UPDATE:GE's TALF-Eligible $1.75 Billion Deal Launches -Source
04 Agosto 2009 - 12:40PM
Dow Jones News
General Electric Co.'s (GE) credit card loan-backed deal was
increased in size and has launched, according to a person familiar
with the matter.
The $1.75 billion issue, dubbed GEMNT 2009-2, was originally
$1.25 billion. The single-tranche deal, with a duration of 2.93
years, launched at 155 basis points over a short-term benchmark.
Joint leads on the bond are RBS and Credit Suisse.
Due to price on Wednesday, the deal is eligible for the Federal
Reserve's Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, or TALF.
In May, GE sold a $1 billion credit-card loan-backed TALF
eligible deal at 210 basis points over one-month Libor.
Under TALF, the central bank provides investors with cheap loans
to buy newly created asset-backed securities under the program.
The next loan application deadline for the consumer loan-backed
portion of the TALF is Thursday. GE's deal is the largest deal this
month. More than $7 billion in deals has surfaced ahead of the
sixth loan deadline. Last month, that figure was a little over $12
billion and in June, it was $16.4 billion.
Most of the consumer loan-backed deals sold this year were
eligible for TALF. The program is credited with having boosted the
securitization market and helping lower borrowing costs for
consumers.
Launched in March, it received a lukewarm welcome because of
onerous documentation, but issuers and investors have since warmed
to it, with many hoping it is extended past its scheduled
expiration at the end of this year.
The Fed has recently also begun to offer attractive financing
for new and existing commercial mortgage-backed loans in an effort
to revive that sector. The next loan application deadline for the
commercial-property portion is Aug. 20.
Wheels Inc.'s fleet-lease backed deal that is also eligible for
TALF has also launched. The top-rated portion of the deal, worth
$673.913 million, has launched at 155 basis points over one month
London interbank offered rate, or Libor. The deal, dubbed Wheels
2009-1, is due to price later Tuesday.
Other issuers for this round of loans include Student Loan Corp.
(STU), with a $1.396 billion student loan-backed deal; SLM Corp.
(SLM), better known as Sallie Mae; and CNH Capital America LLC.
Price guidance on CNH's $583.25 million deal is out: on the
top-rated tranche worth $525 million, it is in the range of 175-185
basis points over 1-month Libor. On the $225 million World Omni
deal, it is in the 180-190 basis points over 1-month Libor
range.
Price guidance on World Financial's $474.68 million deal has
also emerged: it is in the range of 165-170 basis points over a
short-term benchmark on the largest triple-A rated tranche worth
$375 million. This portion is eligible for TALF loans.
Year-to-date issuance of deals eligible for TALF funds stands at
over $60 billion.
-By Anusha Shrivastava, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2227;
anusha.shrivastava@dowjones.com