SMBC Asia inks debut US$3.2 billion SRT with Blackstone, Stonepeak

[SINGAPORE] Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation’s (SMBC) Asia-Pacific arm has completed its first US$3.2 billion synthetic risk transfer (SRT) deal with Blackstone, Stonepeak Partners and Clifford Capital, according to a statement from the Japanese lender on Monday (Dec 15).

The transaction, covering Australian and Asian project finance loans, was finalised between September to October, it said in the statement. The exercise helps SMBC free up regulatory capital and follows its inaugural trade completed by its Americas division in April, it added.

SRTs allow banks to insure default risk by issuing credit-linked notes to investors such as pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, among others. This helps lenders strengthen solvency ratios or unlock capital for growth. Typically, default protection covers 5 to 15 per cent of the loan portfolio.

Since 2016, more than US$1 trillion in assets have been synthetically securitised, with growth led by US banks and established European issuers, according to an October report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Globally, SRT volumes are projected to expand 11 per cent annually over the next two years, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence survey.

The IMF has expressed concern about a potential mismatch between short-term repurchase agreements, a form of leverage often used to acquire SRTs, and the typically longer-dated, less liquid credit-linked notes issued by banks. There are also significant gaps in data needed to monitor interconnectedness and financial stability risks, it said. BLOOMBERG