Uncategorized
A unique role for CLOs
admin | July 17, 2020
This document is intended for institutional investors and is not subject to all of the independence and disclosure standards applicable to debt research reports prepared for retail investors. This material does not constitute research.
CLOs may have a unique role to play in a market with rates near zero, a steepening yield curve and broadly tightening spreads. Relatively high CLO margins add yield, floating coupons limit interest rate risk and moderately long average lives create enough spread duration to capitalize on tightening. The clear risk is exposure to the underlying leveraged loans, which could see historic defaults in a prolonged recession. But investment grade CLO debt from well chosen managers should largely mitigate that risk, and current pricing on ‘AAA’ debt in particular creates a good entry point.
The value of spread exposure
Fed QE has made spread exposure particularly valuable and should keep it valuable well into 2021 if not beyond. In the first quarter of the year, differences in spread duration had a significant impact on relative asset returns. By committing to buying $80 billion a month in Treasury debt and adding $40 billion a month in agency MBS, the Fed is slowly reducing the supply of relatively safe and liquid assets. The Fed’s ability to buy up to $750 billion in investment grade corporate debt through the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility and the Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility adds to the potential shortfall in supply. Beyond stabilizing the targeted markets, the Fed programs force investors into neighboring riskier assets, tightening spreads broadly in the process.
Investors have a wide set of choices for adding spread duration and capitalizing on the tightening, but most choices lose some of their appeal in light of low rates or a steepening curve. Investors can find plenty of floating-rate assets with long average lives—agency CMO floaters, as one example—but often without the yield of CLOs. Investors can also find plenty of fixed-rate assets with higher yields—long CMBS or some 30-year mortgage pass-throughs or corporate debt, for example—but most bring exposure to the 10-year and longer parts of the curve likely to get hurt when the economy eventually gets traction and the curve steepens.
A good deal depends on working with the right managers
Leveraged loans do have outsized exposure to any sustained recession, but stress testing by the NAIC and S&P, among others, show ‘AA’ and ‘AAA’ CLO classes robust to losses. Of course, even the most highly rated classes should widen if lower rated classes in the same structure get downgraded. But that’s where choice of manager can help. Even through Moody’s from January through mid-June had put 25% of CLO classes on CreditWatch Negative and downgraded 5%, nearly a third of managers had no rating actions taken (see Ranking CLO managers by rating actions). That included several managers with long-standing records of strong portfolio performance including AEGON, Blackrock and Palmer Square, among others. A portfolio of good managers should limit the risk of downgrades in other classes in a deal.
A good entry point in CLO ‘AAA’ debt
CLO ‘AAA’ debt lately has widened to fair value, creating a good entry point for investors. The average spread on securities traded in the secondary market from June 12 to July 16 has run from 169 to 181 (Exhibit 1). Estimated fair value for ‘AAA’ debt—using a model of CLO spreads that considers rating, structure, loan attributes, general market conditions and manager—meanwhile has tightened from 159 to 153. The gap between secondary market spread and fair value consequently has widened from June’s 10 bp to July’s 28 bp.
Exhibit 1: After tightening to fair value into June, CLO ‘AAA’ has widened again

Note: Secondary spreads reflect the par-weighted average of all CLOs that trade with reported cover bids. Fair value reflects the par-weighted average of all APS model estimates of fair value for all CLOs submitted through BWICs or other means. Model summary here. Source: Amherst Pierpont Securities
Other benchmarks also show CLO ‘AAA’ debt as wide. The Palmer Square index of CLO ‘AAA’ spreads between June 12 and July 16 has run roughly unchanged at 168 bp. Spreads on conduit CMBS ‘AAA’ classes meanwhile has tightened from 125 bp to 115 bp, widening the spread between the sectors from 43 bp to 53 bp, not far from the widest point of the year (Exhibit 2). In fact, over the last five years, CLO ‘AAA’ debt has traded wider than 53 bp against CMBS only 7% of the time.
Exhibit 2: CLO ‘AAA’ has also widened to CMBS ‘AAA’

Source: Palmer Square, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Barclays index, Amherst Pierpont Securities
The widening of CLO ‘AAA’ to fair value and other benchmarks is puzzling, especially against CMBS. CMBS is sensitive to the value of commercial real estate largely set by the ability and willingness of corporate tenants to make rent payments. The value of CLOs obviously depends on the ability and willingness of corporate borrowers to make payments. There may be a difference in the ratings of CMBS tenants and CLO borrowers, but many CMBS tenants are small and unrated.
One possible explanation of the underperformance lately in ‘AAA’ is the relatively heavy BWIC activity in June. Activity peaked at $7.2 billion on June 19 in the heaviest month of volume since April (Exhibit 3). The volume may have weighed on the sector.
Exhibit 3: June saw relatively heavy CLO ‘AAA’ BWIC volume

Source: Amherst Pierpont Securities
Other investment grade CLO debt looks fair to rich
Other investment grade classes of CLO debt look like fair value or rich to fair value. ‘AA’ debt looks roughly fair value, based on Amherst Pierpont models, while ‘A’ and ‘BBB’ debt look rich (Exhibit 4)
Exhibit 4: Other investment grade CLO debt looks fair to rich

