Are Bubble Risks Emerging in Leveraged Finance?

Are Bubble Risks Emerging in Leveraged Finance?

Author: Fitch Ratings December 12, 2025 Duration: 10:16

Lyuba Petrova, Lyle Margolis and Justin Patrie examine bubble risks as equities surge, credit spreads tighten, private credit faces hidden vulnerabilities and AI investment accelerates, though valuations suggest buyers aren’t overpaying.


Hosted by the analysts at Fitch Ratings, Fixed Interests cuts through the noise of the 24-hour news cycle to explain the forces shaping our financial world. Each episode is a concise, fifteen-minute briefing that connects the dots between high-level policy decisions, shifting market dynamics, and real-world economic consequences. You’ll hear clear explanations on how geopolitical events influence sovereign debt, what new regulations mean for corporate credit, and why a specific inflation report actually matters. This isn’t just headline repetition; it’s context provided by experts who parse the data for a living. Designed for professionals and the strategically curious alike, the Fixed Interests podcast translates complex subjects into actionable understanding, making it possible to stay informed without getting lost in the details. Tune in for a direct, authoritative take on the week’s most pressing business and political developments, all structured to fit into a daily commute or a short break.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Fixed Interests
Podcast Episodes
2024 Global Credit Outlook - Key Themes and What to Expect [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:46
Richard Hunter, Chief Credit Officer, and Justin Patrie, Senior Director, discuss the key themes of Fitch’s recent 2024 Global Outlook report, including sustained elevated interest rates, asset quality deterioration, a U…
Opportunities for Supply Chain Diversification In Emerging Markets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:13
Fitch sovereign analysts Shelly Shetty, Managing Director, Todd Martinez, Senior Director, and Jeremy Zook, Director, discuss the impact of supply chain diversification trends such as nearshoring/friendshoring on emergin…
Global Economic Outlook - High Rates and Slowing Growth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:51
Brian Coulton, Chief Economist, and Ed Parker, Sovereigns Managing Director, discuss Fitch's Global Economic Outlook for 2024, including stagnation in the Eurozone, property market concerns in China, and slowing growth i…
Fiscal Developments in Western Europe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:37
Federico Barriga Salazar, Head of Western European Sovereigns, and Greg Kiss, Sovereigns Director, discuss how underlying fiscal trends in Western Europe have become more challenging in 2023, and divergent debt dynamics…
Assessing Common Framework Debt Restructuring [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:30
Head of EMEA Sovereigns Jan Friederich is joined by MEA Associate Director Thomas Garreau to discuss the functioning of sovereign restructurings under the G20 Common Framework and cases of its application.
Outlook on APAC Frontier Markets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:57
APAC Frontier Markets continue to face external financing challenges - join Thomas Rookmaaker, Head of APAC Sovereigns, and Sovereign Directors Sagarika Chandra and Krisjanis Krustins, for a discussion of what to expect…
US Sovereign Rating and Outlook Going Forward [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:48
Shelly Shetty, Managing Director, Sovereigns, and Richard Francis, Senior Director, Sovereigns, discuss the recently averted US government shutdown, the August 1st ratings downgrade, and the outlook for US public finance…
China's slowdown and sovereign risks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:38
As Fitch cuts its forecasts for China’s economic growth, Thomas Rookmaaker, Jeremy Zook and Brian Coulton discuss the implications of the deteriorating macro-outlook for China’s sovereign creditworthiness.
Nigeria - Policy Settings Under the New Government [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:10
Toby Iles, Head of Middle East and Africa Sovereigns, and Doug Winslow, Senior Director, Sovereigns, discuss the direction of reform and related credit developments since the new Nigerian administration took office.