| Oliver Fochler, CEO of Stone Mountain Capital, an alternative investment advisor providing European Direct Lending to the lower middle market in Northern and Western Europe joined the panel discussion 'Non-Bank Issuers: How Sustainable and Competitive is Their Lending Model?' at the IMN Global ABS 2019 in Barcelona on 12th June 2019. The video recording is available here (website requires registration). |  |
As per 17th January 2018, Stone Mountain Capital has total alternative Assets under Advisory (AuA) of US$ 51.1 billion in hedge funds and private assets. We are mandated on assets of US$ 48 billion for capital introduction into leading and hedge fund and fund of fund managers with long standing, solid performance track records, liquidity provision, standardized fund and managed account structures and established AuM across the strategies: credit / fixed income, equity, tactical trading and fund of hedge funds (FoF). Our 2018 focus is on the strategies: speciality finance, direct lending, CLO, global macro, CTA, volatility and the cryptocurrency and a continuation of making those strategies tradable in the public markets. We are mandated on US$ 3.1 billion of private assets (private equity and private debt) and corporate finance. Our 2018 sector focus is in private credit, UK and German commercial real estate, and capital relief trades (CRT) for insurers and banks and we provide financial structuring, rating advisory, private and public placements. Stone Mountain Capital has arranged new capital commitments of US$ 1.15 billion across hedge fund, private asset and corporate finance mandates.
As per 1st December 2017, Stone Mountain Capital is celebrating its 5 year firm jubilee and has total alternative Assets under Advisory (AuA) of US$ 50 billion in hedge funds and private assets. We are mandated on assets of US$ 47 billion for capital introduction into leading hedge fund and fund of fund managers with long standing, solid performance track records, liquidity provision, standardized fund and managed account structures and established AuM across the strategies: credit / fixed income, equity, tactical trading and fund of hedge funds (FoF). Our 2017 focus was on the strategies: direct lending, CLO, global macro, CTA, volatility and the cryptocurrency bitcoin and making those strategies tradable in the public markets. We are mandated on US$ 3 billion of private assets (private equity and private debt) and corporate finance. Our 2017 sector focus was health care in commercial real estate, infrastructure / real assets, and capital relief trades (CRT) for insurers and banks and we provide financial structuring, rating advisory, private and public placements. Stone Mountain Capital has arranged new capital commitments of US$ 1.05 billion across hedge fund, private asset and corporate finance mandates.
Stone Mountain Capital Shortlisted For Alt Credit Intelligence European Service Awards 201728/9/2017
An increasing number of middle market direct lending fund managers are employing securitisation technology to facilitate the ramp-up and marketing process for their funds. By employing a structure similar to a CLO warehouse, the direct lending funds can be more easily marketed across Europe, while also posing regulatory capital benefits to investors. According to Oliver Fochler, managing partner and CEO of Stone Mountain Capital, a number of managers have set up - or are in the process of setting up - CLO-type structures in order to ramp up mid-market direct lending portfolios. These structures are typically domiciled in Ireland, Malta or Luxembourg. "If the direct lending fund is structured as a securitisation, investors have the option of buying a note as debt rather than shares as equity," said Mr. Fochler. "Under Solvency II there's a benefit of investing in a securitisation over a fund because of the solvency capital ratio. A securitisation structure also typically comes with fewer marketing restrictions than an AIF." Mr. Fochler said he does not anticipate a resurgence of European middle-market CLOs like those seen pre-crisis, however. The direct lending CLO structures or securitisation companies currently in use are, unlike traditional middle market CLOs, not tranched. Structures are also typically unrated and placed in the private market. Stone Mountain Capital has recently structured an in-house European Direct Lending Fund for lower middle-market corporates in AIF format with an associated securitisation vehicle. Interview with Oliver Fochler was covered on 17th July 2017 in Capital Structure under 'CLO Warehouse Structures Providing Ramping And Marketing Benefits To Middle-Market Direct Lending Funds' (website requires registration). 
“The risk retention play in CLOs via CLO warehouses can be an interesting strategy for equity investors,” commented Oliver Fochler, managing partner and CEO of Stone Mountain Capital. “By investing in the CLO equity while the CLO is being structured, the investor can get a double-digit (20% per annum) upfront distribution within the first year when the CLO is ultimately sold.” He added: “The structure is complementary to traditional private equity investments, which target back-loaded multiples of 2.5x to 3x.” It is not unusual for CLO equity players to invest in the first-loss piece of the CLO warehouse, and then roll into the CLO equity. Investors also have the option to participate in the warehouse and then choose not to roll into the CLO. However, according to a UK-based investor, CLO managers generally want $10m to $20m for warehouse first loss participation, meaning that it tends to be the larger firms that participate, rather than smaller entities. Nevertheless, Mr. Fochler noted that there are a ‘good number’ of funds cropping up now that will acquire those first loss pieces. “It’s all a CLO equity play,” he said. “[Investors] are buying unrated, chunky and illiquid positions for a long-play strategy.” Interview with Oliver Fochler was covered on 29th March 2017 in Capital Structure under 'Use of sponsor-style CLO retention vehicles to drop; managers weigh alternative risk retention approaches as investors increase allocations to CLO equity strategies' (website requires registration).
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