Blackstone expects M&A boost for bond sales

Liability environment: People walk past the Nasdaq headquarters in Times Square in New York City. Sales of collateralised loan obligations reached a record US$201bil last year with solid investor demand for the bonds. — AFP

NEW YORK: Blackstone Inc is forecasting an increase in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) that can help boost sales of bonds backed by leveraged loans.

Sales of these bonds, known as collateralised loan obligations (CLOs), reached a record of US$201bil last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.