CDC Ixis Asset Management, the French asset management house, is increasing its corporate bond presence in Europe with the transfer of two credit analysts from Loomis Sayles, its specialist fixed-income subsidiary.

Gilles Guérin, head of sales and marketing at CDC, says the firm is planning a global bond fund before the end of the year. He predicts the corporate portion of European credit market will rise. Currently corporate credit accounts for 20% of the overall European credit market, but over 70% of the US credit market.