Principal losses loom for risk transfer buyers after accounting wrinkle

European bank supervisors have switched their approach to excess spread in risk transfer securitizations, paving the way for the stream of full stack capital relief deals issued this year by banks including BNP Paribas and Santander. But questions remain about how the deals handle IFRS 9 accounting, with Santander’s approach potentially boosting principal losses for investors. Owen Sanderson reports.