European Direct Lending Perspectives: fundraising records shatter
Fundraising in European direct lending hit €32.2 billion in September to mark a record-breaking year for the industry, according to the latest version of European Direct Lending Perspectives

Private debt tops the private markets agenda for insurers, finds Schroders
Insurers currently allocate the largest proportion of their private assets’ portfolio to private debt, followed by real estate, according to study published by asset manager Schroders  

NNIP hires head of alternative credit as it shakes up private markets platform
The hire will be responsible for overseeing NNIP’s €40 billion alternative credit platform – including its corporate debt, residential mortgages, commercial real estate lending, eca/government loans and infrastructure debt/project finance strategies

Ex-CQS portfolio manager resurfaces at Axa IM
A former European leveraged loan portfolio manager who left CQS in July 2018 has resurfaced at Axa Investment Management

CDP commits to Italian private debt
Italian state-owned investor Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) has committed €40 million to a private debt fund managed by Anthilia Capital Partners

‘Buying the dip’ is going to be a poor investment strategy when the next downturn comes
The next credit downturn will be shallower but more prolonged than the last, so what works will be different, too

Direct lenders seek flexibility as leverage facilities disperse
European direct lending funds are frequently taking on leverage, and with some of these facilities topping €1 billion, leverage providers are looking to syndicate their exposures among other banks.

JP Morgan AM moves CFO to head up private credit
The chief financial officer of JP Morgan Asset Management has switched to a newly created role as head of private credit

Private debt secondaries expected to soar in 2020
Private debt secondaries grew massively in 2019 — and more is expected this year.

Managers acquiesce on fees as small UK pensions seek private credit nest egg
Private credit fund managers are rejigging their fee structures in order to attract small UK pension schemes.

Devon pension backs Brunel private debt portfolio
Devon pension fund’s committee has approved a £100 million ($131 million) commitment to Brunel private debt portfolio, according to documents seen by Creditflux

Fund performance: Long-short funds rule in October as CLO funds struggle
A round-up of fund performance

Ucits at a glance: Ucits continue to chart a steady course

CLOs at a glance: innovations arrive as year draws to close

Muzinich targets €500 million after first close of senior secured fund
Muzinich has collected €104 million for a first close of its Muzinich European Senior Secured Fund

Texas pension awards €100 million to European direct lending
Texas County and District Retirement System has allocated €100 million to a European direct lending fund managed by Metric Capital Partners

Pennsylvania pension creates private credit bucket
Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System has approved a new 4% allocation to the private credit asset class

Ucits at a glance: ucits continue to chart a steady course

Beware of "mequity" risk in direct lending, writes Barings
Barings co-head of global private finance, Ian Fowler, predicts that the adoption of lending terms associated with broadly syndicated loans into private credit will not prove beneficial in the long term

BNP Paribas AM set to launch Nest-like private credit offer to UK pensions
French manager BNP Paribas Asset Management is set to launch a diversified private credit fund for smaller UK pension funds over the first half of 2020, similar to the one it structured for the pension scheme Nest  

Pantheon appoints ex-Star Mountain official as head of global private debt
Pantheon has appointed a former Star Mountain Capital official as partner and global head of private debt in New York 

US buyers take punt on Europe's first 2.0 SME CLO
Investors in Be-Spoke Capital’s Alhambra SME Funding 2019-1 are mostly European asset managers, but some banks and US-based institutions also invested in the precedent setting transaction 

Alcentra plugs gaps as CIO leaves the firm
Alcentra’s chief investment officer has departed, with the firm splitting his responsibilities between its heads of European loans and US loans as co-CIOs 

BlackRock targets €2.5 billion as it completes first close on European mid-market fund
BlackRock European Middle Market Private Debt Fund II, having collected €1.5 billion at first close, is expected to hold a final close in the first half of next year at around €2.5 billion, according to market sources 

EIB confirms investment in European mid market CLO
The European Investment Bank has confirmed it invested €61 million in Alhambra SME Funding 2019-1 – the first European 2.0 CLO backed by middle market loans