Software selloff has largely ended – Elmwood
EXCLUSIVE: The broad software selloff has largely come to an end, according to Megan Saltzman, portfolio manager at Elmwood Asset Management

First Brands looks to sell non-debtor subsidiaries' interests for USD 12m to Husqvarna Business Support
Under the proposal, the sale is required to close by 31 July; the deal is part of First Brands’ effort to sell various business lines, assets

Nick Fall returns to Barclays as co-head of US leveraged finance capital markets
Fall, who joined the bank after a five-year stint at Goldman Sachs, officially started in the role this week

Tricolor trustee seeks discovery from Wilmington Trust over prepetition financing roles
Investigation aims to review Tricolor's financial affairs and assess potential creditor claims; Wilmington Trust held key roles in Tricolor's business, including collateral custodian

First Brands seeks control of USD 3.8m deferred compensation trust
Company claims ownership of trust funds due to document terms; insolvency notice, Chapter 11 filing cited as reason for trustee to hold funds for creditors

First Brands lender Evolution moves to halt USD 25.7m receivables release amid ongoing collateral dispute
Evolution seeks to pause FBG’s request to release funds pending lien appeal outcome; lender claims release risks dissipating collateral and harming recovery if it wins appeal

First Brands wins conditional disclosure statement approval, beats Chapter 7 push as judge calls confirmation ‘last real shot’
Chapter 7 conversion denied despite concerns over feasibility and cash burn; interim CEO testifies on plan feasibility, citing uncertain litigation outcomes

US levfin community raises USD 4.3m in annual melanoma research fundraiser
The networking evening at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City brought together members of the leveraged finance community across banks, private credit firms, law firms, LPs, private equity shops and more

Optimum to show restructuring proposal to creditors’ advisors as company presses for deal before 4Q
Market participants discuss fraudulent conveyance claims amid reorganisation; creditor advisors are already restricted to review diligence documents

First Brands factoring provider Leucadia opposes disclosure statement, saying ‘death trap’ could deem creditors ineligible for recoveries

Provision disqualifies creditors from recoveries for objecting to plan, LAM argues

US Trustee moves to dismiss or convert First Brands’ bankruptcy cases, alleges ‘sleight of hand’ to dodge administrative expenses
Company faces USD 9.3bn debt, significant issues from tariffs and capital expenditures; DIP financing includes 30-day deadline for restructuring agreement

First Brands' journey from fraud-led freefall into bankruptcy to mediation-backed plan amidst examiner allegations
Proposed plan for debtor Premier Marketing Group is result of mediation efforts; case has been plagued with fights over adequate protection, discovery, and more

Investors should stay the course on private credit even amid valuation uncertainties—Mariner
EXCLUSIVE: Institutional investors can generally ride out any market bumpiness, and these internal marks do not necessarily reflect final returns, head of Mariner Institutional Mike Welker said 

First Brands announces RSA, plan forthcoming via mediation deal
Hilco to manage winding down, including inventory sales and receivables collections; plan aims to resolve DIP defaults, allow junior creditor recoveries

AI disruption fears and Middle East-driven macro volatility weigh on loan and bond issuance – 1Q26 LevFin Highlights
LevFin issuance across the US and European institutional loan and high-yield bond markets saw a strong start to the year before fears of artificial intelligence (AI) disruption and escalating macro volatility stemming from the US and Israel war with Iran weighed on market activity

First Brands Group examiner delays report as Onset seeks to strike CarVal Mexican law expert report, declaration
Examiner pushes status report deadline to 17 April, eight days past the original deadline; Onset, CarVal dispute reportedly centers on competing claims to about USD 16m held in escrow

Three former First Brands Group executives move to dismiss fraud claims in adversary suit
Three former executives moved to dismiss alleged fraud suit, claim no individualised misconduct; former executives contend conspiracy lacked a viable underlying unlawful act

Global issuance falls 22% QoQ and 12% YoY amid tech selloff and geopolitical insecurity – 1Q26 Loan Highlights
Loan issuance in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions reached USD 1.37tn in 1Q26, according to Debtwire data; this volume was 22% down compared to the previous quarter and 12% below 1Q25

Investors push rebound in quality software credits
Credit markets are sanguine in the face of geopolitical and macro-economic disruptions, as investors shrug off the possibility that a prolonged war in the Middle East will send energy prices soaring and global economies tumbling into recession

M&A volume leap 20% to USD 1.38tn in first quarter of 2026
Even the Iran conflict has not arrested momentum among larger deals. A mammoth USD 122bn capital raise from OpenAI closed on the last day of the quarter, according to Mergermarket data

AI blockbuster deals surge as Middle East conflict test dealmaker confidence
Mergermarkets M&A Highlights 1Q26: Global M&A volume jumped 22% to the second highest start ever

First Brands secures final mediation extension to advance case resolution talks, judge warns against further delays
Judge approves extension of FBG case resolution mediation with Judge Isgur through 27 March; likely the final extension for case resolution talks

AI’s potential may be underestimated despite investing concerns – Howard Marks
AI’s potential is likely underestimated, but worries about job losses and an AI investment bubble persist, said Oaktree co-founder Howard Marks in a new memo

Raistone enters Chapter 7 to liquidate following major customer First Brands’ collapse into Chapter 11
Raistone provided factoring services to First Brands, its largest revenue source; First Brands faces fraud allegations, with Raistone having significant unsecured credit exposure

Software private credit names face refinancing risks amid AI fears – KBRA
ANALYSIS: The ratings agency also noted that software exposure alone is not a risk to BDCs, private credit CLOs and direct lending portfolios