Sears CDS battle heats up as DC challenged to change auction rules
A high profile battle over Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp credit default swaps has taken a new turn, with one market participant challenging the Americas Determinations Committee to change its rules to avert price manipulation by another market participant in the bankrupt retailer's credit event auction

GSO co-founder plans new credit business
GSO Capital Partners co-founder Tripp Smith is launching his own credit management firm, according to a report by Bloomberg

Cairn sheds light on single-investment SRT fund
Fresh details have emerged on Cairn Capital’s new significant risk transfer (SRT) funds with the manager informing Creditflux that Pathfinder Fund III was structured such with US requirements in mind

Cairn adds two SRT funds to its roster
Cairn Capital has raised $150 million across two significant risk transfer (SRT) funds - with differing mandates - according to an announcement by the firm

FS hires ex-JP Morgan AM official to lead business development
FS Investments has appointed an experienced official to drive the firm’s growth

Loomis Sayles plans alternatives interval fund
Loomis Sayles is looking to launch an interval fund focused on alternative asset-based opportunities, according to 4 December US regulatory filings

Sears CDS external review panel named to solve Determinations Committee impasse
The North America Determinations Committee has selected an external review panel to decide whether two Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp debt obligations can be delivered into an auction to settle the US retailer’s credit default swaps, having failed to achieve a strong enough quorum among its own 15 members

Neiman Marcus loan slumps amid debt restructuring talks
The luxury fashion retailer’s $2.95 billion cov-lite term loan B, due October 2020, traded down 1.65%, according to IHS Markit 

Blackstone builds on multi-asset approach with fifth fund
The new vehicle will invest directly into Blackstone deals across its alternatives platform

Market favours retrospective over forward-looking approach to Ibor benchmark fallbacks, says Isda
New benchmark fallbacks for derivatives contracts that reference interbank offered rates are likely to be based on the “compounded setting in arrears rate” and the “historical mean/median approach to the spread adjustment”, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association has said

Credit sell-off has room to run and pricing is out of whack, says BNP Paribas
The credit market sell-off could have further to go despite recent widening and is “in the process of a late-stage business cycle unwind”, according to a strategist note seen by Creditflux

Investcorp adds ex-Anteil officials to run manager buy-out business
The new strategy will focus on acquiring up to 25% stakes in mid-sized alternative asset managers

24 CLO managers hold J Crew loan as it drops 4.62%
A total of 109 CLOs hold $219.4 million exposure to J Crew, whose Term Loan B traded down 4.62% from yesterday 

Recent CLO debutant Vista brings in GSO official to lead credit team
Vista Credit Partners has hired a former GSO official to lead its credit team

California pension fund seeks opportunistic credit manager
Merced County Employees’ Retirement Association is on the search for an opportunistic credit manager, according to board minutes seen by Creditflux

Los Angeles pension fund plans $3.7 billion allocation to credit
Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System, the $17 billion pension fund, is allocating to credit in 2019 - it's looking to put $2.44 billion to work in core-fixed income, $800 million into emerging markets debt, $235 million into high yield and a similar amount into a bond/loan hybrid fund

Machines connect as credit managers’ new best friends
The clamour for credit funds that adhere to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria means the managers behind these funds are handling ever-larger and deeper data sets. This has led a growing number of fund managers to divert resources into incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into their investment processes

Napier Park receives $50 million add-on from Texas pension fund
The $30.1 billion pension fund has topped up its separately managed account with Napier Park 

UBS AM hires PM to infra debt team as it nears final stages of fundraising
UBS Asset Management has recruited portfolio manager Viktor Kozel to its real estate and private markets business. Speficially, he will work within the infrastructure debt team as the firm goes about fundraising for Archmore Infrastructure Debt Platform II  

Ares ups its target for US senior direct lending growth to $4.7 billion
Following $5 billion of inflows into global direct lending in the third quarter, Ares has upped the target for its US direct lending strategy 

Ullico makes two senior hires for its new fixed income platform
Ullico, an insurance and financial services company, has appointed two senior professionals for its newly-created fixed income investment platform, UIA Investment Management (UIA IM)  

Axa IM reveals new Ucits-compliant global credit fund
The new vehicle aims to offer investors a Ucits-compliant product that invets across the whole credit spectrum 

Akin Gump bolsters financial restructuring debt team with four partners
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has bolstered its financial restructuring and global debt finance team with a new Connecticut office and the addition of four partners

Crescent hires former NewStar official as managing director
Crescent Capital Group has appointed NewStar Financial's former capital markets head as a managing director, the firm has announced

Ullico sets up fixed-income investment platform
Ullico has launched a US fixed income management firm, UIA Investment Management (UIA-IM), in a bid to expand its range of services and client base by including a broader range of institutional clients.