Record 1Q for European ABS primary issuance despite geopolitical volatility
Primary issuance in the first quarter of 2026 reached a record EUR 25.4bn (excluding CLOs), marking a 34% increase on 1Q25, according to Debtwire's European ABS Activity Tracker

ICG’s head of US liquid credit says Iran war will cause pain for consumers, housing
PODCAST: Consumer-related aspects of the economy – ranging from housing and travel to apparel and retail – are already “feeling a decent amount of pain”, and the trend is expected to continue, according to ICG's David Saitowitz, speaking on the latest episode of the Credit Exchange podcast with Lisa Lee

UK pension fund taps Crescent for US direct lending mandate
UK pension fund Nest has appointed Crescent Capital to manage a GBP 450m US direct lending mandate

Ares backs Arcmont’s USD 2.5bn private credit continuation vehicle
The vehicle acquires senior direct lending assets from Arcmont’s 2019-vintage fund and marks the largest credit secondaries transaction in Europe, according to Ares

AI disruption fears and Middle East-driven macro volatility weigh on loan and bond issuance – 1Q26 LevFin Highlights
LevFin issuance across the US and European institutional loan and high-yield bond markets saw a strong start to the year before fears of artificial intelligence (AI) disruption and escalating macro volatility stemming from the US and Israel war with Iran weighed on market activity

Global issuance falls 22% QoQ and 12% YoY amid tech selloff and geopolitical insecurity – 1Q26 Loan Highlights
Loan issuance in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions reached USD 1.37tn in 1Q26, according to Debtwire data; this volume was 22% down compared to the previous quarter and 12% below 1Q25

Private credit in the crosshairs: stick to the plan or relax rules?
The private credit industry has faced a test of nerves in recent months as a swarm of investors rushed for the exits only to find their off-ramp blocked. As the pressure builds, credit managers are asking themselves whether they should stick to the advertised redemption rules for their vehicles, or lift the barricade to let skittish investors exit with their money

Fund performance – April 2026
CLO funds struggle with worst performance in more than three years

Credit funds at a glance – April 2026
Our roundup of top performers, fundraising and moves in credit

Credit hedge funds – April 2026
Credit hedge fund performance

Tikehau looks to develop Asia direct lending product via JV
The French alternative asset manager has struck a joint venture with Amova Asset Management, formerly known as Nikko Asset Management, to solidify its presence in Asia

Scale trumps fear but 1Q26 M&A volume obscures sponsor frustration – Dealspeak EMEA
1Q26 M&A volume EUR 332.1bn, up 38% year-on-year, but volume of deals below EUR 1bn fell 25% YoY in March; key themes include AI fallout, GPs’ tech woes and sector rotation

LME court battles in focus as Selecta and Hunkemoller litigations move forward
Europe Court Spotlight: Selecta bondholder antitrust claims face dismissal bid; Hunkemoller noteholders expand New York uptiering lawsuit arguments

M&A volume leap 20% to USD 1.38tn in first quarter of 2026
Even the Iran conflict has not arrested momentum among larger deals. A mammoth USD 122bn capital raise from OpenAI closed on the last day of the quarter, according to Mergermarket data

Luxembourg embraces fund tokenisation to court retail investors but concerns over centralised EU supervision linger
Grand Duchy emphasises innovation stance; concerns EU oversight may slow innovation

Hayfin co-head of direct lending says European private credit better geared to weather uncertainty than US
PODCAST: European private credit is less exposed to software as well as retail withdrawals, making them better positioned than their US counterparts to weather uncertainty, says Marc Chowrimootoo, co-head of direct lending at alternative asset manager Hayfin, on the latest episode of the Credit Exchange podcast with Lisa Lee

Iran conflict weighs on primary but cross-border European loan deal flow continues
Europe Loan Digest: Electronic Arts prices euro-dollar loan; Grifols launches refi

European direct lending opportunity grows as US faces headwinds—AlbaCore
EXCLUSIVE: Outflows from select US direct lending vehicles could result in European direct lending spreads, particularly on larger deals, widening even further, Luke Gillam, head of senior direct lending, told Creditflux

Ares unitranche to back Nordic's acquisition of TradingHub defies AI concerns
The deal showcases that private credit shops are still willing to lend to software companies  

AI blockbuster deals surge as Middle East conflict test dealmaker confidence
Mergermarkets M&A Highlights 1Q26: Global M&A volume jumped 22% to the second highest start ever

Investors scrutinise AI disruption and opportunities in the European loan market
Lower EV, high leverage elevate credit risk and refi challenges; AI-driven sell-off creates selective buy opportunities

Majority of LPs expect to mix public and private credit despite liquidity challenges – BSP survey
Within the next five years, 59% of global institutional investors expect to take an integrated approach to public and private credit investments, new research from Benefit Street Partners shows 

Loan market sell-off set to widen, Sealed Air enters primary despite expected issuance slowdown – Europe Loan Digest
Electronic Arts to price today; strong CLO bid protects prices from macro volatility

EQT, Advent, Cinven embrace deal flexibility as hedge against Middle East chaos
ECM Pulse:Optionality trumps predictions in chasing LP returns; uncertainty dogs IPO prospects as bid-ask gap remains

Apollo’s head of investments Europe says private credit is going through a rite of passage
PODCAST: Speaking on the latest episode of the Credit Exchange podcast with Lisa Lee, Apollo’s head of investments Europe Tristram Leach says he believes direct lending will continue to grow – but it needs to go through a period where there are elevated redemptions in the market