Global CLO trading lab: quality and optionality shine as 2020 and 2019 mezz trades up
The primary and secondary CLO markets are moving in tandem with both markets drifting wider amid a wealth of supply

Global CLO pricing lab: let’s all point at that 108bp print while spreads leak out
The tsunami of CLO paper coming to market is the biggest technical factor causing spreads to widen, according to sources

Global CLO league tables - May 2021 YTD
Global CLO league tables - May 2021 YTD

Global CLO trading lab: Octagon CLO comes out top in CLO double B spike
Double B-rated bonds made up 40% of the European and US CLO secondary markets last week. $222 million of US CLO double B bonds were on sale and a further €105 million of European CLO double B items were listed

CLO fund comes top by distance in middling month for credit
A CIS Asset Management fund, which invests mainly in US CLO equity, was the star performer in March after gaining 7.36% in the month

Beneath the triple C: CLOs benefit as upgrades make for lighter triple C buckets
For the first time since the sell off in March last year, downgrades to triple C have come to a near-standstill

Beneath the triple C: resurfacing credits surpass divers as tide turns for CLOs
Upgrades above triple C overtook downgrades to that rating or below in February. Moody's or Standard & Poor's cut six corporate debt issuers to triple C or below in February, out of which just four can be found in CLO portfolios

Global CLO league tables - February 2021 YTD
Global CLO league tables - February 2021 YTD

Global CLO b-wic round-up: equity trades break new records as investors look to redeploy cash
The CLO secondary market is experiencing heavy churn with €273.5 million of European CLO paper and $1.05 billion of US CLOs listed last week. Within that supply, a record trade for a 2.0 European CLO equty tranche was recorded 

Global CLO b-wic round-up: 2020 deals trade at premium
As the primary CLO market continues to grind tighter, the secondary market is holding steady, but last year's vintages are trading well as they near the end of their call-locks

It's all relative: CLO spreads explore record tights as credit indices hit impasse
CLO spreads are grinding to ever tighter levels, despite a flattish week for credit in which corporate credit indices have ended up more or less unchanged

Global CLO league tables - January 2021
Global CLO league tables - January 2021 YTD

It's all relative: CLOs are lagging no more, as Carlyle deal drags market tighter
“CLOs are lagging” has been a much repeated refrain over the last nine months. But Carlyle Group has this week produced a US CLO that has dragged spreads to their tightest point in three years so that, rather than comparing CLOs to pre-covid levels, they should be assessed against early 2018

At least 2020 wasn’t dreadful for CLOs
Last year’s downturn was another in which CLOs survived and in many cases thrived as active management and Libor floors helped managers deliver 13%-plus returns to equity

CLO pipeline: OFS to make comeback as 2020 absentees eye new issues
As liability spreads tighten day by day, the CLO pipeline is filling fast. 2020 absentees are joining the parade as four US managers and three European managers aim to return to the new issue market after taking a break of 12 months or longer

OC health check: CLOs end 2020 with fragile recovery
Only 109 CLOs breached an overcollateralisation test in December, falling from 121 in November. This in turn was down from the 147 CLOs that breached an OC test in October, but 33 cured their breaches in November and a further 11 cured all OC test failures in December

Beneath the triple C: 13 CLO loans take a dive but defaults subside to a ripple
22 corporate debt issuers were downgraded to triple C or below in November and December by Moody’s or S&P, out of which 13 can be found in CLO portfolios  – hurting $4.55 billion of US CLO loans, €1.87 billion of European CLO portfolios and almost $80 million of middle market CLOs loans, according to CLO-i

Global 2020 CLO league tables
Global 2020 CLO league tables 

Vaccine boosts credit as PE firms open up to bridge loans
The leveraged loan and CLO markets ended 2020 on a long-awaited high after multiple vaccines for covid-19 were rubber-stamped by regulators

It's all relative: Euro CLO mezz rallies to follow month-long IG/HY compression
European credit suffered this week with Brexit talks between the UK and the EU dragging on and both sides conceding that a trade deal is unlikely to be reached by Sunday’s deadline. But European CLO tranches have held up reasonably well with mezzanine spreads tightening by almost 13% in December

Global CLO league tables - November 2020 YTD
Global CLO league tables - November 2020 YTD

Europe leads corporate credit rally, but US outperforms in CLOs
iTraxx Crossover has been the CDS market's outperformer this week, tightening over 30 basis points, or 11.4%, to trade at 235bp today. But in the CLO market, US deals have come out on top thanks to a BlackRock CLO that priced its double Bs at some of the tightest levels this year

Compression plays out as HY and European CLO double Bs outperform
Investment grade and high yield credit spreads have tightened in sync with each other this week, but CDS and CLOs alike underline that the big theme over the past month has been compression between investment grade and high yield

CLO pipeline: LCM switches arranger to complete deal and join issuance surge
Over $3.5 billion of global CLO issuance priced last week and managers in all three CLO markets are taking advantage of tightening spreads across the capital structure after three major covid-19 vaccine breakthroughs and increased confidence since the US presidential election

Beneath the triple C: cinemas get clipped but default picture improves
14 corporate debt issuers were downgraded to triple C or below in October by Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s – hurting $3.15 billion of US CLO loans, €761.73 million of European CLO portfolios and $37.95 million of middle market CLOs loans, according to CLO-i. Cinema chains were among those to suffer last month