Absolute Return Podcast

#264 - The Holy Grail of Investing with Catalyst Funds CIO David Miller

On today’s show we welcome special guest, Catalyst Funds CIO David Miller. Catalyst offers unique investment products to meet the needs of discerning financial advisors and their clients. On the show, we discuss:

• How they find best of breed hedge fund managers
• Why portable alpha makes sense for investors
• What he views as the best opportunity in the equity market
• Why he continues to be bullish on gold
• And more!

#263 - A Strategic Lens on the Private Credit Environment with Barings BDC’s President Matt Freund

On today’s show we welcome special guest, Barings BDC’s President Matt Freund. Barings BDC primarily makes debt investments in core middle market companies. On the show, we discuss:

• The recent choppiness and negative sentiment in the private credit market
• The effect of declining base rates on yields and credit conditions
• The current deployment opportunity set for private credit funds
• PIK loans and portfolio construction
• And more!

#262 - Syndicated Loans and Private Credit with Palmer Square Capital BDC’s President Matt Bloomfield

On today’s show we welcome special guest, Palmer Square Capital BDC’s President Matt Bloomfield. Palmer Square Capital BDC primarily invests in corporate debt securities across private companies in the U.S. through broadly-syndicated loans and large cap direct lending. On the show, we discuss:

• Their investment focus on broadly syndicated loans and how that differs from most BDCs
• Recent headlines that have caused some negative sentiment in the credit market and BDC NAV discounts
• First Brands and the path forward when a loan gets restructured
• Lifescan and what happens when a distressed loan recovers
• And more!

#261 - Beyond the Headlines: The Outlook for Private Credit with Kayne Anderson BDC President Frank Karl

On today’s show we welcome special guest, Kayne Anderson BDC President Frank Karl. Kayne Anderson BDC invests primarily in first lien senior secured loans with a secondary focus on unitranche and split-lien loans to private middle market companies. On the show, we discuss:

• Recent volatility in BDC prices and what is driving NAV discounts
• Credit market conditions amidst talk of “cockroaches” and negative headlines from First Brands and Tricolor
• Characteristics that make core middle market direct lending attractive for investors
• An update on private credit spreads and payment-in-kind loans
• And more!

#260 - VC Investing in Emerging Markets with Beyond Capital Ventures’ Eva Yazhari

On today’s show we welcome special guest, Eva Yazhari, the General Partner of Beyond Capital Ventures, a women-led impact venture capital firm. On the show, we discuss:

• The compelling opportunity for early stage investing in Africa and India
• How venture capital differs in emerging markets
• What she looks for when investing in a startup
• And more

#259 - IPO and Digital Asset Market Trends with Cohen's Head of SPAC Investment Banking, Brandon Sun and Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets, Christian Lopez

On today’s show, we welcome special guests, Brandon Sun, Cohen’s Managing Director and Head of SPAC Investment Banking, and Christian Lopez, Cohen’s Managing Director and Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets. Cohen is a full-service boutique investment bank focused on advising leading and emerging companies across sectors to address their strategic and financial opportunities. On the show, we discuss:

• Dynamics driving the momentum in the IPO market
• Trends in digital asset capital formation and crypto treasury companies
• The evolution of digital assets within the capital markets
• What investors can expect for the back half of the year
• And more

#258 - Bitcoin as a Core Treasury Asset with ReserveOne’s Jaime Leverton and Sebastian Bea

On today’s show we welcome special guests, ReserveOne’s CEO Jaime Leverton and President Sebastian Bea. ReserveOne is a newly formed, first-of-its-kind digital asset management firm inspired by the proposed U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile. On the show, we discuss:

• Their “bitcoin moment” and what initially got them interested in crypto
• ReserveOne’s digital asset investment strategy
• How ReserveOne differentiates itself from other crypto treasury companies
• Reasons why an investor would choose a crypto treasury company over an ETF or holding crypto directly
• And more!

#257 - Crypto Treasury Companies with Upexi’s CSO Brian Rudick and Meteora’s CIO Vik Mittal

On today’s show we welcome special guests, Upexi’s Chief Strategy Officer, Brian Rudick and Meteora Capital’s Chief Investment Officer, Vik Mittal. Brian and Vik have been involved in the creation of crypto treasury companies and are experts in the space. Upexi is a Solana Treasury Company. On the show, we discuss:

• What is a crypto treasury company and how do they create value long term?
• Why should investors buy a crypto treasury company instead of buying the crypto themselves or through an ETF?
• How are SPACs and RTOs involved in this dynamic?
• How has the regulatory environment changed in the U.S. around digital assets?
• And more!

#256 - Quant Investing in Digital Assets with Starkiller Capital CIO Leigh Drogen

On today’s show we welcome special guest, CIO of Starkiller Capital, Leigh Drogen. Starkiller Capital is an institutional investment firm applying quantitative data-driven strategies to blockchain based digital assets. On the show we discuss:

• Core tenets of their approach to crypto investing
• Trend following and yield farming in crypto
• Their approach to risk management 
• His top emerging trends in the digital asset space to have on your radar
• And more!

#255 - Trends in Private Credit with Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's President Michael Occi

On today’s show we welcome special guest, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's President Michael Occi. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) seeks to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns by investing primarily in directly originated senior secured loans issued by U.S. middle market companies. On the show, we discuss:

• Why investors should consider an allocation to private credit
• What explains the significant market share growth of private credit in financing buyouts
• MSDL’s defensive approach to lending, with a focus on first lien loans
• His thoughts on the current market environment for private credit loans
• And more