Author: Rich Balestra - Portfolio Manager

CAM High Yield Market Note

7/26/2019

Fund Flows & Issuance: According to a Wells Fargo report, flows week to date were $1.3 billion and year to date flows stand at $16.3 billion. New issuance for the week was $12.7 billion and year to date HY is at $150.5 billion, which is +34% over the same period last year.

(Bloomberg) High Yield Market Highlights

• U.S. junk bonds are poised for their sixth straight day of gains following a $1.3 billion inflow into high-yield retail funds, rising oil prices and higher stock futures.
• The high-yield bond index hit a new peak yesterday
• The average yield-to-worst is 5.84%, while spreads tightened 5 basis points to 367bps over U.S. Treasuries, according to Bloomberg Barclays data. Spreads are 17bps tighter on the week
• Returns also hit a new peak for the year at 10.42%
• Cash is still pouring into the asset class as investors chase yield
• Lipper reported an inflow of $1.3b for the week ended July 24. That marks seven consecutive weeks of inflows — the first time this has happened since 2013
• New issue July volume is set to top $20b by the end of the day with as many as three issuers set to price deals Friday
• Returns by ratings category:
• BBs returns hit a new 2019 high of 11.067%
• Single-Bs were at 10.578%, also a new high
• CCCs were at 7.611%
• Loan returns were at 6.368% YTD

(PR Newswire) Encompass Health announces plans to build new inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Tampa Bay

• The hospital will be located at the corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road in Tampa Bay and is expected to open in the second quarter of 2021. It will provide comprehensive rehabilitative services to patients overcoming a variety of debilitating illnesses and injuries such as stroke and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions. Patients will receive at least three hours of intensive therapy for five days each week, frequent face-to-face visits with a physician and 24-hour nursing care during their stays.
• “This new hospital will help meet the growing demand for a hospital level of intensive physical rehabilitation in Tampa Bay,” said Linda Wilder, president of Encompass Health’s southeast region. “The new rehabilitation hospital will become part of Encompass Health’s integrated delivery network of 12 hospitals and 17 home health locations throughout Florida, which are focused on not only returning complex patients to their home but helping them remain home through coordinated and connected care.”
• Included in the hospital will be a spacious therapy gym, advanced rehabilitation technologies, an activities of daily living suite, cafeteria and dining room, in-house dialysis, pharmacy and courtyard. The project will bring approximately 100 full-time jobs to the community.  

• (Reuters) Pulte full-year forecast disappoints, higher costs persist

• PulteGroup forecast full-year home sales and gross margins below analyst expectations, as it grapples with rising land costs.
• Homebuilders in the United States have struggled with a lower supply of homes, especially at the lower-price end of the housing market because of land and labor shortages, as well as expensive building materials and sluggish wage growth that has crimped demand.
• U.S home sales fell more than expected in June as a persistent shortage of properties pushed prices to a record high, suggesting the housing market was struggling to regain speed since hitting a soft patch last year.
• Chief Executive Officer Ryan Marshall, however, said he expected demand to pick up in the second half of the year, helped by lower mortgage rates.
• Pulte’s forecast overshadowed better-than-expected quarterly profit.
• Pulte expects to sell 22,300 to 22,800 homes this year, compared with estimates of 22,764 units, according to Refinitiv data.
• The company expects an average sales price of between $425,000 to $430,000 for the remainder of the year, and forecast gross margins to be between 23% and 23.3% for 2019, compared to a consensus of 23.9%.

(Indianapolis Business Journal) Steel Dynamics planning to build $1.9B plant, hire 600

• • An Indiana company is planning to build a $1.9 billion flat-roll steel mill in south Texas and create about 600 jobs.
  • Steel Dynamics Inc. said the electric arc-furnace unit will be in Sinton, about 25 miles northwest of Corpus Christi.
  • The Fort Wayne-based company said in a statement this week that the site is strategically located for the southwestern U.S. and Mexico markets. President and CEO Mark Millett said Steel Dynamics has been developing a flat-roll steel business strategy for those areas for several years.
  • Company officials say the mill will be able to produce up to 52 half-ton coils for the energy, automotive, construction and appliance industries. The site has transport access to railroads, highways and the Port of Corpus Christi.
  • Construction should begin next year.

CAM High Yield Market Note

7/19/2019

Fund Flows & Issuance: According to a Wells Fargo report, flows week to date were $0.2 billion and year to date flows stand at $15.0 billion. New issuance for the week was $3.7 billion and year to date HY is at $137.8 billion, which is +24% over the same period last year.

