U.S. Inv Grade Best Ideas: Dec 2025
Andy DeVries, CFA - Head of Investment Grade, Head of Utilities, CreditSights
Winnie Cisar - Global Head of Strategy, CreditSights
Zachary Griffiths, CFA - Head of IG & Macro Strategy, CreditSights
Andrew Brady - Head of Basics, CreditSights
Andy Li, CFA - Senior Analyst, Technology, CreditSights
Charles Johnston, CFA - Head of Energy, CreditSights
Davis Hebert, CFA - Co-Head HY Research, Head of Telecom/Media, CreditSights
Eric Axon, CFA - Co-Head of High Yield, Head of Healthcare, CreditSights
Erick Vega, CFA - Senior Analyst, Telecom Infrastructure, CreditSights
Hunter Martin, CFA - Head of Media/Cable, CreditSights
Iris Shi, CFA - Analyst, Banks, CreditSights
Jordan Chalfin, CFA - Head of Technology, CreditSights
Josh Esterov, CFA - Co-Head of U.S. Financials, CreditSights
Matt Woodruff, CFA - Head of Aerospace & Defense / Transports, CreditSights
Michael O'Brien - Senior Analyst, Paper & Packaging, Homebuilders, CreditSights
Nick Moglia, CFA - Senior Analyst, REITs, Utilities and Refiners, CreditSights
Noah Schucking - Analyst, Retail, CreditSights
Peter Simon, CFA - Co-Head of U.S. Financials, CreditSights
Todd Duvick, CFA - Head of Autos, CreditSights
Wen Li, CFA - Head of Metals & Mining, CreditSights
2 December 2025
Insights into CreditSights’ investment grade best ideas selection—examining spread opportunities, credit metrics, rating catalysts, and sector positioning shaping institutional investors’ portfolio decisions:
- Portfolio Construction and Selection Methodology: Understand how analyst teams identify outperform and underperform recommendations across investment grade credits favoring low BBB-rated opportunities.
- Spread Dynamics and Relative Value Assessment: Explore how individual credits trade versus benchmark indices and sector peers, identifying compression opportunities and valuation discrepancies.
- Leverage Metrics and Credit Quality Evaluation: Examine debt-to-EBITDA trajectories and financial flexibility considerations determining companies’ abilities to maintain investment grade status through cycles.
- Rating Agency Actions and Upgrade/Downgrade Catalysts: Investigate outlook revisions and rating triggers from major agencies creating potential index inclusion benefits or fallen angel risks.
- Sector Diversification and Industry-Specific Drivers: Learn about varied fundamental themes across automotive, technology, energy, healthcare, and financial sectors influencing relative performance expectations.
Executive Summary
Quarterly post-earnings investment grade best ideas list compiled across analyst team with outperforms and underperforms. Selections include spread outlook, potential catalysts and recent reports where analysts maintain strong credit views.
Portfolio selections favor low BBB-rated securities trading wider versus broader investment grade benchmark indices. Maturity focus targets medium-term tenors with occasional adjustments for credits lacking comparable duration alternatives.
Investors can contact analyst teams directly through multiple communication channels for additional credit details. Detailed security identifiers available upon request for portfolio tracking and implementation purposes.
Outperform selections span multiple sectors including automotive, financials, energy, technology, retail, homebuilders and insurance. Wider spreads primarily reflect low BBB rating concentration rather than fundamental credit quality concerns.
Underperform selections include cable media, energy, communications infrastructure, technology, satellite and payment processor credits. Multiple selections reflect concerns about artificial intelligence infrastructure investment cycle sustainability and valuation levels.
Previous recommendations outperformed benchmark indices on both long and short sides during prior measurement period. Multiple outperform selections generated excess returns while underperform recommendations lagged broader market performance.
Best ideas format demonstrates consistent historical outperformance versus benchmark across multiple market cycles. Appendix provides detailed performance scorecard tracking individual security returns from previous recommendation period.
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