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The article describes the condition of the corporate bond market in the U.S. in 2018. It indicates the consequences of investing in corporate bonds in the aging business cycle. Investors are warned about the surge in so-called leveraged loans. Also discussed is the impact of an interest rate increase and corporate leverage on the corporate bond market.

The article presents a study on the economic data of the Corporate Bond Credit in the U.S. According to the author, movements in the corporate bond spreads are important to many investors and potentially informative forward-looking metrics of market sentiment. The studies reviewed show that more than half of the variation in corporate bond credit spreads is not related to the financial health of the issuing firm, but rather reflects effects such as compensation for liquidity risk.

The article focuses on the popularity of corporate bonds with investors. It states that the attraction of bonds is due to low rates and investor enthusiasm. It mentions that the U.S. Federal Reserve Board lowered the federal funds rate (FFR) target to 1% in 2003. It comments that FFR is what banks charge each other for overnight funds, and that this helps indicate the direction of interest rates.

The article discusses corporate bond default in the U.S. Bond investors in the beginning of 2009 looked at the spreads of corporate debt and saw opportunity for investment. Bank of America Merrill Lynch conducted a survey of bond managers and found that 80% saw inflows into their funds and only 2% saw outflows.