Securitization

A New York-state proposal to shift trillions of dollars in securities contracts from Libor- to SOFR-based benchmarks is gathering dust. That worries bankers and investors on on how to proceed with the next steps toward a replacement rate as Libor's post-2021 expiration grows nearer.

The deal consists of 11,673 nonconforming first-lien mortgages, of which nearly all have been previously modified. Approximately 7% are in COVID-19-related forbearance.

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 notes are backed by $456.9 million in high-balance loans that meet qualified mortgage standards, according to ratings agency presale reports.

Kroll's $2 million settlement with the SEC over failing to adhere to credit-rating standards for CMBS and CLO bonds are fueling concerns that rosy credit grades are masking deeper structural problems with the securities exposed by COVID-19 related stresses, say critics.

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.

Student housing and assisted/independent living centers were small portions of Freddie's multifamily securitizations prior to COVID, but Kroll noticed they've been missing in most rated deals since spring.

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.

The net share of mortgages in Ginnie Mae securitizations with suspended payments appears to be stabilizing, but the number of new requests creates doubt about whether it will subside.

Deals, trends and research in structured finance and asset-backed securities for the week of Sept. 18-24

The Charlotte, N.C., company recently closed on a sale of its Cohen Financial platform to SitusAMC.

“The Fed has made it clear that they don’t want a liquidity problem in the Treasury market or the higher-grade corporate market,” Fuss said. “They cannot, unfortunately, underwrite lending in the private markets.”

Shares of the company surged 31% in New York on Tuesday after it projected record revenue and profit margins. The stock has rallied almost 150% this year as Americans have turned to buying household essentials, entertainment and, increasingly, used cars online.

Market conditions allowed for a larger bond issuance, as well as interest rate pricing that was less than half that of the coupons the captive-finance lender offered investors from its prior May issuance of auto loan asset-backed securities.

The rental-car company is mulling two tentative offers for loans of about $1 billion to $1.5 billion. The proposals came from a group of Hertz’s unsecured creditors and a separate set of first-lien creditors.