After a rollercoaster 2020 for European high yield markets, 2021 looks set to be more stable. Fears of high levels of corporate defaults have proved unjustified, allowing high yield to rebound in 2020 and setting the scene for the coming year.

CNP Assurances has successfully placed €500 million worth of notes due 8 March 2028 and paying interest at 0.375%. The notes qualify as Tier 3 capital under Solvency II. Its cost is the lowest ever paid for hybrid capital by a financial institution in Europe.

Fitch downgraded Hong Kong's rating to ‘AA-', from ‘AA', in April 2020 and revised the Outlook to Stable from Negative, following an earlier downgrade from ‘AA+' in September 2019. The economic fallout from the pandemic and earlier anti-government protests played a role.

The prevalence of ‘fallen angels' has changed the composition of the European HY market. So how might we go about navigating it? Analysis by Angelina Chueh, Senior Client Portfolio Manager at Columbia Threadneedle Investments...

Like its predecessor vehicle, the Fund focuses on providing growth capital to lower middle-market companies to fund acquisitions, expansions and transitions in family and founder-owned businesses. The Fund follows on the successful €706.5mn. closing of the firm's first Pan-European Private Debt Fund in 2018.