Apollo ups stake in Athene to 35% through stock deal
Apollo Global Management is doubling its stake in Athene Holding to around 35% by exchanging $1.2 billion of common equity and buying $350 million extra of Athene stock

Lord Abbett preps floating rate interval fund with monthly share repurchase
Lord Abbett Enhanced Floating Rate Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in floating rate products including senior secured or unsecured loans, second lien debt and floating rate structured credit including CLOs

Axa IM launches SRT fund after record-breaking 2019
Axa Investment Managers says it has held a first close on a fund that invests in significant risk transfers

Elfa partners with LMA to develop standardised ESG disclosure topics
The European Leveraged Finance Association, in partnership with the Loan Market Association, has launched an engagement programme to develop a standard set of material ESG disclosure topics on which issuers and borrowers can be expected to report publicly

Credit Rendezvous: the outlook in 2020 across a dozen segments of the credit market
Welcome to the Credit Rendezvous, the first instalment of a regular feature published by Creditflux that tracks credit market dynamics in a dozen segments from investment grade, liquid loans, CLOs and CSOs all the way through to distressed debt. We view this as the meeting point for credit specialists across strategies to share their perspectives

Pimco plans to outperform come rain or shine with $4.5bn all-weather fund
Pimco has become the latest manager to fashion a flexible, all weather credit fund that invests across public and private markets, geographies and capital structures. The Newport Beach-based manager is hoping to raise $3 billion for the strategy. With half a turn of leverage, it could have up to $4.5 billion to deploy.

Managers face ESG disclosure pressure under ‘ambitious and demanding’ EU regulations
New rules finalised by the European Union will shake up the way managers approach environmental, social and governance investing, sources say. The ambitious initiative is relevant for funds which have a specific ESG mandate — but will also be applicable to firms without an express ESG or sustainability focus.

Repricing spike points to sharp spread compression

Fund performance: Presents under the tree as CLO funds perform

Ucits at a glance: Ucits end strong year on a high

Credit funds at a glance

You need a balanced portfolio that’s ready for calculated risk taking — so consider a barbell approach
Investors can’t afford to be too conservative as they prepare for the end of the cycle

Mizuho names raft of European fixed income hires
Mizuho has signalled a push to bolster its European fixed income business with the Japanese bank announcing a raft of hires including jobs in structured credit, emerging market credit and credit sales

Licence and registration: loan spreads get speeding ticket as CLOs play catch-up
The sharp rally in corporate credit means that CLO spreads are going to have to rapidly follow suit with investors informing Creditflux that US CLO triple As should be pricing at 105-107 basis points to make deal economics work. 

Banco Sabadell joins forces with Amundi
Banco Sabadell and Amundi have announced a long-term strategic partnership, in a bid to boost fund business in Spain  

Experienced CLO PM Bowers launches asset manager with private equity backing
Jonathan Bowers, a former partner and senior portfolio manager at CVC Credit Partners, has established an asset manager in partnership with a private equity firm

EQT undertakes strategic review of credit business
EQT has announced a review of its credit business with the firm appointing JP Morgan to evaluate its 'strategic options', according to the firm’s Q4 2019 report

Pimco launches listed multi-sector global credit fund
Known as Pimco Tactical Income Fund, the fund will invest in a range of global credit strategies and will list on the New York Stock Exchange

BlueBay adds hire from Schroders to bolster Swiss sales force
BlueBay Asset Management has added a hire from Schroders to deepen the firm’s presence in Switzerland

Schroders appoints deputy head for credit business
Schroders has hired to the newly-created position of deputy head of credit

Euro loan trading: CLO managers find a home for building specialist's downsized loan
CRH Europe issued a €700 million term loan B in November, which was downsized from €900 million. But still, it has proved popular with CLO managers with CLO-i indicating that CLOs bought €275.2 million of the loan

UK charities join forces on hunt for ESG managers
Three UK based charities are joining forces in the hunt for a manager to oversee a £32 million ($41.6 million) portfolio with a strong focus on environment, social and governance (ESG) criteria as well as impact investing  

CBAM plans expansion with new $60 million credit facility
CBAM has closed a $60 million credit facility to refinance a working capital facility to its parent company Eldridge Industries

UK pension eyes managers as part of £1 billion-plus credit expansion
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership is seeking investment managers for single credit asset class mandates,

Värde launches $2.5 billion global credit fund
Värde Partners has raised $2.47 billion for a new global credit fund, according to an announcement today