AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France, July 9 (Reuters) - An unusually long lag in the time interest rate hikes are taking to feed through to the economy has left corporate leaders guessing whether to prepare for a hard or soft landing.Although central banks in the United States and Europe have raised interest rates at the fastest pace in decades in an effort to tame inflation, most economies have so far escaped the painful recessions triggered by previous tightening cycles.For corporate leaders at a weekend economics conference in the southern French town of Aix-en-Provence,...
CLO issuance down 41% in H1 vs same time last yearFunding lifeline for junk-rated borrowers shrinkingInvestors demand higher premiumLONDON, July 5 (Reuters) - A financial stream that helped fund the world's riskiest companies and grew into a market estimated at $1.5 trillion in the low interest rate years is drying up, as aggressive rate hikes bring tougher borrowing conditions and uncertainty.The pace of issuance of so-called collateralised loan obligations (CLOs), which bundle loans of the weakest corporates and repackage them as bonds, has stalled.Specialist asset managers minted CLOs worth more...