CLO manager notices cast doubt on Dutch VAT hike
An expected Netherlands VAT tax on CLOs has been thrown into doubt today, with several managers issuing announcements to their investors that suggested there will be a grace period, as well as no back payment

Dutch VAT ruling to reduce impacted CLO equity returns by 1 to 2%, says BofA
The Dutch tax authority’s decision to charge a 21% VAT on CLO collateral management fees will have a ‘substantial’ impact on equity, with returns likely to be 1 to 1.2% lower going forward, according to a research paper published by Bank of America

Managers seeking bond buckets will need high yield track record
US CLOs could soon be permitted to buy corporate bonds amid an overhaul of the Volcker rule, but market sources say that in the short term bond flexibility is a luxury that will only be afforded to a select group of CLO managers.

Dutch-registered CLO costs to jump 10bp as managers face VAT bill
CLO special purpose vehicles in the Netherlands are to be clogged with a 21% VAT bill on management fees, according to market sources, a blow to equity investors in around 20% of European CLOs

CLO industry pushes back against NAIC's combo note proposals
A fight is brewing over the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ proposals to tighten regulations for insurers that buy purchase CLO combo notes

CLOs in line to benefit with Volcker rewrite on the horizon
The Volcker rule is set to get a shake-up and CLOs look likely to benefit, according to market sources. As Creditflux goes to press, a board of US regulators is expected to announce proposals to update the 2010 law.

Volcker amendments will be good for CLO equity and bad for CLO debt, says Wells Fargo
Proposed changes to the Volcker rule announced last week by the Federal Reserve, which would allow CLO managers to hold 5% bond buckets, are positive for CLO equity and ‘marginally negative’ for CLO debtholders, according to a research paper from Wells Fargo

Fed gives green light to CLO bond buckets
The Federal Reserve has published a reproposal to the covered funds definition in the Volcker rule that should give a green light to the return of 5% bond buckets in US CLOs

Search for clarity over reporting templates leads European CLO managers to tech solutions
Service providers are seeking to help European CLO managers comply with their disclosure requirements under the EU securitisation regulation after it emerged last month that relevant reporting must be submitted by March at the latest.

Regrettably, a small number of CLO debt investors insist on ‘hardcoded’ Sofr replacement provisions
Sofr looks like the most likely candidate to replace Libor, but it is still risky to write it into CLO documentation

FisherBroyles hires derivatives and regulations specialist as partner
FisherBroyles, an Atlanta headquartered law firm, has hired derivatives and securities specialist Julian Hammar as a partner in its New York and Washington, DC offices

CLO market awaits further Volcker amendments as initial tweaks centre on prop trading
CLOs will not be impacted by changes to the Volcker rule announced yesterday, which means that rules limiting bond buckets in US CLOs will remain intact for the immediate future. Instead, regulators revealed that some of the rules around bank proprietary trading will be relaxed

Investors raise concerns over obscure wording in CLO docs
Europe’s structured credit market has been abiding by the Securitisation Regulation for the best part of six months, but some investors have told Creditflux that they are still not satisfied with the way European CLOs are accounting for potential fines. 

US CLO managers see positives as docs include negative notation language to ease move to new reference rate
Europe might be making progress, but US CLO managers are less than preoccupied with the looming transition away from US dollar-Libor based pricing. 

CLO issuance faces threat amid loan definition dispute
The clash over Millennium Laboratories’ bankruptcy could have ramifications for the CLO market, and it all hinges on the philosophical question: what is a loan?

Cayman Island hopping: EU laws provoke switch in CLO listings
The Cayman Islands Stock Exchange (CSX) is set to become the listing place of choice in 2019 for CLOs put together by US managers — at least, according to a bold prediction by law firm Harneys.

Ashurst promotes structured products lawyer as one of 21 new partners
Ashurst has promoted to partner a London-based lawyer who specialises in derivatives and debt capital markets

Japanese investors must confirm assets are appropriate... CLO managers can provide assurances
The stipulation that Japanese banks invest in appropriately formed assets is unlikely to hurt the CLO industry

Japan regulation affords CLOs breathing room
Japan’s regulators have avoided disruption of the global CLO market by softening the impact of their risk retention rules that came into effect in March

Leveraged loans pose credit risk but not systemic risk, conference told
Regulators and the press need to understand the difference between credit risk and systemic risk, claimed panelists at the IMN European CLOs and Leveraged Loans conference

Ashurst hires counsel with structured products experience
Ashurst has appointed a counsel in its global markets practice in Paris

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

Securitisation Regulation hits European ABS issuance
Issuance in traditional European ABS has been notably slow in the first two months of 2019 following the introduction of the new Securitisation Regulation.

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