Blackstone builds on multi-asset approach with fifth fund
The new vehicle will invest directly into Blackstone deals across its alternatives platform

Market favours retrospective over forward-looking approach to Ibor benchmark fallbacks, says Isda
New benchmark fallbacks for derivatives contracts that reference interbank offered rates are likely to be based on the “compounded setting in arrears rate” and the “historical mean/median approach to the spread adjustment”, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association has said

Credit sell-off has room to run and pricing is out of whack, says BNP Paribas
The credit market sell-off could have further to go despite recent widening and is “in the process of a late-stage business cycle unwind”, according to a strategist note seen by Creditflux

24 CLO managers hold J Crew loan as it drops 4.62%
A total of 109 CLOs hold $219.4 million exposure to J Crew, whose Term Loan B traded down 4.62% from yesterday 

Machines connect as credit managers’ new best friends
The clamour for credit funds that adhere to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria means the managers behind these funds are handling ever-larger and deeper data sets. This has led a growing number of fund managers to divert resources into incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into their investment processes

UBS AM hires PM to infra debt team as it nears final stages of fundraising
UBS Asset Management has recruited portfolio manager Viktor Kozel to its real estate and private markets business. Speficially, he will work within the infrastructure debt team as the firm goes about fundraising for Archmore Infrastructure Debt Platform II  

Ares ups its target for US senior direct lending growth to $4.7 billion
Following $5 billion of inflows into global direct lending in the third quarter, Ares has upped the target for its US direct lending strategy 

Akin Gump bolsters financial restructuring debt team with four partners
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has bolstered its financial restructuring and global debt finance team with a new Connecticut office and the addition of four partners

Eaton Vance adds former Janus Henderson official as credit portfolio manager
Dónal Kinsella joins as institutional portfolio manager for the firm’s corporate credit strategies

ArrowMark builds in London with big SRT hire
ArrowMark is one of the biggest investors in the SRT market, but unusually it conducts most of its business out of the US. It has now added to its presence in London with an experienced official joining its SRT business

Pimco launches latest ESG-focused credit offering
Pimco has launched its latest environmental, social and governance (ESG) fixed income offering - GIS Global Investment Grade Credit ESG Fund.

BlackRock becomes latest manager to explore interval fund structure for credit
Several managers have hit the market with the interval fund structure, as investors look to invest in illiquid strategies through an illiquid fund structure

Loomis Sayles makes global fixed income senior role changes
Kenneth Buntrock, portfolio manager and co-team leader of the global fixed income team will retire in March 2019  

Baker McKenzie adds two global finance partners in London office
Global law firm Baker McKenzie has bolstered its finance team with the addition of two partners in the London office

TwentyFour expands into US with head of US credit appointment in New York
TwentyFour Asset Management has appointed David Norris as head of US credit to lead the firm’s expansion into the US

Managers cash in as investors come calling
Credit management platforms are being viewed as attractive investments, with a slew of acquisitions taking place in recent months — mainly involving private credit operators

Partners Group promotes Layton to co-CEO as Rubeli steps down
Partners Group has announced that David Layton, partner and head of private equity, will succeed Christoph Rubeli as the firm’s co-chief executive officer, effective 1 January 2019

Swedish pension fund's credit portfolio recovers with strong 2018 results
Andra AP-Fonden (AP2), the SEK 352.4 billion ($38.7 billion) state-owned pension fund, generated 5.6% absolute returns from non-domestic credit investments for the first half of 2018

Vanguard plans global credit bond fund launch for US investors
Vanguard’s $1.3 trillion fixed income group is looking towards a US-domiciled global credit bond fund in the fourth quarter this year, following the Ucits version it launched last year 

Direct lenders express concern over proliferation of ‘adjusted ebitda’ terms

Consultant calls on investors to quiz managers over ESG processes
The lack of consistent and reliable data seems to be a major challenge when embracing environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria across private equity, infrastructure and credit.

Invesco to convert Canadian bond fund into global credit strategy
The new Invesco Active Multi-Sector Credit Fund will have a global multi-sector approach

Portfolio managers continue to be pessimistic on credit outlook, survey finds
A survey by the International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers states that 56% respondents believe average corporate default rates will increase over the next 12 months 

Standard Chartered plans refocused SRT return
One of the biggest issuers of significant risk transfer (SRT) deals is returning to the market

Neuberger's Dyal acquires minority stake in HPS
Dyal Partners, a division of Neuberger Berman, has acquired a minority equity stake in global credit manager HPS Investment Partners