CLO Research

To provide context for the DM (discount margin) figures, consider the following: when the spread of the 4-week Morningstar LSTA U.S. B/BB Ratings Loan Index ranged between 390 and 420 basis points (bp) – which aligns with today’s level – the average pricing for the BB tranche was at 699 bp, with the median at 701 bp, as shown in the table below. This data is derived from a sample of 503 deals, managed by 20 US BSL managers, spanning from 2012 to 2023.

Recent primary CLO and reset prints at the BB level suggest that demand for BB is very strong. Anecdotally, it appears that numerous investors in the market have a preference for the risk-return ratio of the BB tranche. The carry is solid, and the BB tranche has demonstrated resilience across various credit cycles.

The table below displays a list of the top 50 largest global CLO managers, ranked by their global CLO assets under management (AUM) in USD billion as of December 31, 2023.

Last week, GoldenTree achieved a notable AAA print of 150 bp, marking the tightest level since May 2022. This achievement can be attributed to the manager’s established track record, its tier-one status, and the strong demand for AAA.

Excess CCC buckets, defaults, discount obligations, and losses from trading can all reduce the OC ratio. Typically, OC test cushions decrease over time as deals mature. The tables above display the OC (BB) test cushions, segmented by vintage year, based on Intex runs from January 22, 2024, and previously from November 17, 2023.

Below are tables presenting the MVOC (AAA-B) and EQ NAV of US BSL CLO deals by vintage, based on asset prices as of January 19, 2023.

The table below presents the median MVOC (AAA-B) of US BSL CLO deals by vintage, based on asset prices as of January 19, 2024.

The table below displays a list of the top 15 largest global CLO managers, ranked by their CLO assets under management (AUM) in USD billion as of December 31, 2023.

Please refer to the table below for a list of EU CLO managers and their assets under management (in billions). In addition, the table indicates the number of years since each manager last priced a primary deal, as of 31 December 2023. Twenty-three managers have not issued a primary deal in over one year, and ten managers have not issued one in over two years.

Please refer to the table below for the comprehensive list of EU CLO managers and their assets under (EU CLO) management (in billions), categorised by reinvestment (RI) period as of 31st December 2023, based on LCD and Intex data.

Please refer to the table below for a list of the 100 US CLO managers and their assets under management (in billions) for US CLOs, broken down by the reinvestment (RI) period as of December 31, 2023.

Please refer to the table below for a comprehensive list of US CLO managers, along with their BSL and MM assets (in billions) under US CLO management, and the number of days since a primary deal was last priced as of 31 December 2023.

The table below displays a list of the top 30 largest US CLO managers, ranked by their US CLO assets under management (AUM) in USD billion as of December 31, 2023.

As of December 31, 2023, a notable proportion of the 135 managers, each handling over $0.7 billion in US CLO AUM, have been inactive in pricing new issue deals. Specifically, around 40% of these managers have not priced a primary deal in the last six months. In addition, a quarter of them have not engaged in such pricing for over a year, while approximately 15% have remained inactive in this regard for the past two years.

Below are tables presenting the MVOC (AAA-B) and EQ NAV of US BSL CLO deals by vintage, based on asset prices as of January 5, 2023.