UniCredit : and Axiom AI launch first global CoCo bond ETF

UniCredit Bank AG, via its subsidiary Structured Invest S.A., and Axiom Alternative Investments have announced the launch of the UC AXI Global CoCo Bonds UCITS ETF, the first global exchange-traded fund (ETF) to provide a market weighted exposure to the contingent convertible (CoCo) bond market.

The ETF will be listed on Deutsche Börse Xetra under ticker CCNV.

The UC AXI Global CoCo Bonds UCITS ETF (ISIN: LU1873136789) is the first ETF to provide investors with access to the entire liquid CoCo Bond market, including Additional Tier 1 (AT1)* and Restricted Tier 1 (RT1)* capital instruments. The ETF will track the performance of the Solactive AXI Liquid Contingent Capital Global Market TR Index - EUR hedged (SOLAXICC), the first currency hedged market-value weighted index.

SOLAXICC has been designed to offer the most scalable and liquid exposure to the CoCo bond universe. It is the largest CoCo index in the market by capitalisation, reflecting the performance of EUR and USD denominated AT1* and RT1* bonds.

Laurent Dupeyron, Managing Director, UniCredit, said: 'Today's announcement is a major development for our institutional investor base who can now gain market-weighted exposure to the CoCo universe in an easy and cost-effective manner while still benefiting from a UCITS structure. With this launch, we are proving once again that we can respond flexibly to market developments and the demands of our clients.'

David Benamou, Founder and CIO of Axiom AI, added 'We are delighted to launch the first global CoCo bond ETF in partnership with UniCredit. We see the current market environment as very attractive for a number of reasons. The latest bank stress tests showing capital levels in excess of 3% above conversion trigger, coupled with the current upgrade momentum for European banks by rating agencies are both very positive signals for the asset class moving forward.'

Contingent convertible instruments are widely viewed as an alternative investment opportunity to high yield corporate bonds and bank stocks as they typically offer higher yields alongside a better credit profile (AT1 EUR denominated bonds are rated on average BB, while the average rating for HY corporate bonds is BB-).

The UC AXI Global CoCo Bonds UCITS ETF has been developed and launched in cooperation with Axiom Alternative Investments - an independent asset manager specialized in instruments issued by financial institutions, with a strong track record in managing funds exposed to the financial sector.

Milano, 19 March, 2019

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