Credit HF Questions - Curious Student

I am wondering two things. 

1. Distressed/ss/flexible mandate credit strategies are very cool (cross cap stack). For those in one of these seats, what would you be doing as a student, and where would you go out of school (straight to buyside, rx, etc.)?
2. What is the career "sharpe" of credit vs pub. equity. In other words, how is the comp compared to job security vs. equity strategies.

Thank you

6 Comments
 
  1. Pretty rare to get straight buyside. Most people I know in credit funds came from some sort of IB, ER, or trading desk. So I think a lot of the credit and rates trading people ended up in the more quant-y trading type HFs, while macro and credit research people and I want to say structured finance IB people tended to end up in the longer term holdings side, don't 100% quote me on that. 
  2. Depends so much on what the fund is doing. For the most part, credit strategies are a lot of arb these days. So like, RV is a big one. There's so much leverage in it too. You find that most HFs aren't just buying and holding credit and bonds. That's not the play. It's short term arb juiced to the tits with leverage. You also have some cool structured finance stuff going on within vol funds that looks rather interesting. Idk, there's so much variance and my own past of trading and more quant light stuff probably influences my own views on this, so someone more familiar with credit can probably say a bit more on some of this stuff. 
 
Most Helpful

Best to do restructuring banking or leveraged finance

Many special sits / credit HF is effectively value investing with credit structuring. Understanding business / industry dynamics, and fundamental financial analysis (valuation, historical analysis, cash flow modelling) should be prioritised.

Following this, understanding basic loan structures (tenor, makewhole, interest - pik / cash, equity linked - warrants, royalty, exit fee, covenants, seniority), enforcement / bankruptcy regime and healthy dose of skepticism (downside oriented view) fits for a credit investor

 

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