Riskiest Subprime Auto Debt Buyers Shrug Off Lending Worries
- Issuance of lowest-rated securities increases, spreads tighten
- Slowing auto sales, stringent credit standards support bonds
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
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Rising consumer debt and more loan defaults aren’t proving to be a problem for investors in the riskiest subprime-auto bonds, where spreads have tightened more than higher-rated securities.
Spreads on B rated notes, the lowest rated of recent subprime-auto ABS, contracted by 68 basis points from April to June compared with 20 basis points for BB- rated bonds, the next higher rating grade, while AAA notes didn’t tighten at all, according to data provider Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Data Services. This has helped junk-rated subprime-auto securities to outperform investment-grade asset-backed bonds in both the primary and secondary market, the data show.