KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to RR 17 Ltd

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) assigns preliminary ratings to three classes of notes issued by RR 17 Ltd (RR 17), a cash flow collateralized loan obligation (CLO) backed by a diversified portfolio of broadly syndicated corporate loans.

RR 17 is managed by Redding Ridge Asset Management LLC (“RRAM” or the “collateral manager”) and will have a five-year reinvestment period. The legal final maturity is on July 15, 2034. The ratings reflect initial credit enhancement levels, excess spread, and coverage tests including overcollateralization ratio and interest coverage tests.

The collateral in RR 17 will mainly consist of broadly syndicated leveraged loans issued by corporate obligors diversified across sectors. The total portfolio par amount is $700 million with exposure to 195 obligors. The obligors in the portfolio have a K-WARF of 2431, which represents a weighted average portfolio credit assessment of approximately B. KBRA has also considered the potential for near to medium term negative portfolio credit deterioration and the transactions sensitivity to macroeconomic shocks like that seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RRAM is an independent asset management company established by Apollo Global Credit Management, LLC (“Apollo”) in 2016 to manage CLOs. RRAM manages over $12.5 billion of total assets across 21 active U.S. & European CLOs and warehouse financings as of March 2021. Additionally, through services agreements, the RRAM platform benefits from certain Apollo resources, including credit research and administrative services.

The preliminary rating on the Class A-1a Notes considers the timely payment of interest and the ultimate payment of principal by the applicable stated maturity date, while the preliminary ratings on the Class B and C Notes consider ultimate payment of interest and principal by the applicable stated maturity date.

KBRA analyzed the transaction using Structured Credit Global Rating Methodology and the Global Structured Finance Counterparty Methodology.

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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.

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.