The Role of Credit Default Swaps in Leveraged Finance Analysis

Credit Default Swaps (CDS) influence how bonds and loans trade and the relative value between bonds and loans. CDS can be the best way to hedge the risk of a corporate debt position and can also be a valuable investment tool in its own right. CDS has a multitude of nuances to it, from how its structured to how it is priced to how it is traded. If you are going to do analysis of corporate debt, especially in the leveraged finance market, you need to understand CDS. This booklet walks you through the basics of how CDS works, gives some perspective on how it has changed since the 2008 crisis and gives practical examples of how CDS is used and analyzed for corporate issuers. It is a valuable summary for anyone looking to do corporate credit analysis.