COLLATERALIZED DEBT OBLIGATION - CDO

Structured financial product pooling cash flow-generating assets and repackaging these into discrete tranches, which can be sold to investors on the secondary market. The pooled assets including bonds, loans, and mortgages, are in essence debt obligations used as collateral for the CDO. Its trances vary substantially in their risk profile. Senior tranches are safer since it have first priority on the collateral should it default. Therefore, these tranches have a higher credit rating and offer lower coupon rates than junior ones.