How to chart credit spreads over time

What credit spreads tell you

Credit spreads — the yield difference between corporate bonds and Treasuries — are one of the best real-time indicators of financial stress. When spreads widen, markets are pricing in higher default risk.

Getting the data

FRED provides free, daily credit spread data. Key series: BAMLC0A0CM (IG OAS), BAMLH0A0HYM2 (HY OAS), BAMLC0A4CBBB (BBB OAS). Connect FRED to Quadesto with your free API key.

The chart

Quadesto renders the spread time series with recession shading overlays, making the relationship between credit stress and economic downturns immediately visible.