US CLO spreads to widen as uncertainty and tariffs bite – JPMorgan
Higher US tariff levels may lead to CLO spreads widening and pressure US CLO market growth, but new origination has been more resilient than expected, according to JPMorgan analysts in their mid-year CLO outlook report

Some LPs wary of retail capital in private market products— Edelman Smithfield
A new survey from the global financial communications advisory firm shows more than a fourth of LPs want private funds managers to keep their capital separate from retail investors

Mid-market CLO rally unlikely to endure — S&P Global
The positive start to the year has been undercut by uncertainty stemming from the Trump administration’s new tariff regime

European CLO resets expected to continue throughout 2025 – Fitch Ratings
A report from the ratings agency indicates as many as 80 European CLOs from 2022 and after could be viable reset candidates this year 

Euro CLOs' largest single B- credits have little direct tariff exposure but face varying indirect pressures – S&P Global
The wave of global tariffs will have little direct impact on the top 'B-' European CLO holdings, but these credits remain vulnerable to secondary effects, according to research from S&P Global

Expanding investor base and ABL will propel private credit growth says BlackRock
The private credit asset class will continue to grow in 2025 as the underlying investor base diversifies and the definition of private credit expands to include asset-backed finance held by private lenders

Banks predict record-breaking year ahead
Consensus figures generated from outlook reports by five banks suggest 2025 will be another strong year for CLO issuance. But last year, their estimates were well below the actual numbers

Slow and steady wins the day
It’s often thought CLO managers add value to their deals via high volume trading strategies. The data shows this can be true — but on average, top performing CLOs are less actively traded

BNP Paribas sees credit upside in 2025, even amidst Trump-led unpredictability
The bank also sees CLO equity outperforming in 2025 benefiting from resilient loan fundamentals, strong cash flows, and the upside potential from reset activity

Moody’s forecasts robust economic performance underpinning continued strength in CLOs
The ratings agency’s outlook for 2025 is upbeat about the prospects for both the US and European CLO markets, helped by declining leveraged loan defaults

Direct lenders add pricey terms on amend-and-extend deals
Companies negotiating an amendment with direct lenders might find the deal costly as most demand extra fees, payment and security to execute, according to a new survey

Deutsche Bank forecasts record new issuance for European CLOs in 2025
Deutsche Bank Research is forecasting a record EUR 50bn in gross new issue CLO supply for the European CLO market in 2025, with net issuance projected to increase to EUR 25bn

BNP Paribas develops 'call score' for US CLOs
The new feature, dubbed ‘Call Score’, rates deals on a scale between 0 and 100, with the aim of identifying CLO deals that are imminent call candidates

Triple C assets and capital preservation
In the US and Europe, better performing CLOs tend to hold fewer triple C assets. But even so, a third of top performing CLOs in the US have more than 6% of their assets in the triple C bucket.

Direct lending defaults decline for all except middle market according to Proskauer
Default rates for US direct loans declined to 1.95% in the third quarter of 2024 from 2.71% in the second quarter, according to a new report from law firm Proskauer

Static deals stand out in Europe
European CLO equity in redeemed deals has delivered excellent returns. But managers might be surprised to discover that static deals are the region’s stars

European CLOs see jump in triple-C exposure, says Fitch
European CLOs have seen their exposure to assets rated triple-C or below increase sharply, reaching an average of 5.0%

European distress remains muted but trouble is brewing in Industrials
European Industrials rose to be the second most distressed sector in August, according to a new report based on the Weil European Distress Index

LBOs on the rebound: How leveraged loans are stealing the spotlight from direct lenders in 2024
2024 has seen a resurgence in LBO activity, with many of the largest deals opting for leveraged loans over direct lending for financing

Defaults hit 5% YTD for US private debt-backed companies according to Fitch
The monthly default rate for North American private credit-backed companies hit 5% in August, driven by PIKs and interest deferrals

Reset or refinancing?
The CLO market is expecting another strong half year for both resets and refinancings. But what factors are leading equity investors to prefer resetting deals over refinancing them?

JP Morgan revises CLO spread target upwards as recession fears mount
Off the back of renewed recession fears JP Morgan has revised its end-of-year AAA CLO spread target upwards to 150bps for both the US and Europe

European managers struggle to add alpha
Before the COVID pandemic, European CLOs comfortably outperformed the Morningstar European Euro-Denominated Loan Index. Since then, alpha has declined for many managers

New survey explores middle-market CLO operations
S&P Global Market Intelligence, in collaboration with Creditflux, conducted a study of middle-market CLO managers to assess how specialists are adapting their operations to tap this burgeoning opportunity

Barclays sees record European CLOs for 2024
Barclays expects a record year for CLO deals in Europe, raising its issuance forecast to EUR 40-45bn in a report released this week