Direct lenders flock to Munich as German deal flow picks up
German private debt is attracting a growing number of fund managers. Market sources say that deal flow through the first half of the year was at 65% of 2017’s total and had surpassed the number of private debt deals executed by funds in each of the previous five years

August: fund performance
CLO spreads jumped wider in August, but funds that invest in these assets have been able to outperform

September: credit funds at a glance
White Oak Global Advisors held a $2.1 billion final close on a new direct lending fund, while Phil Raciti's move from CVC Credit Partners to Halcyon Capital Management was one of the biggest moves in the credit industry

Alaska pension fund puts $123 million to work following $1 billion credit platform launch
Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (APFC) has made a $123.3 million commitment to a European direct lending fund

M&G targets £250 million for UK-listed multi-strategy credit fund
M&G is targeting £250 million (£328.6 million) for a new closed-end investment trust, which will be listed in the UK

Full steam ahead: Italian railway workers' pension fund seeks private debt exposure
Eurofer, the €1 billion Italian pension fund, for railway workers, is seeking debt managers, with a focus on infrastructure, real estate or unlisted real estate companies.

Cairn adds to its SRT investment team in London
Cairn Capital has appointed Chris Cottrell as senior investment analyst

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

39% of private debt investors are underweight, but they're looking for opportunities
485 Investors have come together to reveal their thoughts about allocation, in a survey conducted by London-based investment consultant bfinance

Cheyne hires ex-BlueBay official to its new loans business in London
Cheyne Capital Management has finalised the formation of its strategic value credit business with Richard Cazenove joining as partner and senior portfolio manager after leaving BlueBay Asset Management earlier this year

Hampshire pension fund seeks private debt manager for £325 million mandate
Hampshire County Council is seeking a private debt firm to manage a £325 million private debt account for its pension fund, according to documents seen by Creditflux

Goodhart unveils new platform to invest in private debt and equity firms
London-based Goodhart Partners has launched a new platform to focus on strategic minority investments, predominantly in private debt and private equity firms.

Harbert European Growth Fund flourishes with €215 million final close
London-based Harbert Management Corporation has held a final close for its second European Growth Capital Fund with €215 million in capital commitments

Hamilton Lane hires business development official in Munich as it seeks DACH expansion
Hamilton Lane has appointed Martina Schliemann as principal and head of business development in the DACH region, in a bid to expand its presence in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Blackstone wins Italian direct lending approval for five funds
Blackstone has been granted direct lending approval in Italy for five Irish-domiciled alternative investment funds (AIFs), according to an announcement by law firm Simmons & Simmons, who advised on the approval

Family office CIO and ex-Kimura official launch new private debt firm
The chief investment officer of single-family office and an official who previously worked at Kimura Capital have joined forces to launch an asset management business

Advisors & Partners teams up with UK bank for private debt fund
The vehicle is anticipated to be the first in a series of private debt co-lending funds

Beechbrook edges towards first close for £300 million UK SME fund
Strathclyde Pension Fund has mandated £30 million to Beeechbrook UK SME Credit II, which will target a 8%-9% net IRR

Crescent lands into European direct lending for the second time
Crescent Capital Group is raising capital for its second European direct lending fund - Crescent European Speciality Lending Fund

Direct lenders look for slice of large-cap loan market
Competition between banks and direct lenders has been growing for many years, although this rivalry was largely confined to the middle market space. However, direct lenders, flush with cash, are now said to be penetrating the large-cap loan market.

Four private credit managers score as Arizona pension fund commits $250 million
The $9.78 billion pension fund has mandated nearly $250 million to four private credit managers, alongside additional commitments for co-investment opportunities 

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

CVC Credit hires managing director to private debt team in London
CVC Credit Partners has strengthened its European private debt team with a hire from ESO Capital

UK pension fund NEST seeks 'innovative' private credit manager
The £3.4 billion pension fund issued an invite to tender for private credit managers 

Fund of funds manager holds €51 million first close for direct lending strategy
A European fund of funds manager has held a first close on a new vehicle which will back SME direct lending funds