CDOs/CLOs

Golub Capital Partners' first CLO of 2018 is pooling small and medium-size enterprise loans into a $903.8 million portfolio, more than twice the size of its previous middle-market CLO.

GoldenTree's dual-market CLO manager affiliate is launching its first European CLO after debuting with two U.S. deals totaling more than $1.4 billion in 2017.

In January, the closed end fund put $36.6 million to work acquiring the most subordinate securities issued by several CLOs, following the $52.6 million it spent in the fourth quarter.

The $410 million Ares XXXVIII CLO was the first U.S. collateralized loan obligation to reset, reprice or be issued since Angelo Gordon completed its Northwoods Capital XVI transaction on Feb. 15.

It's now calling for volume of $110 billion, 10% higher than its previous forecast, based on the view that the repeal of risk retention will spur smaller managers and new managers to enter the market.

KKR is resetting a 2012-vintage deal for the second time; it now has a reinvestment period of just 1.8 years compared with the more typical four or five years.

Onex reset a deal, agreeing to a higher coupon on the AAA-rated senior notes, in order to gain a five-year reinvestment period extension; it substantially narrowed spreads on subordinate notes.

Eliminating the requirement that CLO managers keep skin in the game of deals should boost issuance, but this could result in weaker credit quality of collateral as competition for loans increases.

There could be a pause in new issuance as CLO managers wait to see if the government will appeal; longer term, the pace will pick up as the playing field is leveled for smaller managers.

A three-judge panel for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has sided with the LSTA in its lawsuit seeking to reverse rules requiring CLO managers to hold "skin in the game" under Dodd-Frank.