Corporate credit faces volatility as private credit stress rises, AI divides borrowers, and IG primary strength masks widening dispersion.

Neil Sun, Portfolio Manager on RBC GAM's BlueBay U.S. Fixed Income team, examines how stagflation-style stress and cross-asset volatility are reshaping the credit landscape and potentially creating selective opportunities.

1. Private credit deterioration is accelerating as BDCs report rising nonaccruals and questionable loan valuations while higher rates expose overleveraged structures in this illiquid corner of the market.
2. AI infrastructure spending creates a credit divide where mega-cap tech maintains robust capital access for data centers and long-term investments while software and leveraged borrowers face intensified scrutiny on business model durability.
3. Strong IG primary demand and open funding markets contrast sharply with rising dispersion in financials and insurance sectors, presenting entry points in defensive high-quality bonds as heavy supply and macro volatility reset spreads wider.