Get to know us. Our independent credit research, global market insights, covenant analysis and news help the world鈥檚 financial decision makers manage risk better.
European Liability Management: Comparing Anti-LMT Provisions in European Versus U.S. Market High Yield Bonds
Alastair Gillespie, J.D. - Senior Covenant Analyst, Covenant Review
THE BOTTOM LINE
-
We analyze anti-liability management transaction provisions that appeared in two European high yield bonds and compare them with two seen in the U.S. market.
-
While the anti-LMT provisions in this report all appeared in the restructuring context, they highlight override language that could be used to reduce liability management risk in new issue bonds.
-
Anti-LMT provisions restrict the issuer鈥檚 opportunities to change the ranking and credit support for existing debt, or to uptier existing debt into new instruments that are contractually senior, effectively senior (whether due to lien priority, recourse to additional assets, or through double dip or pariplus structure), temporally senior or structurally senior.
-
Compared with narrowly drawn J. Crew blockers, Serta blockers, and Chewy blockers, anti-LMT provisions restrict a spectrum of liability management transactions, but so far have not aimed to block LMTs entirely.
-
In the real world where liability management serves a necessary purpose, anti-LMT provisions are about developing norms for implementing out-of-court LMTs that balance competing interests, give reasonably predictable outcomes, preserve value, and can become generally accepted in the market.
Overview
As we enter the new year, practitioners remain keenly focused on the risk of aggressive liability management transactions (鈥淟MTs鈥), meaning that covenant techniques to reduce LMT risk are of broad interest to market participants. In this report, we highlight anti-liability management (鈥淎nti-LMT鈥) provisions seen in two European high yield bonds that went through restructurings in 2024, and compare them with two more seen in the U.S. market.
Would you like access to the full report?
Receive a complimentary copy of European Liability Management: Comparing Anti-LMT Provisions in European Versus U.S. Market High Yield Bonds
Award-Winning, Completely Unbiased Research
On the investment grade and high yield securities of issuers around the globe.
Select an article to download a free piece of research.
Filter

Asia Credit: 2H26 Outlook and Sector Strategy
Asia Credit: 2H26 Outlook and Sector Strategy

3Q 2026 US IG & HY Sector Strategy Overview
3Q 2026 US IG & HY Sector Strategy Overview

US IG/LevFin 2H26/1H27 Outlook: Tightly Wound
US IG/LevFin 2H26/1H27 Outlook: Tightly Wound

Asia Chart of the Day: Australia Trip Note
Asia Chart of the Day: Australia Trip Note

DIPs, Roll-Ups, and Pro Rata Sharing: A Primer
DIPs, Roll-Ups, and Pro Rata Sharing: A Primer
Our 乱伦短视频
乱伦短视频 combines credit market research, covenant analysis and leveraged finance news into one site to help you Know More. Risk Better.