(Bloomberg) High Yield Market Highlights

• U.S. junk bond spreads should see some relief Friday as oil prices bounce back following a recent losing streak and stocks futures rise on expectations of a Fed rate cut later this month.
• The high-yield primary market could see as many as three deals price today, putting it on track for the busiest July in five years if volumes for the month top $15b
• Investor demand for high-yield remains strong despite recent spread widening. Cash continues to pour into funds, and new deals have been inundated with orders
• U.S. high yield funds have seen six straight weeks of inflows
• Sinclair Broadcast Group saw around $19b in investor demand for its $4.9b acquisition deal, including $11b for the secured tranche and $8b for the unsecured tranche
• Trivium Packaging is expected to price a cross- border new issue today. The U.S. dollar tranches have been upsized after orders topped more than $5b
• Junk bond YTD returns are still high, but did fall below 10% for the first time in three weeks on Thursday
• BBs YTD returns stand at 10.626%
• Single-B YTD returns are 10.131%
• CCCs YTD returns are 7.269%
• Loan returns are at 6.257% YTD

(Bloomberg) Sinclair Has $19b of Investor Orders for Sports M&A Junk Bond

• Sinclair Broadcast Group’s high-yield bond offering to finance its acquisition of 21 regional sports networks was inundated with investor demand as order books reached $19b, according to people familiar with the matter who are not authorized to speak publicly and asked not to be identified.
• The $2.55b 7 year senior secured tranche received orders of about $11b, while the $2.325b 8 year unsecured tranche received about $8b, the people said
• The bond — the biggest dollar high-yield offering since Altice France priced a $5.19b deal in 2016 — is expected to price Friday
• Initial whisper talk for the secured tranche is 6%-6.25%, and the unsecured 7.25%-7.5%
• Commitments on $4b term loans that will also finance the acquisition were due July 18
• The $9.6b acquisition announced in May will be financed with $1b of preferred equity and around $1.4b of cash from Sinclair, according to bond documents seen by Bloomberg
• The sale of the sports networks to Sinclair by Walt Disney allowed the company to get the antitrust approval needed for its $71b takeover of Fox 

• (Netflix) Netflix’s Next Big Market Is Crowded With Cheaper Rivals

• Netflix Inc., reported the worst drop in U.S. users since 2011, is looking for new subscriber growth in India, a rapidly expanding streaming market. Trouble is, so are a raft of ambitious local players with cut-rate programming packages.
• Already wrestling with other global giants such as Walt Disney Co. and Amazon.com Inc., Netflix now also contends with broadcasters and Bollywood powerhouses allied with billionaire-backed wireless carriers, who are luring users with free offers
  or as low as 40 cents a month. That tactic has put them directly in the India growth path of the world’s largest paid online streaming service.
• The intense competition could derail Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings’s goal of 100 million customers in India – almost 25 times Netflix’s estimated subscriber base there this year. The world’s second-most populous country is a priority for the streaming service, which is effectively blocked in China.
• The second-quarter loss of 130,000 users in the U.S., reported Wednesday, makes winning in India all the more pressing.

(Company Report) United Rentals Announces Second Quarter 2019 Results

• • Total revenue increased 21.1% to $2.290 billion and rental revenue increased 20.2% to $1.960 billion. On a GAAP basis, the company reported second quarter net income of $270 million, compared with $270 million, for the same period in 2018. Second quarter 2019 included a pretax debt redemption loss of $32 million
  • Adjusted EBITDA increased 18.3% year-over-year to $1.073 billion, while adjusted EBITDA margin decreased 110 basis points to 46.9%. On a pro forma basis, year-over-year, net income increased 7.1%, adjusted EBITDA increased 6.6% and adjusted EBITDA margin increased 40 basis points.
  • Matthew Flannery, chief executive officer of United Rentals, said, “We were pleased with our solid growth in revenue for both our general rental and specialty segments and our adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter. Importantly, the market outlook for the second half of 2019 remains positive based on feedback from our customers and the field. The multiple integrations we have underway will continue to gain traction in the back part of the year.”
  • Flannery continued, “Our updates to guidance reflect a slightly slower than expected pace for the BlueLine integration, as well as historically bad weather in several key regions this past quarter. As a result, we’ve trimmed the upper ends on total revenue and adjusted EBITDA by approximately 1%, and capex by $150 million, while raising our free cash flow expectation. We remain confident in the health of the cycle and are well positioned to serve our customers with the strongest service offering in our history.”

