Does CR Have More LO Funds than ER?

Maybe I’m wrong but it seems that there are way more types of funds available for people with a background in credit research than equity research. I’m only familiar with the equity side of LOs where you have a small number of super scaled active management firms and some notable boutiques that are pretty competitive. It seems like there are more types of LO funds on the credit side. For example, many large insurance companies has AM arms but they are 99% credit. Am I crazy here? If you enjoy the comp and WLB of LO and interested in the work, is credit the way to go?

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Based on the most helpful WSO content, it appears that there are indeed more types of LO (Long Only) funds available for those with a background in credit research compared to equity research. Here are some key points:

  • Diversity of Funds: Credit research professionals have access to a wider variety of funds, including those managed by large insurance companies, which predominantly focus on credit.
  • Work-Life Balance (WLB): Credit roles often offer a better work-life balance. For instance, in liquid credit, leveraged loans, and high yield groups, you can expect significantly fewer hours (around 60 per week for analysts) and predictable schedules.
  • Compensation: While compensation in credit roles may cap out lower at the senior end compared to equity roles, it is generally competitive through the middle ranks. Senior analysts in credit can clear into the high six figures, similar to direct lending roles.
  • Predictability: Credit roles often involve investing in coupon-clipping assets, leading to predictable compensation and fewer performance-based variations.

For those who enjoy the compensation and work-life balance of LO and are interested in the work, credit could indeed be a favorable path.

Sources: LO Credit (HY/LL) Sr Analyst Comp Packages, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/private-equity/liquid-credit-leveraged-loans-high-yield-groups?customgpt=1, Work/Life Balance: Equity Research vs. Investment Banking - (A Definitive Guide, Part 1), Credit funds, 2019/2020 Investment Banking Bonus Discussion

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Short answer - yes!

Long answer - yeeeeeeesssss!

Jokes aside, the main reason why there are more credit funds is because performance is not the sole KPI for credit as it is in equities - you can play with (and sell solutions in) currencies, duration, ratings, capital structure. I would argue that the more technical nature of Fixed Income means clients who invest in it are not the same as those in equities and are stickier.

We can argue about the validity of Fixed Income's mean reversion but if you believe this theory then there's a compelling reason to buy and hold credit products even when they underperform for some time, I'm not sure the same can be said for equities.

 
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