ABS
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SEC urged to re-propose ABS releases
SIFMA and the Financial Services Roundtable (FSR) have submitted comments to the US SEC that express significant concerns with its proposed approach to disseminating asset-level and other offering information under Regulation AB 2 (SCI 26 February). The two associations urge the Commission to abandon the "flawed" approach to the disclosure of asset-level information outlined in its Memorandum, which they say .......
News Round-up 1 April 2014
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Marking milestones
Growth ahead for Chinese ABS
The Chinese securitisation market passed two milestones - in October and February respectively - when foreign banks and non-bank finance companies were permitted to participate in the origination of domestic transactions. These developments coincide with the market-opening reform agenda announced in China's third plenum and lay the foundations for further growth of the country's ABS sector.
"There is broad recognition .......
News Analysis 1 April 2014
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Information portal offered
Chapman and Cutler has introduced a new tool - dubbed Structured Finance Insights - that is designed to offer quick and easy access to information regarding laws and regulations impacting the structured finance market. Industry participants can visit the portal or subscribe to update feeds to keep up-to-date on the latest regulatory developments affecting a rapidly changing marketplace.
....... News Round-up 31 March 2014
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SBA methodology revised
S&P has revised its methodology and assumptions for rating US small business loan-backed securitisations. The agency is updating its loan default assumptions and will now use a 'targeted output' approach for these assumptions under triple-A stress scenarios, while incorporating recent collateral performance observed under moderate economic stress.
In addition, S&P will use a scoring framework through which it can adjust .......
News Round-up 31 March 2014
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Atlas VI notes affirmed
S&P has affirmed its ratings on the US$125m series 2011-1 class A, US$145m series 2011-1 class B and €50m series 2011-2 class A notes issued by Atlas VI Capital. The move follows the bonds' annual resets of the probability of attachment. In each case, the probability of attachment was reset to a percentage consistent with the transaction documents and the .......
News Round-up 31 March 2014
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Tax lien criteria released
Moody's has published its methodology on rating US tax lien ABS. Its adoption will not result in any rating changes to currently outstanding transactions.
"Tax lien securitisations are backed by liens on properties with charges that a municipality, township or county impose, such as delinquent property taxes, assessments, sewer rents, sewer surcharges and water rents," says Moody's vp Xiaochao Wang. .......
News Round-up 31 March 2014
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Reg AB 2 comment period extended
The US SEC has extended the re-opened comment period on two releases related to ABS shelf-eligibility under Regulation AB 2 - Asset-Backed Securities and Re-Proposal of Shelf Eligibility Conditions for Asset-Backed Securities (SCI 26 February). The Commission re-opened the comment period to permit interested persons to comment on an approach for the dissemination of potentially sensitive asset-level data. The comment .......
News Round-up 31 March 2014
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Solar securitisation expansion expected
More than six out of 10 solar originators believe securitisation of pooled commercial solar assets will take place over the next 12 months. More than half expect the securitisation of pooled residential solar assets will occur in the same period, according to a Mercatus survey.
The survey also found that 56% of solar originators say they currently have enough operating .......
News Round-up 28 March 2014
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Capital requirement changes proposed
A number of trade associations have submitted comments to the Basel Committee on revisions to the securitisation framework proposed in its Second Consultative Document. They believe that the proposed capital requirements for securitisation exposures remain much higher than justified by historical loss incidence in most asset classes, by comparison with other methods of finance or in relation to the capital .......
News Round-up 27 March 2014
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Japanese ABS issuance jumps
The low and stable default rate of assets backing Japanese ABS transactions broadly underpins investor confidence and has boosted rated issuance by 68.3% from 1Q13 to 1Q14. This increase in volume is expected to continue as corporate sector borrowings rise due to the 'Abenomics' effect.
Moody's notes in its latest 'Structured Thinking: Asia Pacific' publication that the expected default rate .......
News Round-up 26 March 2014
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Reinsurance pro takes new role
Hannover Life Reassurance Company of America has appointed Keith Kennerly as structured health and financial solutions vp. He will be based in New York and take responsibility for sourcing and originating new health financing opportunities.
