Not even halfway through 2026, and the software investing story is already divided into two distinct chapters. Earlier this year, the SaaS-pocalypse spooked private credit markets and investors holding shares of publicly traded software companies. More recently, many of those stocks are rebounding, potentially indicating the worst of the industry’s credit and equity woes are in the rearview mirror. There are implications in that scenario for yield-hungry investors. The Invesco Senior Loan ETF (BKLN) may be a prime avenue for market participants looking to participate in a software credit resurgence.
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The $7.15 billon BKLN’s place in this conversation boils down to its underlying index, the Morningstar LSTA US Leveraged Loan 100 Index.
“Much of the recent volatility stems from the software industry, which represents roughly 12% of the Morningstar LSTA US Leveraged Loan Index and is more than twice the size of the next‑largest industry,” observed Morningstar’s Max Curtin. “Its prominence has become a vulnerability. Artificial intelligence‑driven displacement fears and a reevaluation of leveraged software business models caused spreads on software loans to jump from 479 to 718 basis points between Jan. 9 and Feb. 27, 2026, a 51% increase compared with just a 14% move for the broader loan market.”
Maybe a Good Time to Bet on BKLN
Even with the aforementioned software-induced volatility, BKLN has notched a modest year-to-date gain. That may be one sign that the ETF, which turned 15 in March, is worth considering as a fixed income rebound play.
Of course, a 30-day SEC yield of 6.30% puts eyeballs on the ETF. However, there are some other compelling reasons to consider this Invesco ETF, particularly at a time when Treasury yields remain elevated and it seems unlikely that the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates this year.
“Beneath headline volatility lies a diversified set of issuers with negotiated protections, seniority in the capital structure, and a floating‑rate income profile that remains appealing even in a decelerating rate environment,” added Curtin. “Investors may not see a repeat of the asset class’s standout years between 2021 and 2023, when rising yields gave floating‑rate coupons a powerful tailwind. But the combination of elevated income, wide dispersion, and improving valuations supports a case for maintaining strategic exposure.”
BKLN’s floating rate exposure is attractive and pertinent because it confirms the ETF’s rate sensitivity is benign and that comes with the benefit of an above-average yield.
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