By Manya Saini
(Reuters) -A spate of credit issues in recent weeks has drawn investor attention to the multi-trillion-dollar global credit market, with risks spanning several high-profile financial firms, including major Wall Street banks and regional lenders.
The bankruptcies of auto parts maker First Brands and subprime lender Tricolor have put the market on high alert.
Analysts warn recurring signs of strain could invite closer scrutiny of balance sheets in the next few months, especially after JPMorgan
Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned of "more cockroaches" lurking in the credit market.
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey also said the bankruptcies may be a warning of much bigger financial problems to come.
Below is a list of all the recent flashpoints in credit markets:
FIRST BRANDS:
The U.S. auto parts maker filed for bankruptcy protection late last month after disclosing liabilities exceeding $10 billion, marking the collapse of a company whose rapidly deteriorating finances have shocked debt investors.
U.S. investment bank Jefferies and Swiss lender UBS have exposure running into millions of dollars.
Jefferies CEO had said earlier in October the bank believes it was defrauded. The bank's Leucadia Asset Management fund holds about $715 million in receivables linked to First Brands.
First Brands has previously denied wrongdoing.
A joint venture between Norinchukin Bank and Mitsui & Co faces $1.75 billion of exposure, Bloomberg News had reported.
Spanish bank Santander had debt exposure of at least $55 million by the end of September, a U.S. court document, seen by Reuters, showed.
Bank of America's Chief Financial Officer Alastair Borthwick said the lender's syndicated loans to First Brands are asset-backed and secured by collateral.
TRICOLOR:
The subprime lender and dealership filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in a Texas court. The company listed more than $1 billion in assets and over $1 billion in liabilities, with more than 25,000 creditors, according to its bankruptcy petition.
The bankruptcy followed a disclosure from Fifth Third Bancorp on September 9 it would take a material charge-off between $170 million and $200 million in the third quarter due to "alleged external fraudulent activity".
An attorney who helped Tricolor file for bankruptcy had previously declined to comment on the fraud allegations.
Earlier this month, the bank recorded a $178 million loss from the bankruptcy.
JPMorgan Chase also took a $170 million loss related to the situation. CEO Dimon described the bank's exposure as "not our finest moment," and said it is reviewing risk controls.
AMBIPAR:
Brazilian waste management company Ambipar filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this week, citing signs of irregular activity involving a former senior executive.
Ambipar said seeking bankruptcy protection became urgently necessary after Deutsche Bank, a counterparty on currency swaps with the company and an affiliate on some loans, requested more loan guarantees, prompting other creditors to seek early repayment.
Its U.S.-listed subsidiary - Ambipar Emergency Response - filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas and listed estimated assets between $1 billion and $10 billion, with liabilities between $100 million and $500 million.
According to the filing, the Bank of New York Mellon, acting as trustee for bondholders, has listed unsecured claims of about $328 million tied to Ambipar's 2031 and 2033 green bonds.
ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD AGAINST CANTOR GROUP:
Zions Bancorporation disclosed this month it was suing two Cantor Group funds to recover $60 million in soured commercial and industrial loans. The next day, Western Alliance flagged it had sued a different Cantor Group fund in August to recover nearly $100 million, alleging fraud on the part of the borrower.
Both suits make similar allegations -- investment funds tied to the little-known California-based Cantor Group misrepresented the collateral they pledged against real estate loans, exposing the banks to losses. The properties in the cases largely involve California commercial real estate, such as store-fronts and office buildings.
"The allegations circulating in the media are false. Cantor Group upheld contractual obligations and provided transparency at the relevant banking institutions," a spokesperson for Cantor said in an emailed statement.
"Additionally, there have been multiple audits and independent reviews of these loans at the banks going back years."
Andrew Stupin, a long-time California real estate investor, is listed as a guarantor on the loans and is one of the defendants in those cases.
In separate actions between April and August, Banc of California, Enterprise Bank & Trust and Nano Banc also sued Stupin, along with other defendants, seeking to collect on loans worth a combined $108 million.
An attorney for Stupin previously told Reuters Western Alliance's claims against his client were unfounded and misrepresented the facts. Stupin did not respond to requests for comment regarding the other suits.
(Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; editing by Michelle Price and Krishna Chandra Eluri)