CAM High Yield Market Note

7/12/2019

Fund Flows & Issuance: According to a Wells Fargo report, flows week to date were $0.7 billion and year to date flows stand at $13.9 billion. New issuance for the week was $0.8 billion and year to date HY is at $134.1 billion, which is +24% over the same period last year.

(Bloomberg) High Yield Market Highlights

• U.S. high-yield bonds are set to open with support from climbing stock futures and optimism that central banks will keep interest rates in check. That may allow the market to end the week on a high note after yields widened in all but one of the past four days.
• The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate High Yield index returned -0.07% this week through Thursday.
• Retail funds had a fifth consecutive week of inflows
• Month- to-date volume stood at $4.6b and July has traditionally been a light month for issuance averaging about $14b in the last six years
• Yields rose and returns turned negative again across all ratings with Triple-Cs losing the most yesterday
• While the Bloomberg Barclays high yield index dropped 0.05% yesterday, the energy index posted gains of 0.08%
• Junk bond YTD returns stand at 10.149%, the highest across fixed income and the best returns since 2016
• The high yield energy index YTD returns were at 7.359%
• BBs are the strongest performers, with YTD returns at 10.72%, followed by single Bs at 10.29%
• CCCs YTD returns stand at 7.73%
• Loans returns are at 6.016% YTD

(Market Watch) Distress in junk bond prices hit 6-month high in June

• The U.S. junk-bond market may be flashing a new warning that the credit cycle is nearing its end.
• About $52.5 billion of corporate bonds issued by U.S. companies with “junk” credit ratings were trading in June at prices below 70 cents on the dollar, the highest amount in six months, according to a J.P. Morgan note.
• Bonds that trade below par, or face value, can signal concerns about the ability of a borrower, or area of industry, to service its debts. Riskier companies that don’t qualify for top investment-grade ratings are already categorized as high-yield, or junk credits.
• While distressed bonds in June were just 4.3% of the over $1.2 trillion U.S. junk-bond market, the last time the volume was higher was December.
• Back then, U.S. debt and equity markets were reeling from a sharp selloff, which was sparked by fears that the Federal Reserve would keep raising rates, even through the U.S. economy was showing signs of slowing.
• Almost half of the sub-$70 high-yield bonds in June were from the energy sector, while telecommunications added another 21% and health care contributed about 12%, according to J.P. Morgan data.
• There have been growing concerns about slowing manufacturing in the U.S. and around the potential for sweeping health care reforms if a Democratic candidate ends up seizing the White House from Donald Trump.  

• (Globe Newswire) Teleflex Announces Publication of a Large Real-World Study

• Teleflex Incorporated announced the publication of positive results from a multi-center study reaffirming the safety and effectiveness of the minimally invasive UroLift® System for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in real-world patient populations. This is the largest, most comprehensive study to examine a minimally invasive BPH procedure in a real-world setting. Results were published in the Journal of Endourology.
• The Real-World Retrospective study was designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the UroLift System in a real-world setting and to determine whether clinical outcomes are consistent with those found in controlled studies. The multi-center, retrospective study examined the results of 1,413 consecutive patients who received the UroLift System treatment over two years across 14 sites in North America and Australia.
• “Not only are the real-world results from this large, multi-center study consistent with the L.I.F.T study, this study also provides data in populations of patients who were not studied in the L.I.F.T study but are seen in a real-world clinic setting,” said Gregg Eure, M.D., urologist at Urology of Virginia in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a lead investigator and co-author of the study. “These findings should give urologists and patients the confidence to adopt the UroLift System within the broader BPH population.”
• The randomized L.I.F.T. clinical trial demonstrated that treatment with the UroLift System provides patients rapid and durable symptom relief. The minimally invasive procedure, which works without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue, demonstrates an excellent safety profile. Unlike BPH thermal therapies such as the most recent steam treatment, the real-world results for the UroLift System treatment showed complication rates and a patient experience that were consistent with controlled clinical trials.  

• (Reuters) U.S. House seeks documents from companies that run immigrant detention centers

• • Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives said they have sent letters seeking documents and information from three companies responsible for detaining illegal immigrants arrested by U.S. immigration agents.
  • The House Oversight Committee and its House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties sent letters to CoreCivic Inc, Geo Group Inc, and DC Capital Partners LLC seeking information about the facilities they operate under contract from the U.S. government.
  • “The committee is investigating the Trump administration’s rapidly increasing use of for-profit contractors to detain tens of thousands of immigrants, including a troubling series of reports of health and safety,” Representatives Elijah Cummings and Jamie Raskin wrote in the letters.
  • The two Democrats said the Trump administration had “dramatically escalated” spending on contracts with for-profit companies that operate detention centers.
  • In a separate letter to ICE, the two lawmakers asked for copies of the contracts with the three companies and documents detailing how ICE ensures that contractor-operated detention centers comply with standards set by the Department of Homeland Security.

