INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Mumbai: India's structured credit market is likely to witness an investment of more than $3 billion in the current year as contracts get
credibility with the bankruptcy law turning effective
Allianz, Cerberus, and South Korea’s Meritz are among investors buying assets and many of them are in India for the first time.
“A
global wallet of circa $3 billion is waiting to be deployed in structured credit space in India,” said Shantanu Sahai, head of debt at
“A number of standalone credit funds, or those housed within larger global private equity funds, have viewed the current market
dislocation and the steady maturing of the Indian credit markets as an incentive to invest into India in a significant way
These funds typically expect a return of 15-25 per cent by investing in a range of credits — from pedigreed promoters facing liquidity
issues all the way to distressed debt opportunities.”
Many global investors are looking for the first time to deploy $3 billion into
India’s credit market, especially the structured credit segment
Experts say the credit market has matured and good companies are seeing the benefit of better risk pricing
When domestic investors such as mutual funds and banks slammed doors on many NBFCs after a series of defaults in the sector and eroded
investor confidence in the segment, global funds including Allianz, Cerebrus and South Korea’s Meritz stepped in to take exposure.
With
the new Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the regulatory environment and the difficulties in ensuring creditor rights in a timely manner
have been addressed, attracting global investors
Allianz and South Korea’s Meritz have invested in Edelweiss’ stressed funds to take exposure in the distressed space
After the Essar Steel judgement, experts expect global funds to invest in India
Funds like Lone Star, Cerberus, Brookfield and Varde Partners are likely to raise their investment in India.
Flows to domestic MFs are
pretty slow for a few months specially in the whole of 2019
In light of that the space for the structued finance emerged as an attractive option for the people who understand it better, are able to
box the risk and price it based on right premium
Regulatory restrictions such as margin cover and bankable credit also helped the foreign investors to participate in the space as it’s
much more safer and lucrative now.
“After the IL-FS crisis, banks have charged higher rates to NBFCs, indicating a tight liquidity
situation,” said Ajay Manglunia head of institutional fixed income at JM Financial.
“The yield differential between AA and benchmark
yield has grown by up to 2 per cent in the last 15 months
Foreign funds have begun investing in Indian funds in the absence of Indian investors
Opportunities in stressed credit has also become a preferred way to participate based on their comfort on the pricing.”
“Over the past
one year, a differentiated yield curve recognising the yield distinction between quality of credits has emerged, with good-quality companies
seeing the advantage of better pricing,” said Sahai
“From sovereign wealth funds to private equity and credit funds, foreign money is seeing credit in India as a big opportunity.”