Post-reinvestment doesn’t mean no more reinvestment
As more CLOs exit their reinvestment period, an increasing amount of attention is turning to the details of the post-reinvestment language that controls what managers can do

From zero to hero
CLO ETFs have grown into a $5bn market and proved their worth in difficult periods. We sat down with managers in the space to discuss these achievements — and what the future holds

Setting standards for emissions data
Macroeconomic trends may have pushed the topic of ESG reporting down the news agenda this year, but this is changing with a raft of new regulations in countries around the world

CLO Census: It’s time to put the shop in order
After a lacklustre year for the CLO market, the 539 respondents to our comprehensive survey are increasingly calling for structural changes, from electronic trading to standardised documents

European CLOs win out against US deals
Last month, our analysis explored the performance of US CLOs that were previously reset. We found that they delivered higher distributions than deals which weren’t reset, with the exception of the 2017 and 2018 vintages (Creditflux September 2023 — Do resets help CLOs perform better?). This article expands that analysis to the European market, and compares the performance of US BSL and EU CLO equity tranches.

Primary market roars into life
The primary CLO market pickup that started in August continued strongly in September, both in Europe and the US. Although the overall direction was the same on both sides of the Atlantic, the type of activity was quite different.

What do you think?
The Creditflux CLO Census is back for its seventh instalment. Our annual stock-take of the global CLO industry begins on Monday, 2 October — it’s your chance to make your voice heard

The Italian connection
As Octagon and Conning come under the umbrella of large Italian insurer Generali, we spoke to the firms’ CEOs about their expectations for credit in general and their firms in particular

Do resets help CLOs perform better?
As the market for CLO resets opens, we look at the performance of deals that were previously reset, and find they soon deliver higher distributions than those deals that were not reset

All change, please
This year has not only seen the fall of Credit Suisse, but also the arrival of two fresh faces — Scotiabank and CIBC — triggering a wave of hiring that has some way to run.

Fund performance
Good month for CLO funds sees six in top 10 as Axiom sets pace

Credit hedge funds
Credit hedge funds performance data

Credit funds at a glance
Fund performance, fund raising and LP commitments

CLOs at a glance
New CLOs this month

Fund performance
A roundup of fund performance

CLO funds make best of a bad situation
It can’t get any worse can it? Well, it did in 2022, when credit spreads kept moving wider. Still, CLO funds were able to withstand the pressure, and they outperformed other credit strategies

Rope-a-dope brings knock-out returns
Post-pandemic US and European CLOs delivered mid-teen equity returns in 2022, despite a barrage of weak macroeconomic news and what could have been a heavyweight Libor mismatch  

We made the most of a tricky situation
The contrast between 2021 and the following 12 months could not have been starker. But although some heavy hitters remained on the sidelines, 94 US CLO managers priced new deals in 2022

Are we ready for another crisis?
Credit managers must brace themselves for stress in 2023, as rates rise and the number of poor performing assets increases. But most CLOs look well-placed and can rely on plump OC cushions 

Not every CLO can be a winner
The CLO industry has undeniably performed well enough to justify the plaudits it receives. But there will always be some unloved CLO tranches that slip into triple C territory

Weren’t there more of us than this?
According to this year’s Creditflux CLO Census, the CLO industry is not feeling optimistic. Some investors have vanished and managers have not taken advantage of helpful market conditions

What matters is what you do with it
CLO managers yearn for flexibility so they can take advantage when credit sells off. But it isn’t enough on its own: triple C-flex CLOs saw portfolios erode this year, while CBOs outperformed

We can cope with downgrades again

Can someone call the triple A? We’ve stalled
CLO issuers are in need of AAA roadside assistance. Despite the emergence of new buyers, a lack of senior CLO investors — particularly US banks — has brought the primary market to a halt  

We’re drifting apart
Everyone’s issuing US CLOs these days and it is tempting to believe the crowd of managers is blending into one. However, overall portfolio overlap has dropped to 37.7% across 2021 CLOs