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Some of the larger managers in the top quartile include OHA, BSP, Allstate, BlackRock, Golub, and Oaktree.

Seven EU CLO managers with smaller platforms performed strongly, with most of their deals ranking in the top quintile.

Notably, EU CLO equity NAV metrics surpass those of their US BSL CLO counterparts across all vintages except for 2022 and 2023 deals, despite the latter having considerably more diversified underlying portfolios. In particular, the equity NAV metrics of EU CLOs from the 2013–2014 and 2018 vintages are markedly higher than those of their US counterparts.

This article focuses on US BSL CLO deals that exited their reinvestment period (RP) in 2023, based on a sample of 386 deals. As shown in the table below, the median annualised prepayment rate was 20% in year 1, with a wide range—from 12% to 27%—based on the 25th and 75th percentiles. In year 2, the median annualised prepayment rate rose to 34%, while the interquartile range narrowed compared to year 1.

As these deals exited their reinvestment periods in 2022—a year marked by significant volatility—27 out of 67 managers sustained average single-digit annualised prepayment rates across their deals in the first year post-RP, as shown in the table below.

Cairn CLO X equity recently traded with a released cover price of EUR 46.3, equating to a primary equity IRR of 13.7%. Its strong performance was largely driven by a solid annual distribution of over 18% sustained over more than six years.

The table below lists the outstanding EU CLO deals that have already met their IRR incentive fee thresholds of 12%, supported by robust equity distributions. As expected, most of these deals were issued in 2016 or earlier, and all but one were reset—effectively extending the life of the deal and enabling equity distributions sufficient to meet the IRR thresholds. Collectively, the total incentive fees distributed to date amount to approximately EUR 24 million.

A sample of 1,437 US BSL CLO deals (vintage 2013–2023) is included in this study. Deals with a collateral pool...

The table below presents the annualised post-reinvestment period prepayment rates for each of the 239 seasoned EU CLO deals across the first, second, third, and fourth years. Notably, 18 deals have recorded single-digit annualised prepayment rates in the first, second, and third years post-reinvestment period.

Notably, Redding Ridge achieved an impressive feat by pricing three resets on the same day—Friday, 21 March 2025. The last time a manager accomplished something similar was Intermediate Capital Group (ICG), with three reissues in mid-2018, and Alcentra, with three refinancings in early 2021.

How Have EU CLO Managers Stacked Up Against the Loan Index Since Inception? This study examines the long-term performance of 218 EU CLO deals from the 2015–2019 vintages, using the Morningstar European Euro-Denominated Loan Index as the benchmark. As of 19 March 2025, EU CLO managers, on average, had outperformed the loan index on an inception-to-date basis—driven primarily by principal value return outperformance—while their interest return remained broadly in line with that of the index.

Last week experienced a marked widening in both asset and CLO liability spreads. However, as of 14 March, the arbitrage remained largely stable week on week, with asset spreads (4-week average) and CLO WACC increasing in tandem by approximately 5 bps.

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

A sample of 1,455 US BSL CLO deals (vintage 2013–2023) is included in this study. Deals with a collateral pool...

A sample of 498 EU CLO deals (vintage 2013–1H 2024) is included in this study. Deals with a collateral pool...