Schelcher nears €300 million first close of European direct lending fund
The strategy - mainly focused on France - has recieved a €40 million commitment from the European Investment Fund

CVC appoints director to bolster French private debt origination
The new hire is based in Paris and brings more than 15 years of financial market experience

Purdue Pharma bankruptcy highlights value of ESG analysis
Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy this week, and the sector wide concern over the US opioid epidemic, has highlighted the utility of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards in credit analyses

Aviva expands ESG private debt capabilities
Asset manager Aviva Investors has appointed Ed Dixon to serve as head of head of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) within real assets, including private debt.  

UK pension awards private credit mandates and eyes co-investments
Nest, a UK defined contribution pension scheme, has selected Amundi and BlackRock as private credit managers, to manage a global real estate and global infrastructure debt mandate, respectively.  

Wells Fargo AM makes big credit hire to co-head its private strategies team
Wells Fargo Asset Management has appointed Vincent Lu to co-head the firm’s private strategies, according to an internal memo seen by Creditflux

ICG adds managing director to DACH subordinated debt and equity team
The new hire will be based in Frankfurt and adds to others the firm has made this year in the region

Muzinich seeks Nordic expansion with hire from Legg Mason
The firm has added a newly created role of head of Nordics to develop the firm’s presence in the region across both institutional and wholesale  private and public credit products

West coast pension eyes European private credit for diversification
The $3.1 billion pension fund is looking to diversify its private credit exposure following an asset class education by investment consultant Meketa

THL updates credit investment framework to include ESG
THL Credit Advisors has announced that it has developed an investment framework for assessing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in analysing credit quality and risk factors

Italian bank Equita launches €1 billion asset management arm
The firm has plans to launch its second private debt fund Equita Private Debt Fund II at the end of the year 

Direct lenders seek kindred ESG private equity sponsors
Direct lenders are keen to cultivate relationships with private equity sponsors that have a background investing with an environmental, social and governance (ESG) focus.

Golub blazes trail to Europe as other US lenders eye partnerships
US direct lenders are looking to diversify their exposures by allocating to European loans, sources say. Last month, Debtwire reported that one of the largest US middle market operators, Golub Capital Partners, was expanding into the continent by building out a team in London. 

Guidelines fail to assuage fears over loose reporting standards
The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute’s new hedge fund reporting guidelines come into play next year, but some say they fall short of a much-needed overhaul.

Goldman Sachs brings together private credit businesses, reports Debtwire
Goldman Sachs is unifying two of its private credit units under a single umbrella

Beechbrook rolls up sleeves and begins fundraising
Beechbrook Capital is aiming to start fundraising for its fourth European sponsored debt fund in the fourth quarter. But the firm will take a slightly different approach to its previous funds.

BNY Mellon expands private credit unit within its asset servicing business
BNY Mellon Asset Servicing has appointed Greg Kok as director of private equity, real estate, debt and infrastructure, in a bid to bolster its private markets team in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)  

EQT looks to raise €500 million via IPO
The initial public offering is anticipated to increase EQT's flexbility to “pursue growth opportunities” and expand its private market investing business

Europe and US diverge on covenant lite structures
Direct lending is syphoning away traditional loan supply

Capital Four holds final close on nordic direct lending fund
The Copenhagen-based manager has held an €343 million final close for its latest private debt fund, according to market sources

Danish pension's credit portfolio gains 7.7% in 2019
Danish pension fund Arbejdsmarkedets Tillægspension (ATP) generated a return of DKK 2.7 billion ($401.2 million) on its credit portfolio in the first half of 2019, increasing the market value of credit investment to DKK 35 billion, according to H1 results

RiverRock launches direct lending fund in partnership with European bank
RiverRock has launched a European direct lending fund in which it has signed an exclusive co-investment agreement with a bank

Pemberton pulls in €3.2 billion for European direct lending fund
Pemberton has closed its second European direct lending fund at €3.5 billion, exceeding its original €2.5 billion target size, and has deployed 70% of the capital

Large US direct lender eyes expansion into Europe, reports Debtwire
One of the largest investors in the US middle market is planning to expand into Europe, according to Creditflux’s sister publication Debtwire

Silicon Valley pension to invest $20 million in private debt
San Jose Federated City Employees Retirement System and Health Care Trust is set to make commitments of $20 million in private debt, as part of its fiscal year 2019-2020 pacing plan, according to documents seen by Creditflux