(Reuters) SunTrust to stop financing private U.S. prison operators

• SunTrust Bank will stop financing operators of private prisons and immigration holding facilities, it said on Monday, becoming the latest lender to distance itself from a sector associated with the Trump administration’s policies.
• Banks have been under pressure to cut ties with the private prison industry since U.S. President Donald Trump’s restrictions on immigration raised concerns about detention center conditions. The centers account for about two-thirds of the people held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, S&P Global Ratings estimated last year.
• Earlier this year, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Bank of America made similar commitments to phase out relationships with private prison companies.
• Executives of big banks have been confronted by activists at annual shareholder meetings and grilled by lawmakers about their role in the industry. Private prison operators have argued that activists mischaracterize the nature of their facilities.
• “It’s unfortunate that misleading political activism has been allowed to impact a decade-long banking relationship,” said Geo Group spokesman Pablo Paez.  

• (CNBC) President Trump gives executive order to transform kidney care

• The executive order lays out ambitious goals for shifting 80% of patients currently on kidney dialysis out of high-cost clinic settings to more convenient and cost-effective home care by the end of the next decade.
• Yet the details of the proposal for achieving that goal appear to be far less threatening to the major dialysis providers than initially feared by many investors.
• The executive order proposes a 3% increase in home care dialysis reimbursement in the first year of a voluntary Medicare demonstration program, starting in 2020, but that extra boost would phase out over the three-year course of the initiative.
• Combined, Davita and Fresenius control more than 80% of the kidney dialysis market with the largest share of their revenues and profits coming from their dialysis clinics.

CAM High Yield Market Note

7/5/2019

(Bloomberg) High Yield Market Highlights

• Retail funds estimated to have received $885m through Tuesday, JPMorgan strategists wrote, citing Lipper data. High-yield bond ETFs recorded inflows of ~$1b in the last four sessions, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
• Issuance slowed ahead of the Fourth of July holiday and is expected to resume next week
• Returns rebounded in a holiday-shortened session Wednesday across ratings, with BBs leading the rally.
• Spreads tightened and yields dropped in thin trading
• U.S. high yield trading on July 3 was the slowest day in 2019 and volumes dropped the most in almost three months
• YTD returns climbed back again to close at 10.257% from 10.146%
• BBs are still the best performers, with a YTD return of 10.832%, followed by single Bs at 10.42%
• Triple-C YTD returns stand at 7.68%
• Loans lag bonds with YTD returns of 5.83%  

• (Wall Street Journal) Oil-Field Services Firm Seeks Chapter 11

• Weatherford International said it would file for bankruptcy protection after bondholders approved a restructuring agreement that will reduce its total debt by about 70%.
• The company said it expected to file its chapter 11 petition in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston in what would be one of the biggest oil patch bankruptcies in years.
• Unsecured bondholders are in line to get all but 1% of the equity in the reorganized business, while shares in the existing company will be canceled.
• Weatherford, which has about 26,000 employees world-wide, had said in May that it planned to file for bankruptcy after having reached an agreement with creditors holding 62% of its bond debt. The balance-sheet restructuring will reduce its total debt to about $2.5 billion from $8.3 billion, nearly all of which is made up of unsecured bonds. Under the proposed plan, which requires court approval, the bondholders are expected to recover about 63% of what they are owed based on the proposed valuation of the company. Weatherford blamed its bankruptcy filing, in part, on volatility in oil and natural gas prices.
• As oil-and-gas companies’ spending on exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas has decreased, so has demand for Weatherford’s services and products, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Weatherford said its cash flows from operations have been negative the past three fiscal years.

(Wall Street Journal) OPEC Agrees to Extend Output-Cut Pact

• OPEC agreed to roll over its production cuts into the first quarter of 2020, the cartel’s officials said, but the new pact exposed deepening geopolitical fractures among members of the group.
• The discussions over long-term cooperation plans highlighted the risks of the cartel’s alliance with Russia: OPEC needs the partnership to compete with U.S. shale producers, but longstanding members say they feel ostracized by the alliance.
• OPEC reached a consensus on oil output without much drama Monday, but the cartel hit an impasse when it sought agreement on whether it should continue working with Russia and its allies to balance oil markets once the nine-month plan expires.
• Iran initially objected, but after talks lasting five hours and involving a separate meeting between Iranian and Saudi officials both sides reached a compromise on long-term cooperation with Russia, OPEC officials said.
• Over the weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that Saudi Arabia — OPEC’s de facto leader — and Russia had already agreed to maintain the output cuts at current volumes, which run at around 1.2 million barrels a day. The news left some in OPEC feeling overshadowed by two of the world’s largest oil producers, OPEC officials said.

