Everyone is hoping that a successful COVID-19 vaccine will save the world and the economy — but what if that isn’t the case?
According to the Saxo Group, countries applying policies of near-infinite liquidity provision and easing financial conditions at all costs has pushed global sovereign and investment grade
corporate yields to historical lows and forced investors to take positions in riskier assets.
As 2021 gets underway, investors will be left sitting on a pile of low-yielding junk debt with terrible reward-to-risk profiles. Zombie corporates will be teetering on the brink of default, having only survived the pandemic months with handouts and the lower refinancing costs.
As vaccine roll-outs occur across the world, restrictions get removed, and normalcy returns to the economy — it could lead to a sharp spike in inflation.
As inflation rises and unemployment falls at a rapid pace, corporate defaults will increase to their highest in years, with the most over-levered companies — brick-and-mortar enterprises who were already struggling before the pandemic — being the first ones out the door.
“For the first time in economic history, a strong recovery sees rising defaults,” said the report.
What should investors do: Short high yield corporate ETFs.