Tail risk – expected recoveries
One of the most powerful arguments that can be brought forward to defend negative covered-sovereign bond
spreads is the expectation that tail risk in covered bonds is less than it is in sovereign debt. Especially many
long term investors such as insurance companies have started to feel more comfortable with the collateralised
claim than the sovereign debt during the sovereign crisis.
When making this argument, it is, however, important to go one step further as the validity of this statement
depends on the actual pool backing the covered bonds, the framework regulating it and most importantly as well
the issuer itself. Chances that this view will prove right are much higher for high quality residential mortgage
backed covered bonds from a country with a strong framework that are issued by a systemically important
bank than lower quality public sector backed covered bonds issued by a small non-systemically important issuer. Another important aspect is that the stronger a sovereign is the less relevant are considerations about
tail risks and recoveries while they become much more important where sovereigns are in a diffiult situation.
It is hard to estimate cover pool recoveries based on issuer reporting. Rating agencies such as Moody’s however
publish the results of their own cash flw modelling of cover pool assets and liabilities. Moody’s stressed pool
losses are the loss the agency expects should a cover pool be wound down. One can use this number and apply it to a pool which is left with legal minimum OC to come up with an estimated recovery rate. For Spanish