Fitch raises European default rate assumptions with loans in tougher spot than bonds
Analysts at Fitch Ratings have raised their base-case leveraged loan default rate for end-2023 in Europe to 4.5% from 3.5%, and their severe-case rate to 6%

Leveraged loan issuance unlikely to return in force until late 2023, conference hears
The leveraged loan primary issuance pipeline is headed for an elongated pause and primary loan activity is unlikely to return dramatically until late in 2023, attendees at IMN's ABS East conference in Miami heard on Monday

UniCredit wraps up three synthetic securitisations with EIB backing
UniCredit says it has produced three synthetic securitisations which will free ithe bank up to lend over €5 billion to small and mid-sized enterprises in Italy, Germany and Bulgaria.

Cineworld buys ticket for DIP facility with chapter 11 filing
Cineworld filed for Chapter 11 in the US Bankruptcy Court For The Southern District Of Texas on Wednesday, less than a month after the UK-based cinema operator announced Chapter 11 was among the options it was considering to “achieve its restructuring objectives”

Euro CLOs demonstrate "considerable resiliency" to upcoming CLO maturity wall, says S&P
Managers and investors should keep an eye on upcoming CLO maturity wall with “potential adverse effects” amid tighter financing conditions and the impact that could have on CLO performance and ratings

We can cope with downgrades again

Alcentra co-CIO for liquid credit set to leave this month
A high profile figure in the US CLO business is leaving Alcentra

WTW to tackle lack of diversity across investment industry
Progress on diversity across the investment industry is “disappointingly slow”, according to research from Willis Towers Watson

Fund performance: CLO tranches move up
April returns managed a partial bounce back after a tumultuous March. 82% of funds listed in the Creditflux database made positive returns, showing at least small signs of recovery after 90% of all funds listed posted negative returns in March

Frontier bankruptcy dials up pressure for 90 CLOs
Nine CLO managers hold $217 million of Frontier Communications’ debt across 90 CLOs, as the telecommunications company filed for Chapter 11 protection in the US Bankruptcy Court Southern District of New York

VIP Cinema makes uncomfortable viewing for CLOs as it's reeled into Chapter 11
CLOs hold $52.9 million of debt in seatmaker VIP Cinema Holdings, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the District of Delaware

US loan trading: McDermott downgrade leads to CLO outflows as managers board rail road firm
US freight railroads operator Genesee & Wyoming allocated its $2.55 billion term loan in November, making it the most popular issuer in the month. And CLO managers were sceptical of the outlook for McDermott Technology - signalled by $185.9 net outflows - after Moody's downgraded its corporate family rating from B3 to Caa2 

CLOs face losses as Constellis loan drops to 28.5
32 CLO managers hold $640.4 million of Constellis Holdings’ debt, which Moody's downgraded to C after the company missed an amortisation payment due 31 December

Euro loan trading: CLOs hang up on top speed-dial contact
Telco Altice, the most prevalent holding for European CLOs, became the most sold issuer of the month, but ION Corporates was the most popular 

Few CLOs charred by Murray bankruptcy
25 CLO managers hold  $389.6 million exposure to the debt of coal company Murray Energy Holdings, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of Ohio on Tuesday, according to the latest trustee reports from CLO-i   

Schroders integrates ESG into corporate revolving credit facility
The firm is the first asset manager to convert its corporate revolving credit facility into an ESG-linked facility, it claims, and will link pricing to three ESG-related key performance indicators

Ultra Resources loan downgrade unlikely to burn CLOs
The downgrade of Ultra Resources to triple C is not expected to have a material impact on CLO portfolios, accordng to market sources. Loan investors took the matter in their stride as the issuer's term loan Bs are being quoted today at 68.4/70.2 - up from 68.2/70.25 from Thursday, according to IHS Markit

Purdue Pharma bankruptcy highlights value of ESG analysis
Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy this week, and the sector wide concern over the US opioid epidemic, has highlighted the utility of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards in credit analyses

Euro loan trading: Areas caters to CLOs while managers cast away Nets
Global travel catering services Areas flew off the shelf after it allocated its €1.05 billion term loan B, with 50 CLO managers buying the loan

Prepayments pose reinvestment dilemma for CLO managers
CLO managers globally could be left sitting on piles of cash amid an uptick in loan prepayments. Standard & Poor’s reported that institutional US loan prepayments had hit $26 billion in July, and more recently some widely-held CLO names are set to return principal to lenders, with financial data provider Refinitiv US Holdings and Italian telecom operator Wind Tre taking this route.

US loan trading: Caesars marches out of CLOs as Blackstone rolls in
With $158 million of its term loan leaving the hands of CLO managers, Caesers Entertainment was the most sold issuer in June

CLO managers suffer puncture with $85 million of Jack Cooper debt
CLO managers hold $85.8 million of exposure to auto hauler Jack Cooper Ventures, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to the latest trustee reports from CLO-i 

US loan trading: CLO managers on cloud nine after Ultimate Software allocations
CLO managers took down about 27% of Ultimate Software's loans in April, when the cloud operator issued its $2.3 billion first lien term loan due 2026, according to CLO-i

US CLO managers look to scale flat WALs in search of flexibility
The anticipation of a downturn in the credit cycle has made investors turn their attention toward document provisions that give CLO managers flexibility

Affinion skipped interest payment impacts small number of CLOs
Only two CLO managers could be affected by the debt of Affinion Group, who skipped its scheduled 19 Feb interest payment ($22.2 million) to its first-lien 2022 term loan holders