(Bloomberg) T-Mobile on Cusp of Justice Department Approval for Sprint

• T-Mobile U.S. Inc. is on the cusp of securing U.S. Justice Department approval for its $26.5 billion merger with Sprint Corp., after establishing the general outlines of asset sales to Dish Network Corp., according to people familiar with the matter.
• The Justice Department is hammering out final issues with T-Mobile on an agreement aimed at ensuring Dish can become a strong fourth competitor in the U.S. wireless market, said the people, who asked to not be identified because the matter isn’t public. While the sticking points aren’t insurmountable, the Justice Department has yet to bless the arrangement to allow Sprint’s acquisition to proceed.
• T-Mobile is trying to offer just enough concessions to gain approval but not so many that it creates a formidable rival while the Justice Department is aiming to maximize competition, the people said.

Fund Flows & Issuance:  According to a Wells Fargo report, flows week to date were $1.7 billion and year to date flows stand at $10.0 billion.  New issuance for the week was $6.5 billion and year to date HY is at $113.2 billion, which is +19% over the same period last year.

(Bloomberg)  High Yield Market Highlights

• Junk bonds look susceptible to weakness in stock futures and oil, following gains in the prior session amid fund inflows.
• Junk yields dropped, spreads tightened across ratings yesterday amid equity and oil strength
• Lipper’s reported inflow into U.S. high yield funds was the biggest in 10 weeks
• Investors demanding appropriate risk premium was evident in pricing of US Renal Care‘s CCC-tranche
• Priced at the wide end of talk to get investors on board and changed issuer-friendly covenants to protect investors
• Junk bond returns YTD stood at 8.89%
• BBs were at YTD peak of 9.229%
• Single-Bs at 8.986%
• CCCs stood at 7.106%
• Energy returns turned negative for the second straight session, with YTD dropping to 6.089%
• Loans were at 5.698%

(Reuters)  Trump blames Iran for tanker attacks, stoking fears of confrontation

• S. President Donald Trump blamed Iran on Friday for attacks on two oil tankers at the entrance to the Gulf despite Tehran’s denials, stoking fears of a confrontation in the vital oil shipping route.
• Iran has dismissed earlier U.S. charges that it was behind Thursday’s attacks that crippled two tankers and has previously threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of globally consumed oil passes, if its oil exports were halted.
• Thursday’s blasts followed a similar attacks a month earlier on four tankers, which Washington also blamed on Tehran.

(Bloomberg)  Dish, Charter and Altice Eye T-Mobile and Sprint Assets

• Dish Network Corp., Charter Communications Inc. and Altice USA Inc. are among bidders for assets T-Mobile US Inc. plans to sell to win regulatory approval for its $26.5 billion takeover of Sprint Corp., according to people familiar with the matter.
• The companies are on a shortlist of bidders favored by the Justice Department, said the people, who asked to not be identified because the matter isn’t public. The antitrust division would be comfortable with cable companies buying the assets because they are better positioned to become viable competitors with their own networks, one of the people said.
• T-Mobile and Sprint have agreed to sell prepaid wireless brand Boost to appease the Federal Communications Commission, which also has to approve the deal. To win over the Justice Department, the companies are also discussing offloading another prepaid brand and enough spectrum to help set up a viable fourth competitor if the deal goes through.
• They are working with a shortlist of potential buyers acceptable to the Justice Department with the aim of having the antitrust enforcer sign off on the winner as part of their approval efforts, the people said.

(Business Wire)  The GEO Group Amends Senior Revolving Credit Facility Extending Maturity to May 2024; Size and Pricing Remain Unchanged

• The GEO Group announced the closing of an extension and amendment to its Senior Revolving Credit Facility. The maturity for the amended Revolver has been extended to May 17, 2024. The borrowing capacity under the amended Revolver will remain at $900 million, and its pricing will remain unchanged currently bearing interest at LIBOR plus 2.25%.
• GEO currently has approximately $492 million in outstanding borrowings along with approximately $62 million set aside for letters of credit under the amended Revolver, leaving approximately $346 million in available borrowing capacity.
• George C. Zoley, GEO’s Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, said: “The extension and amendment of our senior revolving credit facility, with consistent terms and unchanged pricing, is indicative of our long-standing ability to access cost-effective capital. Our amended revolver will position our company to continue to pursue quality growth opportunities. We remain optimistic about the strong fundamentals and the increasing demand for our high-quality services across GEO’s diversified business segments.”

