Fear Is Coming Back to the Junk Bond Market

Junk bond investors are getting more skittish about risk.

An index of CCC rated bonds in the US has dropped nearly 0.8% over the month ended Thursday, underperforming the broader high-yield market as investors increasingly avoid the riskiest debt. Distressed US dollar loans jumped to $71.8 billion at the end of October — the highest since President Donald Trump outlined his tariff policy in April.