Eyeing downgrades, CLO issuers prep looser terms

A slowing economy is likely to weigh on US corporates, leading to rating downgrades that could induce CLO managers to sell loans on the basis of failed overcollateralization or weighted average ratings tests. A small but growing handful of new issue deals are already taking active bets on such downgrades and incorporating a bigger bucket for downgraded debt or accommodating a hybrid pool of bonds and loans.