Beneath the triple C: mighty CLO buckets from Akorns grow
Rating agencies went on a downgrading spree in February, with Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s cutting 20 corporate names to triple C or below – affecting $2.78 billion of paper in US CLOs and €316.6 million in European CLOs. 

US CLO exposure to oil and gas is 2.6%, finds Barclays
Oil and gas exposure in CLOs is fairly limited, according to Barclays research, as crude oil prices drop to $33 per barrel, down from $41 on Friday

Global CLO b-wic round-up: sellers flock to secondary market as trade rate hits 71%
The broader market sell-off reached CLOs last week, with investors lining up to list their positions in the CLO secondary market

Secondary CLO volumes jump as investors shed triple Bs into volatility
CLO investors are putting together the pieces after a volatile week, in which investmemt grade-rated tranches have changed hands but with limited visibility on pricing

Fed cut triggers Libor floors on third of US loans
Roughly a third of US loans effectively became fixed rate investments this week as Libor edged below 1% for the first time since January 2017

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.

No hedges, but no problem for optimistic CLO investors
CLOs are prone to idiosyncratic risks, but investors have told Creditflux that they are confident about performance in 2020, despite the lack of hedging options. The general consensus is that some deals will suffer, but the vast majority will deliver after a disappointing end to 2019 for junior debt.

Global CLO league tables - February 2020 YTD
Global CLO league tables - February 2020 YTD

Making arb work of it
In 2019, some CLO managers hoped that good timing would enable them to lock in favourable arbitrage levels, but others opted for aggressive or conservative tactics when building portfolios. 

Back from the dead: CLO risk retention resurfaces in the US
Risk retention is making an unexpected comeback in the US CLO market as more managers look to structure their deals to comply with European risk retention regulations

Global CLO b-wic round-up: that's another fine mezz you've gotten me into
European CLO investors are tripping over themselves to buy mezzanine paper in the secondary CLO market

CLO pipeline: new loves kindle as managers finish with old flames
US new issue CLO paper is back on the agenda after a January dominated by refinancings. 14 new deals are in the pipeline, but refis are holding steady with eight of these in the works. CLO refinancings have been the front runners this year, with 22 CLO refis versus 12 new US CLOs. 

Partners markets US CLO as it aims to become second transatlantic issuer of 2020
Partners Group is on course to become the second CLO manager this year to price new issue deals on either side of the Atlantic

CLO pipeline: make some noise for repricings
CLOs may be a bit late to the spread-tightening party, but a hoard of CLO repricings is aiming to make up for it by sheer volume

Global CLO league tables - January 2020 YTD
Global CLO league tables - January 2020 YTD

US CRE CLO growth spurt encourages Europeans
The US CRE CLO market hit a record $19.2 billion in 2019 and sources say that a first ever European deal will be issued this year. They cite the growing commercial mortgage direct lending market on the continent as laying the foundations for a European CRE CLO.

GSO aims to place US CLOs in Europe
GSO Capital Partners has launched a manager entity named Blackstone/GSO CLO Management LLC in an effort to sell US CLOs into Europe.

CLOs at a glance: Lightning strikes twice with static shocks

Global CLO round-up: welcome back, give us a (refi) wave
Tighter corporate credit spreads means new issue volumes are down, but it makes a decent entry point for new CLO managers to price deals and also makes refinancing CLOs imperative

CLO pipeline: a refi of nine cuts time (and margins)
Nine US CLO managers are preparing to refinance one of their CLOs to lower financing costs

Global CLO b-wic round-up: equity, equity everywhere, but trading volumes sink
For the second week in a row, over $230 million of US CLO equity went on sale and multiple control equity positions were listed in the CLO secondary market

Licence and registration: loan spreads get speeding ticket as CLOs play catch-up
The sharp rally in corporate credit means that CLO spreads are going to have to rapidly follow suit with investors informing Creditflux that US CLO triple As should be pricing at 105-107 basis points to make deal economics work. 

CLO pipeline: Medalist ascends podium as new issues pace themselves
CLO managers are biding their time before re-entering the primary CLO market, but this week Investcorp Credit Management, KKR and Medalist Partners are marketing new issue US CLOs