DBRS Morningstar Takes Credit Rating Actions on Five FREED ABS Trust and Two ACHV ABS Trust Transactions

DBRS, Inc. (DBRS Morningstar) upgraded seven credit ratings and confirmed seven credit ratings from five FREED ABS Trust transactions and two ACHV ABS Trust transactions.

The credit rating upgrades and confirmations are based on the following analytical considerations:

-- The transaction assumptions consider DBRS Morningstar’s baseline macroeconomic scenarios for rated sovereign economies, available in its commentary Baseline Macroeconomic Scenarios For Rated Sovereigns - September 2023 Update, published on September 28, 2023. These baseline macroeconomic scenarios replace DBRS Morningstar’s moderate and adverse COVID-19 pandemic scenarios, which were first published in April 2020.

-- The transaction parties’ capabilities with regard to originating, underwriting, and servicing.

-- The credit rating actions are the result of the transaction performance to date, DBRS Morningstar's assessment of future performance assumptions, and the increasing level of credit enhancement.

-- The transaction’s capital structure and the form and sufficiency of available credit enhancement. The current level of hard credit enhancement and estimated excess spread are sufficient to support the DBRS Morningstar-projected remaining cumulative net loss assumptions at a multiple of coverage commensurate with the credit ratings.

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE CONSIDERATIONS
There were no Environmental/Social/Governance factors that had a significant or relevant effect on the credit analysis.

A description of how DBRS Morningstar considers ESG factors within the DBRS Morningstar analytical framework can be found in the “DBRS Morningstar Criteria: Approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance Risk Factors in Credit Ratings” (July 4, 2023; https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/416784).

Notes:
The principal methodology applicable to the credit rating is DBRS Morningstar Master U.S. ABS Surveillance (October 22, 2023; https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/422279).

Other methodologies referenced in these transactions are listed at the end of this press release.

The DBRS Morningstar Sovereign group releases baseline macroeconomic scenarios for rated sovereigns. DBRS Morningstar analysis considered impacts consistent with the baseline scenarios as set forth in the following report: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/384482.

The credit ratings were initiated at the request of the rated entities.

The rated entities or their related entities did participate in the credit rating process for these credit rating actions.

DBRS Morningstar had access to the accounts, management, and other relevant internal documents of the rated entities or their related entities in connection with these rating actions.

These are solicited credit ratings.

Please see the related appendix for additional information regarding the sensitivity of assumptions used in the credit rating process.

DBRS, Inc.
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The credit rating methodologies used in the analysis of these transactions can be found at: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/about/methodologies.

Operational Risk Assessment for U.S. ABS Servicers (July 20, 2023), https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/417415.

Operational Risk Assessment for U.S. ABS Originators (July 20, 2023), https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/417416.

Legal Criteria for U.S. Structured Finance (December 7, 2023), https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/425081.

Rating U.S. Structured Finance Transactions (October 30, 2023), https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/422592.

For more information on this credit or on this industry, visit www.dbrsmorningstar.com or contact us at [email protected].