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Two strong themes emerged from an extraordinary year for the securitization market in 2020 and both were recognised by voters in the RMBS and CMBS deal categories.

Regulatory pressure has led to over €70bn of non-performing loan transactions from Italian lenders during the last few years, shaking up the servicing business. Prelios has been at the front of the pack from the start and is our Servicer of the Year, after a 2020 in which it began the industrialisation of unlikely-to-pay servicing, built out the first Italian non-performing exposures digital marketplace, and delivered market-leading financial performance.

From supporting transactions under stress during treacherous market conditions, to helping clients navigate the data and reconciliation challenges of the simple, transparent and standardised (STS) regime, Citi was able to build on strong foundations to deliver for clients in a critical time for the market, making it our Securitization Trustee of the Year.

Looking through the votes for RMBS deal of the year, GlobalCapital saw this deal lagging behind issues from Crédit Immobilier de France Development and LendInvest, both bold executions as the pandemic closed in, and triumphs for the syndicate and treasury teams involved.

The story of BNP Paribas’s securitization business has been told before, but it’s still a remarkable turnaround.

This man’s passion for securitization runs deep — whether it’s calling a tune to the Global ABS conference, evangelism to sceptical regulators, or building a pioneering fixed income boutique out of the ashes of 2008, Rob Ford has remained at the centre of the market since its inception.

While the full financial impact of the pandemic has yet to emerge, growing signs of corporate distress are expected to start emerging in the coming months. To get ahead of it, early engagement with lenders and appointing strong advisors can help companies avoid insolvency or costly restructuring, say Ocorian’s Alan Booth, head of capital markets and Nick Bland, head of UK client services.

EQ Credit Services has rapidly grown to become one of the leading standby servicers and technology providers of loan management systems in the UK. In an interview with GlobalCapital, Will Ellis, sales director, describes the growth story so far and future ambitions.

The Vienna Stock Exchange celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, making it one of the world’s oldest stock exchanges. Its longevity and resilience, through wars, the fall of empires and financial crises, is partly due to a sound reading of, and response to, future market trends. In an interview with GlobalCapital, Matthias Szabo, director of debt listings, highlights three current trends that are shaping the future of the exchange, and the industry.

The Hong Kong IPO market saw a scorching start to the year, with a record amount raised on the exchange. But as signs of pressure begin to show, a breather is much needed.

The skittish state of investor demand that was recently on display in covered bonds may herald a reassessment of credit, particularly as spreads are back to pre-pandemic levels and seemingly have limited potential for further performance.

It was a big week for environmental, social and governance in the capital markets — aren't they all? But in the most recent developments, it is possible to detect a rise in the spiciness of the debate over what should and should not be acceptable.