HSBC is marketing a series of leveraged super senior tranches denominated in euros, sterling and U.S. dollars. The three, five-year, single tranche deals have notionals of 200 million in each currency, and offer investors 10-times leveraged exposure to a portfolio of 125 predominately investment grade credits.
Jeff Jakubiak, managing director and head of structured credit products for Europe and Asia in London, said the deals are being marketed globally to investors looking for return from tight credit spreads. "They are aimed at our traditional CDO customer base that typically invests in mezzanine tranches," he said, adding the multi-currency platform will meet the needs of all potential investors. HSBC aims to raise 500 million in all three currencies.
The static CDOs feature time-dependent loss triggers, which Jakubiak said was more attractive to investors than spread-based triggers. "They are more transparent and easier to understand," he said. The loss trigger forces early unwind or additional note purchase by the investors when the accumulative annual portfolio default loss hits a set percentage. The limit increases every year, allowing for a higher leveraged exposure. The three notes have been given a preliminary rating of AAA by Standard & Poor's.