Kennerly was previously at Aetna where he focused on reinsurance and securitisation, including execution and management of medical loss ratio securitisations. He has also worked .......
Job Swaps 26 March 2014
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FFELP SLABS affirmed
Fitch has affirmed 778 triple-A rated tranches of US FFELP student loan ABS, removed the ratings from rating watch negative and assigned them a stable outlook. The move follows the affirmation of the US sovereign rating and revision of its outlook to stable on 21 March.
The ratings on the effected tranches are linked to the US sovereign rating, since .......
News Round-up 25 March 2014
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A new era in structured trade receivables finance?
Reed Smith partner Nick Stainthorpe discusses new investors,...
The increased interest from alternative investors in trade receivables is the result of a number of factors. These include: the high asset prices/low yields being experienced in other asset classes; the wariness of corporates to rely on a single source of supply chain/receivables finance in the post-crisis environment; on-going credit shortages in this sector in countries like Italy, Greece and .......
Talking Point 25 March 2014
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Italian ABS framework extended
The Italian government's December Decree (SCI 19 December 2013) has been converted into law and published in the Italian Official Gazette, with some additional amendments. The decree seeks to address certain issues that have to date remained open under the original formulation of Law 130, the country's securitisation framework.
As originally adopted, Law 130 expressly provides its benefits to transactions .......
News Round-up 24 March 2014
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Investors eye esoteric additions
Esoterics provide investors with the most upside within ABS, according a DBRS survey. By contrast, consumer and commercial ABS yields are expected to remain extremely low over the next 12 months.
Esoteric ABS - including container, timeshare, whole business and franchise loans, structured settlements and solar and renewables securities - was selected by more than half of respondents as the .......
News Round-up 21 March 2014
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Euro ABS 'tight and light'
The European ABS market continues to quietly generate primary issuances and secondary market bid-lists without making too many waves. One trader reports that this steady state is likely to continue until the end of the month.
"The European ABS market has been pretty quiet for a couple of weeks now. We are seeing deals coming out in the primary market .......
Market Reports 20 March 2014
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Rethink for French NCR?
France's Constitutional Court last week ruled that a proposal to create a national credit registry (NCR) that would capture individual consumer loan indebtedness is unconstitutional (SCI 13 September 2013). Moody's says in its latest Credit Outlook publication that the move is credit negative for French structured finance transactions because the NCR would have been a tool for French lenders to .......
News Round-up 20 March 2014
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Counterparty approach tweaked
Moody's has modified the scope of its methodology for assessing swap counterparties in structured finance cashflow transactions to conform with its approach to rating covered bonds. In addition, the agency has made several minor adjustments and refinements to clarify the approach outlined in the second and third steps of its swap counterparty methodology.
In particular, Moody's has clarified the meaning .......
News Round-up 20 March 2014
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Cat bond ratings affirmed
S&P has affirmed its ratings on five natural-peril catastrophe bonds issued by four different issuers. The move follows the annual reset of their probability-of-attachment points.
In each case, S&P says the probability of attachment was reset to a percentage consistent with the transaction documents and the current rating. In addition, the agency reviewed the creditworthiness of each ceding company and .......
News Round-up 20 March 2014
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Aussie ABS performance data released
Moody's has unveiled a new quarterly report that will track the performance of the Australian ABS market. The inaugural report comprises performance data up to 4Q13 and focuses largely on the Australian auto ABS sector, which accounts for more than 90% of the agency's rated universe.
"In response to investor feedback, the report is Excel-based and covers the delinquency and .......
News Round-up 20 March 2014
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Delivering transparency
While the financial services industry has to date focused on...
News that the US SEC postponed a vote in early February regarding the adoption of rules revising the disclosure, reporting and offering process for ABS is disappointing, given the regulator's previously-stated determination to enhance transparency across ABS and MBS instruments. Transformation of this opaque asset class has been high on its agenda since Chairman Mary Shapiro noted the SEC's top .......
Talking Point 20 March 2014