Japanese regulator makes CLOs exempt from risk retention - if loans are appropriately originated
The Japan Financial Services Agency (FSA) has said that CLOs can sit outside the remits of its securitisation regulation, if investors in the country can provide ‘in-depth analysis’ showing the underlying assets were appropriately originated

US dollar three-month is focus point for benchmarks, finds Ice Libor survey
One-, three- and six-month US dollar and sterling are the focus points for Ice Benchmark Administration to seek agreement with banks, according to the results of IBA’s survey on uses of Libor

Japan Post registers more than JPY 1 trillion in CLO holdings for first time
Japanese banks continue to devour a bigger slice of the CLO market, with Japan Post Bank’s latest financial statements for the end of 2018 showing holdings of over JPY 1 trillion ($9.17 billion) for the first time

It’s going to be a credit picker’s market
Our panel of experts believe that the credit market will be volatile this year, but there will be opportunities in European credit and additional tier one bonds, trups CDOs and unitranches

CLO market holds breath as Japan risk retention looms
Risk retention compliant US CLOs could make a comeback after the Japan Financial Services Authority (JFSA) unveiled its proposed new risk retention framework, which could tie the hands of the world’s biggest buyers of US CLOs

Norinchukin increases CLO holdings to $62 billion
Norinchukin’s CLO holdings increased again last quarter, with the bank’s exposure to the asset class standing at JPY 6.8 trillion ($62.2 billion) on 31 December

CLO market waits on Asia deals to set year-opening benchmark
Three weeks into the new year, and the CLO primary market is still waiting for its first deal. And, in particular, the market is waiting on the Asian buy-and-hold investor base to reveal their hands.

Market favours retrospective over forward-looking approach to Ibor benchmark fallbacks, says Isda
New benchmark fallbacks for derivatives contracts that reference interbank offered rates are likely to be based on the “compounded setting in arrears rate” and the “historical mean/median approach to the spread adjustment”, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association has said

Norinchukin's CLO holdings jump by over 50% since March
Norinchukin’s appetite for CLOs shows no signs of relenting

September: credit funds at a glance
White Oak Global Advisors held a $2.1 billion final close on a new direct lending fund, while Phil Raciti's move from CVC Credit Partners to Halcyon Capital Management was one of the biggest moves in the credit industry

BlackRock becomes latest manager to explore interval fund structure for credit
Several managers have hit the market with the interval fund structure, as investors look to invest in illiquid strategies through an illiquid fund structure

Clifford prices Asian infrastructure loan CLO and plans follow-up, reports Inframation
Clifford Capital has priced Asia's first infrastructure project CLO and is planning a follow up within the next 18 months, according to a report by Creditflux's sister intelligence service Inframation

Sovereign investors' allocation to alternative credit increase rapidly, finds survey
Sovereign investors are increasing their exposure to CLOs, direct lending and bank loans, according to a 2018 Global Sovereign Asset Management Study published by Invesco this week

Evolving strategy takes Norinchukin close to top spot in CLO investment
Over the years, Nochu has tweaked its cov-lite stipulations, and added mid market and European CLO exposure to its CLO investments. It’s now nearly the market’s biggest investor  

BlackRock seeks $1 billion for new multi-strat opportunities fund
The new trust will invest at least 80% of its assets in fixed income securities and up to 40% in special situations, SEC filings reveal 

Singapore central bank looks to launch infrastructure-backed CLO
The new vehicle was announced by Ravi Menon, managing director at Monetary Authority of Singapore, at the Nomura Investment Forum Asia 2018

Term structure is being developed for floating rate benchmark SOFR, says LSTA
The Secured Overnight Financing Rate, known as SOFR, is being developed into a term structure

Past returns: pension scheme gets stung after regulators rewrite CLO rules
Five years ago, we reported that US pension funds were boosting their allocation to euro-denominated credit. One institution in particular led the way by supporting the first European CLO to be issued since the global financial crisis

Up-and-coming fund manager Revolution makes big structured credit hire
Sydney’s Revolution Asset Management has made a big hire, signalling its intent in the global structured credit markets

South Korean brokerage finds CLO warehouses good for Seoul
Appetite for CLO warehouse risk has re-awoken in South Korea, with sources indicating that a Seoul-based brokerage is looking to provide first-loss capital in CLO warehouses globally.

The biggest credit stories in 2017
CLO ramp-up risk, new risk retention proposals and new CLO joint ventures were in the headlines last year. Here, Creditflux reveals the most read stories of 2017

Japanese internet and telco giant SoftBank completes Fortress acquisition
Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp has completed the previously announced acquisition of Fortress Investment Group for $3.3 billion in cash

Japanese bank to buy minority stake in CLO boutique GreensLedge
A Japanese bank is taking its relationship with GreensLedge to the next level by buying a 20% stake in the New York-based firm

Institutional investors - does Europe still provide the best opportunities in credit?
Cash or synthetics, CLOs versus CMBS, senior or junior debt? Institutional investors have a variety of ways to approach credit investing and Creditflux's biannual survey of credit allocators aims to determine which market they view as offering compelling returns