Insight is Capital™ Podcast Investment Grade CLOs—A secure path to yield and resilience with Mark Jarosz
Nov 6, 2025
42:33
In this episode of Insight is Capital, Mark Jarosz, Head of Credit Alternatives at BMO Global Asset Management, joins us to demystify the world of Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLOs) — a sophisticated yet increasingly accessible asset class, now reshaping how investors think about income, risk, and portfolio diversification.Jarosz explains how CLOs are structured, how they differ from the infamous CDOs of 2008, and why they’ve quietly become a go-to for institutional investors seeking floating-rate income with resilience across market cycles. With the launch of BMO’s CLO ETFs (tickers: ZAAA and ZBBZ), everyday investors now have access to institutional-quality fixed income exposure for the first time in Canada.From the mechanics of tranche hierarchies and over-collateralization to the yield opportunities in BBB-rated tranches, we cut through the jargon to reveal why CLOs are becoming an essential building block for diversified income portfolios.3 Key Takeaways
- CLOs Are Not CDOs: Jarosz clarifies that CLOs are built on pools of investment grade corporate loans, and are actively managed, transparent, and rigorously rated — with zero defaults at the AAA level over 30 years of history.
- Floating-Rate Advantage: In a “higher-for-longer” rate environment, CLOs’ floating-rate structure protects investors from duration risk while providing yield enhancement and resilience during both rising and falling rate cycles.
- Democratization of Access: Through BMO’s ZAAA (AAA CLO ETF) and ZBBZ (BBB CLO ETF), Canadian investors can now access institutional-grade credit in a liquid, transparent ETF format — a first in the Canadian market.