upheaval and the pandemic repeatedly disrupted negotiations, as well as divisions within the board complicating its dealings with creditors. For distressed and municipal bond investors, Skeel’s conclusions extend beyond Puerto Rico. To get the full story, Skeel’s book is available for purchase here. Have any feedback for us? Send us a note at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
New Fortress Energy, Fossil Group and Argo Blockchain are putting English restructuring plans on the map for US-listed borrowers. What draws them across the Atlantic, and what does that choice mean for creditors? Will Macadam joins Linklaters restructuring partners Michael Torkin and James Warboys to break down how the US’s more comprehensive Chapter 11 bankruptcy process compares to the England’s more targeted Part 26A restructuring plan. The discussion touches upon what companies can do with a Chapter 11 filing that cannot be achieved with an English Part 26A and vice versa, why Part 26A plans have proven popular with some publicly-listed US companies, and how advisors decide where a distressed company should restructure its liabilities. Have any feedback for us? Send us a note at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
On the pilot episode of Subprime Time — a podcast dedicated to unpacking all things asset-backed finance (ABF) — deputy editor Sasha Padbidri and ABF reporter Harrison Connery dive into the revival of music royalty asset-backed securities. They trace the market’s evolution from “Bowie bonds” to the current impact of generative AI on the asset class. Case in point: if a heartbroken teen can prompt AI to create a custom breakup song that sounds identical to Taylor Swift, what does that mean for the value of legacy catalogs? Harrison also shares his reporting on which music catalogs investment firms are currently snapping up, plus the surprising origin story behind Kygo’s hit remix of Whitney Houston’s “Higher Love”. Have any feedback for us? Send us a note at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
While many European direct lenders are struggling to hit their fundraising targets, Hayfin has just pulled in more than €15bn. On Cloud 9fin, Synne Johnsson speaks with Hayfin’s head of direct lending Mark Bickerstaffe about fundraising, deployment and the changing balance of power in European private credit. He explains how investor diversification away from the US has helped Hayfin attract capital. The conversation also examines portfolio resilience, inflation risks and artificial intelligence. Looking ahead, it touches on refinancing challenges around 2028 and 2029 maturities, opportunities in capital solutions and asset-backed lending, and reasons for cautious optimism about deal activity later in 2026. Have any feedback for us? Send us a note at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
Over the last decade, household name and beloved yogurt brand Chobani has evolved from a capacity-constrained yogurt producer into a credit market darling. But tighter debt pricing is now prompting some of its longtime lenders to walk way even as they praise the business for its success. In this episode of Cloud 9fin’s Syndication Nation, US LevFin reporter David Westenhaver unpacks the interesting backstory behind Chobani with deputy LevFin editor Sasha Padbidri, including its history in the credit market and the impact of the protein-maxxing trend on the business. Since recording this podcast, the company has issued an additional $600m in debt to finance the purchase of a Pennsylvania production facility with an expected $1.2bn price tag. Have any feedback for us? Send us a note at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!