Fund Flows & Issuance:  According to a Wells Fargo report, flows week to date were -$1.8 billion and year to date flows stand at $8.2 billion.  New issuance for the week was $3.2 billion and year to date HY is at $106.7 billion, which is +16% over the same period last year.

(Bloomberg)  High Yield Market Highlights

• S. junk bonds have positive momentum after three straight days of gains despite the biggest fund outflows since December. Rising oil and equity markets are supportive and all eyes are on this morning’s U.S. employment report for clues on the strength of the economy.
• The primary looks to be wide open after a number of borrowers, including first-time issuer GrubHub, increased the size of offerings this week
• Five of the seven deals priced this week were drive-by deals, signaling that junk investors were scrambling for supply
• Risk assets got a boost yesterday from reports that U.S.- Mexico talks were progressing towards a deal
• This followed Chair Powell reiterating earlier this week that the central bank is standing by to act if the trade war causes disruption
• Junk bond YTD returns are 8.117%, the best asset in fixed income
• BBs were at 8.344%
• Single-B stood at 8.19%
• CCCs were still the worst performers at 6.767% YTD
• Loans were at 5.578%
• Investment grade bonds were at 7.376%

(CAM Note)  Moody’s Downgraded the Debt of Tenneco by One Notch

• The senior unsecured debt is now rated B3.
• Moody’s cited an expected slower pace of deleveraging, weaker financial performance, and a soft auto production environment.

(Business Wire)  The GEO Group Negotiating with State of Victoria to Increase Capacity at the Ravenhall Correctional Centre by 300 Beds

• The GEO Group, Inc. announced that its subsidiary, The GEO Group Australia Pty Ltd (“GEO Australia”) is currently in negotiation discussions with the State of Victoria to increase the capacity at the Ravenhall Correctional Centre by an additional 300 beds increasing the Centre’s capacity to 1,600 beds. The 300-bed capacity increase is expected to generate incremental annualized revenues of $19 million.
• The Ravenhall Correctional Centre was developed by a GEO led consortium. The $700 million project was financed under a Public-Private Partnership structure, which included a capital investment from GEO of approximately $90 million with returns on investment consistent with GEO’s company-owned facilities. GEO Australia operates the Centre, which opened in late 2017, under a 25-year contract with the State of Victoria.
• George C. Zoley, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of GEO, said: “We appreciate the trust placed in our company by the State of Victoria, which is a reflection of our partnership with the State since 1999 with the opening of the Fulham Correctional Centre. We are looking forward to working with the Department of Justice and Community Safety to further strengthen our longstanding partnership.”

(Market Watch)  Junk bond canary soothes fears around yield curve recession signal

• The muted selloff in the market for high-yield corporate debt brings some calm to investors rattled by the Treasury market’s potential signal of a recession.
• Analysts skeptical of calls for a trade-induced economic downturn say the resilience of so-called junk bonds shows the U.S. expansion has room to run, and that the growth worries emanating from an inversion of the Treasury yield have gone too far.
• In recent weeks, the Trump administration’s stridency in pursuing more protectionist trade policies, imposing tariffs on China and threatening to slap levies on Mexico, have cast a shadow over the U.S. economy, on course for its longest period of sustained growth in post-World War II history.
• “So far, credit spreads have remained well behaved, which also suggests to us that the probability of an imminent slowdown is not high,” said Sean Darby, chief equity strategist for Jefferies.
• One reason why some market watchers are dismissing the yield curve’s recession warning is because its predictive powers come from its ability to detect when businesses struggle to find credit. But debt-bloated firms have continued to issue bonds this year, suggesting financial conditions still remain supportive of growth.

Fund Flows & Issuance:  According to a Wells Fargo report, flows week to date were $0.02 billion and year to date flows stand at $12.5 billion.  New issuance for the week was $7.2 billion and year to date HY is at $102.1 billion, which is +16% over the same period last year.