Note: Secondary spreads reflect the par-weighted average of all CLOs that trade with reported cover bids. Fair value reflects the par-weighted average of all APS model estimates of fair value for all CLOs submitted through BWICs or other means. Model summary here. Source: Amherst Pierpont Securities
Good prospects for investment grade debt
Investment grade debt should continue performing well as long as Fed QE and other programs continue to draw down the supply of safe debt. Balancing exposure to the right credits against the need for yield and the risk of higher long rates is a challenge. The right class and the right managers could make CLOs a useful solution.
This material is intended only for institutional investors and does not carry all of the independence and disclosure standards of retail debt research reports. In the preparation of this material, the author may have consulted or otherwise discussed the matters referenced herein with one or more of SCM’s trading desks, any of which may have accumulated or otherwise taken a position, long or short, in any of the financial instruments discussed in or related to this material. Further, SCM may act as a market maker or principal dealer and may have proprietary interests that differ or conflict with the recipient hereof, in connection with any financial instrument discussed in or related to this material.
This message, including any attachments or links contained herein, is subject to important disclaimers, conditions, and disclosures regarding Electronic Communications, which you can find at https://portfolio-strategy.apsec.com/sancap-disclaimers-and-disclosures.
Important Disclaimers
Copyright © 2025 Santander US Capital Markets LLC and its affiliates (“SCM”). All rights reserved. SCM is a member of FINRA and SIPC. This material is intended for limited distribution to institutions only and is not publicly available. Any unauthorized use or disclosure is prohibited.
In making this material available, SCM (i) is not providing any advice to the recipient, including, without limitation, any advice as to investment, legal, accounting, tax and financial matters, (ii) is not acting as an advisor or fiduciary in respect of the recipient, (iii) is not making any predictions or projections and (iv) intends that any recipient to which SCM has provided this material is an “institutional investor” (as defined under applicable law and regulation, including FINRA Rule 4512 and that this material will not be disseminated, in whole or part, to any third party by the recipient.
The author of this material is an economist, desk strategist or trader. In the preparation of this material, the author may have consulted or otherwise discussed the matters referenced herein with one or more of SCM’s trading desks, any of which may have accumulated or otherwise taken a position, long or short, in any of the financial instruments discussed in or related to this material. Further, SCM or any of its affiliates may act as a market maker or principal dealer and may have proprietary interests that differ or conflict with the recipient hereof, in connection with any financial instrument discussed in or related to this material.
This material (i) has been prepared for information purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any securities, related investments or other financial instruments, (ii) is neither research, a “research report” as commonly understood under the securities laws and regulations promulgated thereunder nor the product of a research department, (iii) or parts thereof may have been obtained from various sources, the reliability of which has not been verified and cannot be guaranteed by SCM, (iv) should not be reproduced or disclosed to any other person, without SCM’s prior consent and (v) is not intended for distribution in any jurisdiction in which its distribution would be prohibited.
In connection with this material, SCM (i) makes no representation or warranties as to the appropriateness or reliance for use in any transaction or as to the permissibility or legality of any financial instrument in any jurisdiction, (ii) believes the information in this material to be reliable, has not independently verified such information and makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy or completeness of such information, (iii) accepts no responsibility or liability as to any reliance placed, or investment decision made, on the basis of such information by the recipient and (iv) does not undertake, and disclaims any duty to undertake, to update or to revise the information contained in this material.
Unless otherwise stated, the views, opinions, forecasts, valuations, or estimates contained in this material are those solely of the author, as of the date of publication of this material, and are subject to change without notice. The recipient of this material should make an independent evaluation of this information and make such other investigations as the recipient considers necessary (including obtaining independent financial advice), before transacting in any financial market or instrument discussed in or related to this material.
Important disclaimers for clients in the EU and UK
This publication has been prepared by Trading Desk Strategists within the Sales and Trading functions of Santander US Capital Markets LLC (“SanCap”), the US registered broker-dealer of Santander Corporate & Investment Banking. This communication is distributed in the EEA by Banco Santander S.A., a credit institution registered in Spain and authorised and regulated by the Bank of Spain and the CNMV. Any EEA recipient of this communication that would like to affect any transaction in any security or issuer discussed herein should do so with Banco Santander S.A. or any of its affiliates (together “Santander”). This communication has been distributed in the UK by Banco Santander, S.A.’s London branch, authorised by the Bank of Spain and subject to regulatory oversight on certain matters by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).
The publication is intended for exclusive use for Professional Clients and Eligible Counterparties as defined by MiFID II and is not intended for use by retail customers or for any persons or entities in any jurisdictions or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.
This material is not a product of Santander´s Research Team and does not constitute independent investment research. This is a marketing communication and may contain ¨investment recommendations¨ as defined by the Market Abuse Regulation 596/2014 ("MAR"). This publication has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of research and is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research. The author, date and time of the production of this publication are as indicated herein.
This publication does not constitute investment advice and may not be relied upon to form an investment decision, nor should it be construed as any offer to sell or issue or invitation to purchase, acquire or subscribe for any instruments referred herein. The publication has been prepared in good faith and based on information Santander considers reliable as of the date of publication, but Santander does not guarantee or represent, express or implied, that such information is accurate or complete. All estimates, forecasts and opinions are current as at the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise indicated, Santander does not intend to update this publication. The views and commentary in this publication may not be objective or independent of the interests of the Trading and Sales functions of Santander, who may be active participants in the markets, investments or strategies referred to herein and/or may receive compensation from investment banking and non-investment banking services from entities mentioned herein. Santander may trade as principal, make a market or hold positions in instruments (or related derivatives) and/or hold financial interest in entities discussed herein. Santander may provide market commentary or trading strategies to other clients or engage in transactions which may differ from views expressed herein. Santander may have acted upon the contents of this publication prior to you having received it.
This publication is intended for the exclusive use of the recipient and must not be reproduced, redistributed or transmitted, in whole or in part, without Santander’s consent. The recipient agrees to keep confidential at all times information contained herein.