KBRA Launches K-CST, Bringing Its Corporate Credit Framework to Private Credit and Leveraged Finance Markets

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KBRA, a leading provider of data, financial information, and credit analysis solutions, today announced the launch of K-CST (KBRA Corporate Assessment & Scoring Tool), a self-service credit assessment tool built for private credit and leveraged finance professionals evaluating middle-market direct lending opportunities, leveraged loans, collateralized loan obligation (CLO) portfolios, rated note feeder funds, and other credit investments.

K-CST enables users to quickly input historical or projected financial data, calculate key credit metrics, and generate an Estimated KBRA Assessment using a standardized analytical framework. The tool supports the investment lifecycle, from underwriting and origination through portfolio monitoring and ongoing credit review.

“Private credit and leveraged finance professionals are evaluating a growing number of middle-market borrowers and need a faster, consistent way to form and update a credit view,” said Shane Olaleye, Senior Managing Director and Head of Corporate Credit Assessment at KBRA. “K-CST provides users with direct access to KBRA’s corporate credit framework, allowing them to assess borrowers on demand, test changing assumptions, and see how financial performance affects an estimated assessment before beginning a formal engagement with KBRA.”

Designed for a range of market participants, the tool serves private credit and direct lenders, CLO managers, rated note feeder managers, and leveraged finance and loan market participants seeking to evaluate borrowers and portfolios, explore scenarios, and revisit analyses as financial information changes.

Key Capabilities of K-CST

• Input key financials: Enter historical or projected financials directly or through bulk Excel upload.
• Calculate key credit metrics: Generate standardized measures including debt/EBITDA, EBIT margin, and FCF/debt.
• Generate an Estimated KBRA Assessment: See how financial inputs translate into an assessment aligned with KBRA’s analytical framework.
• Test scenarios in real time: See outputs respond as leverage, margins, cash flow, and other assumptions change.
• Support portfolio monitoring: Apply a consistent framework across companies and financial periods.
• Improve transparency: Identify the financial factors driving results through standardized metrics and color-coded outputs.

K-CST brings KBRA’s established corporate credit approach into a self-service workflow without requiring users to build their own model. Its deterministic design supports consistent, repeatable analysis for evaluating new credits, updating financials, and testing different assumptions.

The tool focuses on quantitative financial analysis and does not incorporate the full range of qualitative considerations used in formal KBRA ratings or corporate credit assessments. An Estimated KBRA Assessment generated through K-CST is therefore distinct from a formal KBRA rating or assessment.

For more information, please visit www.kbra.com/tools/k-cst.

About KBRA

KBRA, one of the major credit rating agencies, is registered in the U.S., EU, and the UK. KBRA is recognized as a Qualified Rating Agency in Taiwan, and is also a Designated Rating Organization for structured finance ratings in Canada. As a full-service credit rating agency, investors can use KBRA ratings for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions.

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