Belgian pension fund appoints JP Morgan to run allocations to alternative investments
Hydralis, the statutory pension manager of Belgium water utility Vivaqua, has appointed JP Morgan to manage the fund’s allocation to unlisted assets for an eight years period, Creditflux has learned.  

Muzinich launches multi-strategy credit fund with Italian wealth manager
Available for retail investors, the fund will invest in syndicated loans, private debt and high yield. It will be structured as a European Long-Term Investment Fund

Dechert adds funds partner in London office
Law firm Dechert has expanded its fund practice with the appointment of a partner from Akin Gump 

Brookfield strikes deal to buy 62% stake in Oaktree
Brookfield Asset Management has agreed to buy a 62% stake in Oaktree Capital Management in a move which will lead to the creation of one of the largest asset managers in the business.

Regulation stifles SRTs, but banks and investors revel in quarter-four outperformance
Over the course of 2018 there was roughly €6.5 billion of issuance in the market for significant risk transfer (SRT) deals, sources say, with the last three months understood to be the busiest quarter on record

Italian pension fund seeks loan exposure through direct lending and large cap loan funds
Intesa Sanpaolo’s defined contribution pension scheme has issued a tender notice seeking senior secured loans and direct lending funds to invest in.  

Demonised triple Bs could outshine angelic neighbours
There has been a stampede to denounce triple B corporate credit, but investors ditching this rating band may not only miss solid returns but find bigger problems up the spectrum, investors and analysts tell Creditflux.

Canadian pension fund poaches CPPIB official for dual credit/private equity role
The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) has hired a senior managing director in credit and public equities  

Swedish pension AMF replaces head of asset management
AMF has appointed a new head of asset management, effective from April  

LGIM hires from Columbia Threadneedle for CEO role
Legal & General has appointed a chief executivie officer of its investment management business  

AP4 keeps eye on direct unlisted investments, amid 2018 losses
AP4, the SEK 349.3 billion ($37.3 billion) pension fund, has lost 0.2% after costs from its entire portfolio for the year 2018  

HSBC hires former Barclays European leveraged credit head
 Barclays' former head of European leveraged credit, CLO and ABS distribution is anticipated to be joining rival bank HSBC 

Universal-Investment names CEO in management team shake-up
Universal-Investment, the €411bn asset manager, has appointed a new chief executive officer who will begin in that job from May  

Ares grows credit 34% with direct lending boost, but high yield takes rough ride in Q4
Ares Management Corporation reported strong returns for its European direct lending strategies in the fourth quarter of 2018. But the firm's overall revenues slumped and its US loan funds and high yield strategies were hit by the volatile credit market 

Crossover sell-off risks heightened after Brexit vote, says BNP Paribas
The risk of a bearish pullback in European crossover credits has increased as a result of yesterday’s UK parliament vote against Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit approach, according to a BNP Paribas trading note

Behave yourselves: EBA policy advisor warns against misuse of securitisation rules
The European securitisation market has come a long way over the last decade, and the message from one policy advisor is clear – don’t do anything to mess it up.

Wells Fargo AM appoints global head of ESG
Wells Fargo Asset Management is looking to enhance its environmental, social and governance (ESG) capabilities and has appointed Hannah Skeates as global head of ESG

Former BlackRock portfolio manager lands at start-up credit firm Tresidor
Tresidor Investment Management – the new credit manager led by BlackRock’s former head of European credit Michael Phelps and ex-Goldman Sachs synthetic CDO head Edgar Senior – has added a credit portfolio manager to its team ahead of its maiden fund launch

SEB IM names replacement chief executive officer
SEB Investment Management, the SEK1.6bn fund manager, has hired a replacement chief executive officer and head of division for investment management  

Performing credit tops distressed credit for Blackstone, but credit AUM declines
The firm is looking to boost its direct lending business to gain $10 billion of available capital over the next couple of years

Lazard appoints co-heads of sustainable investment and ESG
Lazard Asset Management has appointed co-heads of sustainable investment and ESG across both sides of the Atlantic 

Cairn Capital hires portfolio manager for CLO investments
Cairn Capital has hired a portfolio manager with sell-side and ratings agency experience to be responsible for CLO tranche investments

Värde names co-deputy CIO and two partners
Värde Partners has announced the promotion of its global head of private debt, transportation and energy to deputy chief investment officer