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Creditflux CLO Symposium 2026

location_on The Chancery Rosewood, London Map
21 Apr

Opening remarks

Speakers

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Lisa Lee Moderator Managing Editor, Creditflux

Welcome to Day Two of the CLO Symposium

Lisa Lee opens the second day of the Credit Flux CLO Symposium, welcoming attendees and noting the expanded agenda to cover wider ABS markets. She sets the stage by highlighting the CLO market's defining themes for 2026, including improved credit fundamentals, macroeconomic tailwinds, and challenges such as rising oil prices and AI-driven disruption.

The CLO Market Reaches $1.4 Trillion

Lisa Lee celebrates the CLO market's milestone as a $1.4 trillion asset class. She highlights the surge of new CLO managers entering the space, the growing global investor base allocating across tranches, and the rising prominence of CLO ETFs, which passed their first major stress test with strong results.

Three Pillars of the CLO Market in 2026

Lisa Lee outlines the three core segments of the CLO market — US BSL, European BSL, and private credit CLOs — each starting 2026 from a position of strength. She reviews robust US issuance following the 2024 recovery, Europe's record-breaking year driven by Trump-era policy shifts, and the rapid growth of private credit CLOs including new multi-currency European variants.

Navigating Turbulence: Tariffs, Credit Stress, and Market Shocks

Lisa Lee recounts the major disruptions that tested the CLO market, including President Trump's Liberation Day tariffs that triggered broad financial market repricing, and high-profile credit failures such as Brands and Tricolour that raised questions about due diligence and fraud. Despite these shocks, the CLO market demonstrated resilience and recovered quickly.

2026: The Most Complicated Start to a Year in Memory

Lisa Lee describes the extraordinary complexity of the first months of 2026, marked by geopolitical shocks including the US-Israel-Iran war, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, renewed inflation fears, and a Federal Reserve pause on rate cuts. She also addresses AI-driven disruption in software firms that hit leveraged loans hard — yet notes the CLO market has continued to rally with strong issuance and tightening spreads.

Day Two Programme, Awards, and Housekeeping

Lisa Lee previews the day's agenda, including fireside chats and panels on the CLO market outlook, M&A and LBO activity, liability management exercises, and credit concerns. She announces the Credit Flux CLO Manager Awards taking place that evening, thanks sponsors and speakers, and provides housekeeping details including QR codes for the agenda, question submission, media guidelines, and the introduction of keynote speaker Tristram Leach of Apollo Global Management.