DBRS Morningstar Assigns Provisional Ratings to the Notes of Ripple Notes Issuer LLC

DBRS, Inc. (DBRS Morningstar) assigned the following provisional ratings to the Class A Notes, the Class B Notes, the Class C Notes, and the Class D Notes (together, the Secured Notes) of Ripple Notes Issuer LLC. The Secured Notes are issued pursuant to the Indenture, dated July 28, 2023, entered into between Ripple Notes Issuer LLC, as the Issuer and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as Trustee:

-- Class A Notes at A (sf)
-- Class B Notes at BBB (sf)
-- Class C Notes at BB (low) (sf)
-- Class D Notes at B (sf)

The provisional rating on the Class A Notes addresses the timely payment of interest (excluding any Defaulted Interest, as defined in the Indenture) and the ultimate return of principal on or before the Stated Maturity (as defined in the Indenture). The provisional ratings on the Class B Notes, the Class C Notes, and the Class D Notes address the ultimate payment of interest (excluding any Defaulted Interest, as defined in the Indenture) and ultimate return of principal on or before the Stated Maturity (as defined in the Indenture).

RATING RATIONALE

The Secured Notes are collateralized primarily by a portfolio of U.S. middle-market corporate loans. Ripple Notes Issuer LLC is managed by 26North Direct Lending II LP, an affiliate of 26North Partners LP. DBRS Morningstar considers 26North Direct Lending II LP to be an acceptable middle-market corporate loan manager.

The ratings reflect the following primary considerations:

(1) The Indenture, dated as of July 28, 2023.
(2) The integrity of the transaction structure.
(3) DBRS Morningstar’s assessment of the portfolio quality.
(4) Adequate credit enhancement to withstand projected collateral loss rates under various cash flow stress scenarios.
(5) DBRS Morningstar’s assessment of the origination, servicing, and middle-market corporate loan management capabilities of 26North Direct Lending II LP.

To assess portfolio credit quality, DBRS Morningstar provides a credit estimate or internal assessment for each nonfinancial corporate obligor in the portfolio not rated by DBRS Morningstar. Credit estimates are not ratings; rather, they represent a model-driven default probability for each obligor that is used in assigning ratings to a facility.

DBRS Morningstar’s credit ratings on the Secured Notes address the credit risk associated with the identified financial obligations in accordance with the relevant transaction documents. The associated financial obligations include the interest at the Interest Rate and the principal amounts on the Secured Notes, as well as the Deferred Interest on the Class B Notes, the Class C Notes, and the Class D Notes (each capitalized term as defined in the Indenture).

DBRS Morningstar’s credit ratings do not address nonpayment risk associated with contractual payment obligations contemplated in the applicable transaction document(s) that are not financial obligations. For example, the provisional ratings on the Notes do not address any Defaulted Interest on the Secured Notes (each capitalized term as defined in the Indenture).

DBRS Morningstar’s long-term credit ratings provide opinions on risk of default. DBRS Morningstar considers risk of default to be the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy the financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which a long-term obligation has been issued.

The transaction assumptions consider DBRS Morningstar’s baseline macroeconomic scenarios for rated sovereign
economies, available in its commentary “Baseline Macroeconomic Scenarios for Rated Sovereigns: June 2023
Update,” published on June 30, 2023 (https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/416703). These baseline macroeconomic scenarios replace DBRS Morningstar’s moderate and adverse Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic scenarios, which were first published in April 2020.

For more information regarding DBRS Morningstar’s additional adjustment for select industries related to the coronavirus, please see its May 18, 2020, commentary, “CLO Risk Exposure to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)”: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/361112.

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, 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 at https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/416784/ (July 4, 2023).

Notes:
All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

The principal methodologies applicable to the ratings are Rating CLOs and CDOs of Large Corporate Credit (February 7, 2023; www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/409498) and Cash Flow Assumptions for Corporate Credit Securitizations (February 7, 2023; www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/409499).

Other methodologies referenced in this transaction 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 rating was initiated at the request of the rated entity.

The rated entity or its related entities did participate in the rating process for this rating action.

DBRS Morningstar had access to the accounts, management and other relevant internal documents of the rated entity or its related entities in connection with this rating action.

This is a solicited credit rating.

DBRS, Inc.
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New York, NY 10005 USA
Tel. +1 212 806-3277

The credit rating methodologies used in the analysis of this transaction can be found at: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/about/methodologies.

-- Rating CLOs and CDOs of Large Corporate Credit and DBRS Morningstar CLO Asset Model Version 2.2.3.1 (February 7, 2023), www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/409498

-- Cash Flow Assumptions for Corporate Credit Securitizations (February 7, 2023),
www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/409499

-- Operational Risk Assessment for Collateralized Loan Obligation (CLO) and Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO) Managers of Large Corporate Credits (September 23, 2022), https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/403042

-- Interest Rate Stresses for U.S. Structured Finance Transactions (June 9, 2023), https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/415687

-- Legal Criteria for U.S. Structured Finance (December 7, 2022), https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/407008

For more information on this credit or on this industry, visit www.dbrsmorningstar.com or contact us at info@dbrsmorningstar.com.