Credit funds move down rating curve; risk profile worsens in 2018-19

According to experts, the fall in exposure to the highest-rated papers was the result of a forced sell-off of liquid papers to deal with redemption pressures during the second half of 2018

Higher incidents of downgrades, combined with renewed risk-appetite among fund managers, have led to an uptick in credit risk funds’ exposure to lower-rated assets.

These schemes’ exposure to less than AA-rated papers rose from 25 per cent at the end of March 2018 to 28 per cent as of January 31, 2019. At the same time, exposure to highest-rated papers, which offer liquidity in tough times, has dropped from 15 per cent to 12 per cent.

“The spread assets are looking attractive. There is an opportunity to make money in some of these papers, and that is the reason for