Middle market fundraising firing on all cylinders in 2017 Money continues to pour into the middle market in a myriad of ways. For starters, 2017 is going to be the strongest year for middle market CLO formation since the credit crisis. Year to date $7.3 billion in middle market CLOs have priced, not too far…
U.S. new issue CLO volume outpaces refinancings for first time in 2017 May marked the first month this year where U.S. new issue CLO volume outpaced refinancing volume. CLO new issue amounted to $9.8 billion in May, slightly down from the $10.2 billion posted in April, taking 2017 issuance to $37.5 billion…. Subscribe to Read
Primary leveraged yields tighten in May After widening in April, average yields have tightened in May, but are still above their March level. The average yield, assuming a three year term to repayment on first-lien institutional loans is 4.87% in May, down from 5.03% in April but still 20bp above the… Subscribe to Read MoreAlready
Middle market lenders struggling to find yield in 2Q17 Middle market lenders with a minimum spread requirement of 500bp and above are most likely struggling to find assets in the syndicated loan market that meet their return requirements. So far in 2Q17, 77% of middle market sponsor-backed loans to hit the syndicated market have a…
BDC performance wavers in May on the back of mixed earnings The upward march of BDC share prices in 2017 seems to have come to a halt in May on the back of mixed earnings announcements for 1Q17. Rising non-accruals, earnings misses, heavy prepayments, declining yields, tough market conditions and extreme competition are all… Subscribe
Lender Survey: Compared to the historical average, loan recoveries will be: Many investors have a wish list for rolling back structural deterioration with, not surprising, bringing back covenants with clean historical EBITDA definition meaning capped add-backs and no inclusion of projected results or cost savings at the top of the list. Although a lower spread…
What is the most likely catalyst for derailment? 41% of the audience polled last Thursday during Thomson Reuters LPC’s Fifth Annual Middle Market Loans Conference pointed to competitive pressures leading to structural and yield deterioration as the most likely catalyst for change or derailment in the market. However, one third pointed to geopolitical risk, which…
Share institutional term loans yielding less than 5% drops to 53% in 2Q17 from 68% in 1Q17 Primary yields, while still at low levels, have inched up so far in April. The average primary yield assuming a three year term to repayment on first-lien institutional tranches is 5.03% so far in April, up from 4.61%…
CLO issuance is on track to meet or exceed market forecast in 2017 One third of loan arrangers, CLO arrangers and managers surveyed by Thomson Reuters LPC expect CLO issuance could reach or exceed $70bn this year. But challenges remain including a lack of new issue supply and complying with risk retention. Amidst the ongoing…
Cross border financings gain momentum as thin EMEA pricing attracts leveraged issuers
In a turn around from 2012-2013 market trends whereby European issuers tapped the US loan market in a bid to lock in thinner margins, a number of US leveraged issuers have turned to the European market early in 2017, to secure thinly priced deals. In contrast to the rising interest rate environment in the US, the European market is expected to keep interest rates low in the near term...