Points up front: Despite the fees, European SME CLOs are the future
Producing the first post-crisis securitisation of small and mid-sized European loans was a monumental effort for Be-Spoke Capital.

They said it: "Start writing the story about banks making margin calls to buyers of CLOs using repo!"
A reader comments on our 25 March report “US fund managers put on leveraged CLO triple A trade with a view to 13% returns”, pointing out that banks were pulling loan TRS lines, but still had the appetite to support leveraged CLO trades.

Past returns: A new secondary market for CLOs
Ten years ago we reported on the recovery of CLO triple As in the secondary market.

Distressed exchanges offer pathways to recapture value that others are trying to take from CLOs
Volcker rule amendments could protect CLOs from losing out to distressed funds in a restructuring

"We can have a positive impact by bringing diverse thinking to our business"
Edwin Wilches of PGIM takes our credit quiz

Past returns: Seven-year wait for equity payment
Five years ago we reported that equity investors in three legacy PGIM CLOs received a total of €1.1 million in distributions — seven years late. 

Points up front: Betting on ESG CLOs
Investing ethically is becoming a big part of credit, with CLO managers among the first to adopt environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment guidelines. So it’s no surprise that ESG criteria were high on the list of talking points at the Structured Finance Association’s SFVegas gathering last month.

2020 will be about relative value, watching for idiosyncratic risk and a good deal of running away
Investors must embrace change — it’s time for structured credit investors to look beyond vanilla CLOs

Don’t be tempted by low debt costs — the key driver of performance in static CLOs is market timing

Past returns: Would-be CLO buyers turn sellers
Five years ago in Creditflux, we reported that the new generation of US 2.0 CLO managers were striving to grow their CLO AUM through manager acquisitions; namely, Benefit Street Partners and Triumph Capital Advisors, the pair having issued their debut CLOs in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

Points up front: Swiss CLO manager is regular as clockwork
The Swiss are known for their meticulous timekeeping and punctuality, so it’s perhaps no surprise that an asset manager based in Zug is crafting a reputation as the most efficient in the CLO market.

If you’re worried, you should be investing in higher rated companies
Gretchen Bergstresser of CVC takes our credit quiz

Not all old tier one CLO managers lived up to their premier billing

Farewell Mike
After two decades, Mike Peterson, the founder and long-time editor of Creditflux, is moving on.

Points up front: There are lies, damn lies and awards pitches
We’re hearing empty boasts, trash talking of their rivals and no shortage of promises that will absolutely be delivered.

Points up front: ‘We’re slow and not smart’
Politicians on the campaign trail would do well to take a leaf out of Brian Starr’s book.

Past returns: Bond king’s exit ends CLO refis
Five years ago in Creditflux, we reported on a market absorbing the consequences of ‘bond king’ Bill Gross leaving Pimco, the firm he co-founded.

Points up front: Credit professionals to sleep rough for charity
Head of structured credit at Napier Park Global Capital, Serhan Secmen, will be spending 21 November sleeping out. He’s not being evicted – rather he’s volunteering to raise money in support of homeless children.

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

It may seem a bit rich for Welshcake to tell staid CLO investors they need to be more sensible
Bespokes are the next big thing — and you’d be wise to get involved

Typical CLO structures can’t take advantage of dislocation in the high yield bond market – yet
High yield bond buckets in CLO 1.0s allowed managers to build par — it is time CLO 2.0s had the same opportunity

They said it: "Oh no, it’s that f***ing ESG thing again"
A conference attendee is heard voicing his displeasure that lines between CLOs and ethical investing are blurring

Points up front: Best to price your deals between 12 and 6am
The latest addition to JP Morgan’s index suite — which aims to quantify the impact of US president Donald Trump’s tweets on the financial markets — has been so popular it has landed its own Wikipedia entry

Points up front: Performance will decide if these are ‘enhanced’ CLOs
Triple C-heavy CLOs have been touted in some quarters as a step forward for the industry with Ellington, HPS and Z Capital producing CLO structured along these lines.