Glen Fest

The fitness chain weathered an initial round of COVID-19 closings in March to continue supporting investor payments on $1.8 billion of whole-biz securitization notes. But surging coronavirus spreads in its key markets could force a reversal of gym reopenings, subjecting the bonds to potential downgrades.

The single-borrower deal, sponsored by Brookfield, was pulled in the spring due to market conditions that halted most securitizations at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Tricon American Homes launches the fifth securitization since mid-May secured by loans that finance institutional ownership and management of single-family residential rental homes.

The first-time transaction under Fortress Investment Group's new shelf will be backed by long-term leases on 11 Amazon fulfillment and last-mile distribution centers – three of which remain under construction.

S&P Global Ratings has projected slightly higher investor loss levels for BMW Financial Services' first 2020 auto-loan securitization, compared to the captive-finance auto lender's previous deal in 2019. But that loss range (0.9%-1.11%) still remains minimal.

The class A notes, secured by legacy trust-preferreds and subordinated debt of institutions, carry an investment-grade A1 rating from Moody's. That rating is slightly lower than a prior Hildene CDO, due to elevated pandemic risk to bank profitability.

The collateral in the $338 million also includes a large subset of mortgages (45% of the pool) that are considered "dirty current" loans with recent delinquent status.

Stakeholders in a $1.5B term loan (which include CLO managers) overwhelmingly approved the failed energy company's voluntary bankruptcy plan, providing them a 76% pro-rata share of new common stock in the company after it emerges from bankruptcy.

S&P lowered the ratings on 23 tranches of notes in the deals, affirmed eight others, and kept the other 40 notes on watch for potential downgrade. Twenty of the downgraded notes are on notice for potential future downgrades, as well.

New Residential Investment Corp., fresh off a substantial first-quarter reduction of its asset holdings, is now planning to securitize the receivables on its $200 billion servicing portfolio of Fannie Mae-owned mortgages.

Leveraged loans and collateralized loan obligations do not represent an "existential" threat to the global economy or to the U.S. banking system, as some recent highly charged reports have suggested.

As Las Vegas opens back up to tourists, MBS investors are being asked to roll the dice on the lodging industry that has been conspicuously absent from recent conduit deals amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Westlake Automobile Receivables Trust 2020-2 pools a portfolio of loans for mostly high-mileage used-vehicles financed by the privately held Westlake through independent and franchise dealers. The deal includes a $370.9 million triple-A tranche (as preliminarily rated by S&P Global Ratings and DBRS Morningstar) that benefits from 42.75% initial credit enhancement.

The Information Management Network has announced it will proceed with its annual Fall ABS East securitization conference in Miami Beach, Fla. in December, featuring a “hybrid” in-person/virtual event format.

But deal sponsors are primarily restricting property assets to the lower risk multifamily and office buildings that lenders are more confident will weather the economic strains brought by the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite declining payment rates and increased economic pains on borrowers, prime credit-card and retail account issuers have been able to maneuver around COVID-19 stresses with little impact on servicing their accounts held in securitized portfolios.

The online small-business lender’s temporary halt to loan originations contributed to a breach of a minimum asset level for its Series 2019-1 collateral pool, according to Kroll.

The new $1.2 billion InSolve Global Credit Fund IV will pursue a subset of the alternative asset manager’s specialty in non-performing distressed loans, including those in insolvency, restructuring or liquidation, according to a company release.

Barclays Commercial Mortgage Securities Mortgage Trust 2020-C7 is backed by a pool of 49 fixed-rate loans collateralized by 153 commercial properties – of which 17 loans are tied to multifamily/manufactured housing properties representing 35.4% of the pool balance.

Potential COVID-19 stresses include a rising tide of unemployed borrowers missing payments and seeking extensions, as well as falling used-car values.