CoCo

Contingent Convertible. A CoCo is a form of hybrid security that converts from a debt security into an equity security of the issuer upon the breach of a regulatory capital trigger. Discussion concerning contingent capital securities started shortly after the financial crisis as market participants and academics began to consider how to avoid the too-big-to-fail problem. The objective is for these securities to provide a “buffer” for their financial institution issuers during a stress scenario when it may become difficult for the issuers to raise capital.