CLOs go island hopping as EU rules bar Cayman Islands
Swathes of CLO special purpose vehicles are set to be relocated this month following the introduction of European Union regulations designating the Cayman Islands as a money laundering location

Luxembourg welcomes CLOs with regulatory update
Luxembourg updated its securitisation regulations on Wednesday in a move which, among other things, makes the country a more CLO-friendly domicile

Luxembourg opens for CLO business after regs update
Upcoming changes to Luxembourg’s securitisation regulation could deliver a huge boost to its CLO market, in a move that would see the jurisdiction compete with market leader Ireland

Caution returns to credit trading following tech sector rout
After a strong Tuesday session, financial markets are taking a more cautious step back on Wednesday amid returning inflation concerns and following a weak session for Chinese tech stocks

CLO extremes will do well in '22 but mezz needs caution: BNP Paribas
The extreme parts of CLOs' capital structures will offer best value in 2022, but investors should be cautious on mezzanine tranches and consider hedges, say BNP Paribas strategists

Determinations Committee agrees to rule on first credit event question in 10 months
Credit event triggers are back on the market's list of discussion points for the first time since February, with the Determinations Committee having agreed to rule on an Asian failure to pay question

Lev loan index rule change proposed to meet Sofr switch
Leveraged loan index stakeholders are being asked for feedback on a proposal that would allow the inclusion of loans linked to Sofr and scrap a minimum spread rule

Sofr transition timing puts CLO debt and equity at odds, says BNP Paribas
CLO investors look to have tough conversations ahead on the structure implications of the transition from Libor to Sofr, with BNP Paribas strategists noting CLO debt will benefit from an early move while equity tranches would do better to wait

Past returns: Insurers weigh CLO barbell trade to fight Solvency II
Five years ago in Creditflux we reported that insurers in Europe were putting on a CLO barbell trade in reaction to Solvency II regulations which came into effect in January 2016

FCA draws up new fund structure for long-term assets
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has finalised a new fund structure that is designed to make it easier for defined contribution pension plans to invest in long-term assets

Ashurst boosts structured finance and derivatives practice as it brings in partner
Law firm Ashurst has hired a structured finance and derivatives specialist as a partner in its global markets practice

Blacklisting of Cayman Islands will force Euro CLOs to move
The Cayman Islands could soon be lost at sea for CLO managers looking to establish European and EU-compliant deals, after panellists at Creditflux’s CLO Symposium indicated that regulations ruling out use of the jurisdiction are likely to be implemented

Points up front: Risk retention gets less than 5% of airtime
In a sign of how buoyant the CLO market is, risk retention was hardly mentioned at Creditflux’s CLO Symposium. Milbank partner John Goldfinch gave a self-deprecating assessment... 

CLOs face uncertainty as Libor rate deadline looms
CLO equity valuations could be increasingly under the spotlight in coming months, as sources warn of disruption while the market grapples with basis risk between Libor and Sofr in loans and CLO notes

"Do not rush to set up a check-box approach with negative screening and start de-investing"
Instead of rushing through an ESG framework, asset managers need to adopt a long- and short-term approach

CLO market explores move out of Cayman amid EU clampdown
CLO market participants are exploring moving their special purpose vehicles out of the Cayman Islands following amended European Union rules that could designate the territory as a blacklisted tax haven

UK government seeks views on securitisation regulation
The UK government has issued a ‘call for evidence’ for the securitisation regulation, the main law that regulates securitisation activities in the UK. Responses to this will inform the government’s review of the regulation, in a report that will be presented to parliament by 1 January

Breakthroughs come thick and fast for Libor alternatives
Momentum has gathered around initiatives to replace Libor in contracts, with CME Group obtaining a regulatory nod on the term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (Sofr) as well as moving to launch interest rate futures based on banks’ short term credit yields

Banks set to offer client clearing of credit index options
Bank members of LCH, the London Stock Exchange's clearing arm, will soon start offering client clearing of CDS index options, as the industry prepares for its next ramp up of margining requirements

CME touts forward-looking Sofr term benchmarks
CME Group has begun publishing term benchmarks for the secured overnight interest rate (Sofr) as part of the global push to move away from Libor in financial markets

Fund managers brace for EU’s new sustainability regulations
European fund managers were faced with new environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) regulations in March, which enhance disclosure requirements around sustainability

ESG drive poses little threat to CLO returns or flexibility, says Moody's
Environmental, social and governance investment criteria are not impairing CLOs either in flexibility or performance, Moody's Investors Service has found in a new report

Sofr fix nears launch as CLOs face term rate void
Three months into 2021, grounds for optimism have grown little that a term rate will be found before the end of the year to replace Libor in loans, CLOs, CDS and other contracts. But hopes are rising that solutions such as credit spread adjustments could help mitigate performance uncertainty

European CLO trades wide in secondary amid CLO risk retention issue
A European CLO manager has been caught in a rare situation owing to risk-retention compliance for its 2015-vintage Euro Galaxy IV – and CLO traders have factored this in the secondary market

LCH reports 60% growth in CDS clearing
LCH, the central clearing house of London Stock Exchange Group, has reported growth in clearing of index, option and single name CDS during 2020