(Bloomberg)  High Yield Market Highlights 

• Junk bonds will draw support from stabilizing equity and oil markets today, helped by better fund flows, after the heaviest bout of issuance in 14 months. Futures point to a firm open, following a bruising week for risk assets.
• Yesterday’s close was the lowest since March 8
• Futures on the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq rose today in the wake of steep declines a day earlier
• Oil’s also opening firmer this morning, after suffering the biggest weekly drop since December
• However, concerns are mounting that the trade dispute could cripple global growth
• S. corporate high-yield funds swung to a small inflow of about $20mm for the week
• High-yield index fell 0.25% yesterday, the biggest loss since May 13
• Spread widened 10bps to 398bps
• Index yield rose to 6.38% from 6.35%
• The junk market is digesting $25b in new bonds, the most monthly supply since March 2018

(The Street)  Sprint-T-Mobile US Merger Gets FCC Approval After 5G Network Development Pledge

• Sprint Corp. and T-Mobile shares surged Monday after U.S. Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai said he would recommend approval of their  $26 billion merger plans.
• The FCC agreed to the tie-up following pledges from both companies to build 5G networks around the country, while ensuring “robust” infrastructure in rural areas, and to also enhance in-home broadband offerings to its customer base.
• “Two of the FCC’s top priorities are closing the digital divide in rural America and advancing United States leadership in 5G, the next generation of wireless connectivity,” Pai said in a statement. “The commitments made today by T-Mobile and Sprint would substantially advance each of these critical objectives.”
• “I’m also pleased that the companies have committed to a robust buildout of their mid-band spectrum holdings,” he added. “Demonstrating that 5G will indeed benefit rural Americans, T-Mobile and Sprint have promised that their network would cover at least two-thirds of our nation’s rural population with high-speed, mid-band 5G, which could improve the economy and quality of life in many small towns across the country.”

(Globe Newswire)  Toll Brothers Reports FY 2019 2nd Quarter Results

• Toll Brothers, Inc., the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes, announced results for its second quarter ended April 30, 2019.
• Net income and earnings per share were $129.3 million and $0.87 per share diluted, compared to net income of $111.8 million and $0.72 per share diluted in FY 2018’s second quarter.
• Pre-tax income grew 15% to $176.2 million, compared to $152.7 million in FY 2018’s second quarter.
• Home sales revenues were $1.71 billion, up 7%; home building deliveries were 1,911, up 1%.
• Net signed contract value was $2.00 billion, down 16%; contract units were 2,424, down 9%.
• Backlog value at second-quarter end was $5.66 billion, down 11%; units in backlog totaled 6,467, down 8%.
• Home sales gross margin was 19.7%; Adjusted Home Sales Gross Margin, which excludes interest and inventory write-downs (“Adjusted Home Sales Gross Margin”), was 23.5%.
• Douglas C. Yearley, Jr., Toll Brothers’ chairman and chief executive officer, stated: “We are pleased with this quarter’s results, which exceeded our expectations for revenues, margins, and profits.  Revenues, net income and earnings per share rose 7%, 16%, and 21%, respectively, compared to one year ago.
• “We are encouraged by the improvement in demand as the quarter progressed.  FY 2019’s April contracts surpassed FY 2018’s April on both a gross and per-community basis.  Although the Spring selling season bloomed late, it built momentum.  We view this as a positive sign for the overall health of the new home market.
• “We continue to look for opportunities to grow and leverage our industry-leading brand as we expand our geographic footprint, product lines, and price points. Yesterday, we announced our entry into metro Atlanta with the acquisition of Sharp Residential.  Atlanta was the largest U.S. housing market where we did not operate, and Sharp was one of Atlanta’s largest private home builders. This quarter we also opened our first communities in Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon, which are markets we have entered organically and where we are already seeing healthy buyer interest.
• “According to recent reports, builder sentiment in May rose to a 7-month high and single-family housing starts in April were up 6.2% versus March.  The industry is being buoyed by low interest rates, a strong employment picture, and a still-limited supply of new homes in many markets.  With a positive macroeconomic backdrop, record low unemployment, continued wage growth, and solid consumer confidence, we are optimistic about the opportunities ahead.”

Fund Flows & Issuance:  According to a Wells Fargo report, flows week to date were -$2.5 billion and year to date flows stand at $12.5 billion.  New issuance for the week was $4.0 billion and year to date HY is at $94.9 billion, which is +12% over the same period last year.

