Collateralized Loan Obligations, commonly referred to as CLOs, are structured financial instruments that have gained notoriety and popularity in recent years, particularly for their intrinsic characteristics of generating higher yields and allowing for more risk diversification than traditional fixed income instruments, such as government and corporate bonds.
These instruments are essentially actively managed securitization vehicles that pool together a diverse range of corporate loans. As for every other securitized financial product, CLOs are structured into various tranches, each carrying different levels of risk and return. The most senior debt tranche holds the highest priority in receiving cash flows generated by the CLO portfolio. This top-ranking position provides the strongest safeguard against defaults when compared to other tranches. However, this added protection comes at the cost of offering a relatively lower yield. Conversely, the most junior (equity) tranche exposes investors to higher credit risk, but also entails higher expected returns.
As for every financial instrument, CLOs are influenced by general market conditions and their performance is affected by the macroeconomic environment of the economy.
Volta Finance Ltd (LON:VTA) is a closed-ended limited liability company registered in Guernsey. Volta’s investment objectives are to seek to preserve capital across the credit cycle and to provide a stable stream of income to its Shareholders through dividends that it expects to distribute on a quarterly basis.
