KBRA Assigns Ratings to Flagship Citadel Multi-Strategy Hedge Funds

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) assigns BBB Issuer ratings to three multi-strategy hedge funds: Kensington Global Strategies Ltd (KGSF), Kensington Global Strategies Fund II (KGSF II), Ltd, and Citadel Wellington LLC (Wellington), and a BBB Senior Unsecured rating to $500 million of notes issued by Citadel Finance, LLC The notes are guaranteed on a several, but not joint, basis by KGSF II, Wellington, and KGSF Offshore Holdings Ltd (wholly-owned subsidiary of KGSF). The guarantor funds are managed by Citadel Advisors, LLC, the investment management subsidiary of Citadel Group.

Citadel Group, headquartered in Chicago, is a global hedge fund with a 30-year track record and currently manages over $35 billion in investment capital. The Funds managed by Citadel invest in a range of strategies including commodities, fixed income/global macro, credit, equities, and quantitative strategies. Wellington and the two Kensington funds dynamically invest across all of Citadel’s strategies, with a primary focus on liquid markets such as fundamental and systematic equities, as well as global macro rates and currencies.

The issuer ratings reflect the Citadel Group and the Funds’ long-term performance track record, their ability to attract and retain substantial investment capital, top-tier investment talent, moderate historical performance volatility, and strong institutional risk and liquidity management practices. The ratings assigned to the notes consider the guarantee from the funds.

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Disclosures

Further information on key credit considerations, sensitivity analyses that consider what factors can affect these credit ratings and how they could lead to an upgrade or a downgrade, and ESG factors (where they are a key driver behind the change to the credit rating or rating outlook) can be found in the full rating report referenced above.

A description of all substantially material sources that were used to prepare the credit rating and information on the methodology(ies) (inclusive of any material models and sensitivity analyses of the relevant key rating assumptions, as applicable) used in determining the credit rating is available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) located here.

Information on the meaning of each rating category can be located here.

This credit rating is endorsed by Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited for use in the European Union and by Kroll Bond Rating Agency UK Limited for use in the UK. Information on a credit rating’s endorsement status is available on its rating page at KBRA.com.

Further disclosures relating to this rating action are available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) referenced above. Additional information regarding KBRA policies, methodologies, rating scales and disclosures are available at www.kbra.com.

About KBRA

Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (KBRA) is a full-service credit rating agency registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an NRSRO. Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is registered as a CRA with the European Securities and Markets Authority. Kroll Bond Rating Agency UK Limited is registered as a CRA with the UK Financial Conduct Authority pursuant to the Temporary Registration Regime. In addition, KBRA is designated as a designated rating organization by the Ontario Securities Commission for issuers of asset-backed securities to file a short form prospectus or shelf prospectus. KBRA is also recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as a Credit Rating Provider.