Howard Marks highlights credit ‘carelessness' but says issues are not systemic

Core Insights - Veteran investor Howard Marks warns of investor complacency and carelessness in the credit market, highlighting recent bankruptcies but refraining from labeling the situation as a systemic issue [1][2]. Group 1: Market Conditions - The recent bankruptcies of First Brands and Tricolor indicate potential issues within the credit market, but Marks does not see these as signs of a broader systemic problem [2]. - Marks emphasizes that defaults are a normal occurrence, suggesting that a few dozen defaults in a year should not be surprising [3]. Group 2: Investor Behavior - Rising markets often lead to increased risk tolerance and carelessness among investors, creating an environment conducive to potential wrongdoing [4]. - During market upswings, negative factors are often overlooked, while downturns tend to exaggerate negatives and downplay positives [5]. - Marks notes that good times foster complacency and aggressive bidding for assets, which can lead to failures in a challenging environment [6].