(Bloomberg)  High Yield Market Highlights

• S. junk bonds gained 0.19% yesterday, the most in 7 weeks, as stocks rallied and the VIX fell. This morning’s equity retreat and the biggest fund outflows since December call into the question the sustainability of the move higher.
• Junk bond yields dropped across ratings, with the biggest decline in 5 weeks, but nervous investors pulled cash out of retail funds for a second week
• Lipper reported an outflow of $2.57b from U.S. high yield for week ended May 15, the most since December, amid trade war jitters
• Berry Global is set to price a smaller than expected deal today
• Three new deals priced yesterday. All priced at the lower end talk
• Junk bond energy saw the best performance in 6 weeks after posting losses for more than 10 weeks, with 0.25% yesterday
• High-yield energy YTD return was 8.67%
• High-yield returns ex-energy also turned positive, with YTD at 8.086%
• BBs at 7.99%, single-Bs 8.25%
• CCCs at 7.964% YTD
• Loans lag junk bonds, with a 5.67% YTD gain

(Reuters)  U.S. states accuse Teva, other drugmakers, of price-fixing: lawsuit 

• S. states filed a lawsuit accusing Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc of orchestrating a sweeping scheme with 19 other drug companies to inflate drug prices – sometimes by more than 1,000% – and stifle competition for generic drugs, state prosecutors said on Saturday.
• Soaring drug prices from both branded and generic manufacturers have sparked outrage and investigations in the United States. The criticism has come from across the political spectrum, from President Donald Trump, a Republican, to progressive Democrats including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is running for president.
• The 20 drug companies engaged in illegal conspiracies to divide up the market for drugs to avoid competing and, in some cases, conspired to either prevent prices from dropping or to raise them, according to the complaint by 44 U.S. states, filed on Friday in the U.S. District Court in Connecticut.
• “The allegations in this new complaint, and in the litigation more generally, are just that – allegations,” Teva said in a statement. “Teva continues to review the issue internally and has not engaged in any conduct that would lead to civil or criminal liability.”
• “Apparently unsatisfied with the status quo of ‘fair share’ and the mere avoidance of price erosion, Teva and its co-conspirators embarked on one of the most egregious and damaging price-fixing conspiracies in the history of the United States,” the complaint said.

(Bloomberg)  Looming U.S. Junk Bond Risk May Shrink With Fed’s Help 

• One of the biggest risks in the junk bond market is showing signs of diminishing, with help from the Federal Reserve.
• Nearly a third of the $1.2 trillion U.S. high-yield market matures in the next four years, a record high proportion, according to Barclays Plc strategists led by Bradley Rogoff. Junk-rated companies have to refinance that debt, pay it off, or face bankruptcy.
• They have years to sort out that risk, but many are doing it now: companies have issued more than $80 billion of bonds this year that listed refinancing as one of the uses of proceeds, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, accounting for more than 70% of issuance this year.
• “Companies are extending maturities out, and that’s healthy,” said Scott Roberts, head of high-yield debt at Invesco Ltd. Refinancing is a better use of debt than buying back shares, he added. “I’ve seen frothy before and this is not it.”
• Corporations have ample incentive to deal with future debt maturities soon: on average they can reduce interest costs by issuing securities at current yields, the Barclays strategists said. Those relatively low borrowing costs are in part because of the Fed, which has paused its rate hikes, spurring money managers to pile into junk bonds in search of yield. Even with recent declines in high-yield securities, the debt has gained 8.3% this year through Friday, according to Bloomberg Barclays index data.
• “I feel good about this high-yield market and we are trying to push issuers to take advantage of it,” said Richard Zogheb, global head of debt capital markets at Citigroup Inc. “Investors are so excited now that the underlying rate environment is more dovish, and that’s really good news for high-yield borrowers.”
• Investment bankers say companies are taking notice of the opportunities to issue, and not just for refinancing. Corporations sold around $12 billion of U.S. junk bonds last week, the highest level in around 20 months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

(Bloomberg)  China Downplays Chances for Trade Talks While U.S. Plays ‘Little Tricks’

• China’s state media signaled a lack of interest in resuming trade talks with the U.S. under the current threat to escalate tariffs, while the government said stimulus will be stepped up to buttress the domestic economy.
• Without new moves that show the U.S. is sincere, it is meaningless for its officials to come to China and have trade talks, according to a commentary by the blog Taoran Notes, which was carried by state-run Xinhua News Agency and the People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s mouthpiece. The Ministry of Commerce spokesman said Thursday he had no information about any U.S. officials coming to Beijing for further talks.
• The indications that negotiations are paused will focus attention on the next opportunity for Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump to meet — at the Group of Twenty meeting in Japan next month. Their meeting in Argentina in December last year put negotiations back on track, only for them to fall apart again this month in Washington.
• S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said this week that American officials “most likely will go to Beijing at some point” in the near future to continue trade talks, before later saying he has “no plans yet to go to China.”