Commercial lending

Money managers bargained away legal rights in exchange for higher returns in an ultra-low interest rate environment. Now they find themselves with precious little protection for their investments just as the pandemic is causing a wave of corporate bankruptcies across the country.

The ratings agency reported that the average percentage share of triple-C rated loans in CLO portfolios fell below 10% for the first time since March.

The quarterly numbers were boosted by $11.3 billion in new deals last month, the most active month for CLOs since April 2019.

Credit research analysts cite a "significant" drop in defaults since the 2Q and improving macroeconomic indicators.

Deals, trends and research in structured finance and asset-backed securities for the week of Sept. 25-Oct. 1

Overall debt outstanding for delinquent commercial and multifamily mortgages cut down in September as more of the economy opens further with lodging and retail far behind, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Delinquencies will rise due to the severe effects of the pandemic on the commercial property sector, Fitch said.

Spreads and investor demand make conditions ripe for a surge in CLO deals before the election, but a strain on loan supply may complicate the picture.

Brigade Capital Management, Blackstone Group Inc., CIFC Asset Management and Bardin Hill Investment Partners are among the firms looking to change the terms of the CLOs they oversee to put them on better footing when companies they’ve lent to can’t meet their obligations. Collateral managers are often handcuffed in distressed situations due to strict checks on the risks they can take.

Commercial real estate loans are vulnerable as financial assistance for tenants winds down and might not be fully renewed. Late rent payments could rise, leading lenders to press landlords to pay up.