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

CLO issuers flex their bond muscles
Some panellists at Creditflux’s US CLO Investor Summit pointed to structural difficulties, but the consensus was that flexibility — particularly the ability to buy bonds — could improve performance

New valuation rules to 'severely limit' fixed income cross trades
Law firm Practus believes that new SEC rules will limit a fund’s ability to cross-trade fixed income investments after the regulator adopted fund valuation rules in December

CLO managers gain time with Libor deadline extension
US CLO issuers have been given legroom ahead of the transition away from Libor, but as one CLO investor puts it: “While it’s an important development for the CLO market because it alleviates some of the Libor stress, it does not make the problem go away.”

CLOs and leveraged lending do not significantly threaten stability, finds 'congressional watchdog'
CLOs and leveraged lending do not significantly threaten financial stability, according to a report by the US's Government Accountability Office (also known as the congressional watchdog) released yesterday

BlueCrest settles SEC charges of favouring internal fund over client capital
BlueCrest Capital Management has agreed to pay $170 million to settle charges related to a fund that managed internal capital

LCH starts clearing US credit index options
LCH, the central clearing house of the London Stock Exchange Group, has expanded its CDSClear service to clear US credit index options

Real estate debt firm gets over SEC settlement with $180 million fund raise
A Miami-based real estate debt specialist has raised $180 million for a credit fund that appears to have a flexible investment mandate

Loan market delivers best one-day returns since April due to US election and vaccine
The S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index recorded its best single day returns since April on Monday as investors celebrated in a string of positive developments that sent markets into overdrive

Less credit volatility expected in Q4 despite US election fallout
CLO issuance was expectedly low in the final week of October in the run-up to the US election, as issuers brace for what has historically been a volatility-inducing macro-event. But prominent market participants say the unprecedented economic backdrop resulting from the pandemic means the outcome of the 2020 election is less likely to move the dial as much as in cycles past

US election result is 'benign outcome for financial markets', says Nuveen
This week's election in the US is a 'benign outcome for financial markets' even as the final result of the presidential election remains unknown, according to a new report from Nuveen's global investment committee

CLO market splits en route to Volcker rule compliance
Volcker rule amendments freeing CLOs from many of the restrictions of the past decade came into law on 1 October, allowing managers greater flexibility in how they invest their portfolios. But the market is split on how exactly CLO documents should be structured as the first slate of unrestricted CLOs print

Kroll pays $2 million settlement over control failures in rating CLOs and CMBS
The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Kroll Bond Rating agency more than $2 million for failures related to rating CLO combo notes, as well as in the CMBS sector

Dislocation and costly payment debacle highlight loan tech lag
Coronavirus-led dislocation in the leveraged loan market, as well as a bank’s recent claims of human error in making a large loan payment, underscore the industry’s need to embrace long-overdue efficiency improvements

CLOs given workout flexibility as ‘safe harbour’ now viable
From October CLOs will be permitted to hold equity secu-rities resulting from workout situations, say lawyers at Cad-walader, Wickersham & Taft

Changes in scope for CDS indices and tranches ahead of roll
Structural changes look to be afoot globally for CDS indices and tranches ahead of the September roll, with IHS Markit weighing amendments to products in all three traded regions

Founder of west coast direct lender charged with fraud
Brendan Ross, founder and former chief executive officer of Direct Lending Investments, was arrested and charged with 10 counts of wire fraud yesterday, amid allegations he inflated the value and returns for a fund investment, resulting in mis-statements to investors and around $5-6million in overcharged fees

Managers advised to refresh disclosures after SEC risk alert
Credit managers should review their conflict disclosures after the SEC issued a risk alert, say lawyers

Volcker change for CLOs may be subject to US election outcome, says LSTA
Changes to the Volcker rule that would allow CLOs to hold up to 5% of their portfolios in high yield bonds could be subject to the outcome of the US general election in November, the LSTA has said

It takes just a few CLO collateral managers selling into the distressed community to start cracks forming
It is becoming increasingly clear that CLO collateral managers need to improve their collaboration efforts in distressed situations

Sidecars give CLOs a shot at driving restructurings
A number of CLO managers are shifting defaulted assets into sidecar vehicles before their transactions close - and sources say a growing number of debt investors are warming to the idea

US swaps rule relaxation brings underperformance of bank CDS
US Federal Reserve changes to the Volcker rule has caused bank stocks to surge, but credit market perceptions are less positive

Fed allows bonds to return to CLOs from October and signals equity rule change
The US Federal Reserve has finalised amendments to the Volcker rule that will allow CLOs to hold 5% bond buckets. The regulation implies CLOs' ability to hold equity securities may also change

Fed expands scope of Main Street lending programme
The Federal Reserve Board has expanded the scope of its Main Street Lending Programme to allow more small and medium-sized businesses to participate

Ares fined $1 million by SEC over 'misuse of non-public information'
Ares Management has been fined $1 million by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in a settlement surrounding compliance failure relating to a portfolio company