Global jitters over private credit
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What are the global financial jitters related to private credit?
Global financial jitters about what are referred to as non-bank banks or private credit. Despite wholesale inflation coming in hot this morning, investors are still buying U.S. government bonds this morning. The benchmark 10-year interest rate is now below 4 percent. But analysts say it's a move toward a safe haven. But why now? Christopher Lowe is chief economist at FHN Financial in New York. Hey, Chris. Hey, David. So U.S. government bonds, people are buying those because they're worried about something else. The something else is coming out of London. What is it?
It's private credit. It's specifically MFS, which is a big lender making risky loans, the kind of loans that banks don't want to make.
Why are investors buying U.S. government bonds now?
And they do it by borrowing from investors and from banks and and securing capital, which they then pledge as collateral, they've been accused of double-counting collateral. And as a result, the banks have pulled funding, and MFS is in the British equivalency of bankruptcy this morning.
All right. We'll see if those accusations are borne out. But we do see evidence. There are published reports that some of the banks that are creditors are exposed to some of these losses. This sounds familiar to that auto subprime lender, Tricolor, that ran into trouble late last year.
That's right. And people are starting to think it might be a bigger pattern. And so What we're seeing in the broad market today, treasuries lower in yield, that's people fleeing to quality, and high-yield debt, what we affectionately know as junk bonds, those yields are rising. When junk spreads rise, it's a signal to the entire industry, credit industry, that lenders are nervous and pulling back. from what they perceive as the most risky parts of the credit markets.
All right.
What is the situation with MFS and risky loans?
We'll continue to monitor this. Christopher Lowe, chief economist, FHN Financial in New York. Thank you.
Thank you, David.
And this will remind many of a comment made last fall by the CEO of the biggest of banks, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, after that private credit auto lender Tricolor went bankrupt. His quote, when you see one cockroach, there are probably more.
The artificial intelligence firm Anthropic has rejected the Pentagon's demands for unrestricted use of its technology. The Department of Defense says Anthropic has to agree to its terms by the end of the day or face consequences, Marketplace's Nancy Marshall-Genzer reports.
Anthropic is insisting that its technology, like its chatbot Claude, not be used in mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. The Defense Department is insisting it be allowed to deploy AI for, quote, any lawful use. In a post on X, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell says the military has no interest in using AI to conduct mass surveillance of Americans anymore. and doesn't want to use AI to develop autonomous weapons. Parnell says Anthropic has until 5.01 p.m. Eastern time today to decide. Otherwise, the Pentagon will terminate its partnership with Anthropic and label the company a supply chain risk.
How does the private credit market impact banks?
Anthropic would be blacklisted, and its partnerships with other firms could be severed. Anthropic still says its strong preference is to continue to serve the Pentagon with surveillance and autonomous weapons safeguards. But a senior Pentagon official tells Marketplace the Defense Department sent Anthropic its last and final offer Wednesday night. I'm Nancy Marshall-Genzer for Marketplace.
Time to take the Marketplace economic pulse, views on the economy from a wide range of perspectives. Today, a check-in on what we used to call... A lobster fisherman, when I grew up in Maine, now that I live on the other coast, I have to say lobster professional. In 2024, Maine's commercial fisheries did about $700 million in business, with lobsters accounting for the largest share of that total. Sonny Beal is a lobsterman and board member of the Maine Lobstermen's Association. He's on an island wicked down east. Mr. Beal, welcome.
Thank you for having me.
I guess it's like actors who never say the name of the Scottish Shakespeare play because bad things will then happen.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What are the global financial jitters related to private credit?
0:01–0:49
2
Why are investors buying U.S. government bonds now?
0:49–2:14
3
What is the situation with MFS and risky loans?
2:14–3:49
4
How does the private credit market impact banks?
3:49–5:36
5
What are Anthropic's concerns regarding Pentagon demands?
5:36–6:58
6
What challenges do Maine lobster fishermen face today?
6:58–7:40