Credit funds take aim at clubs and many other sports assets
Sports investing is no longer just a hobby for well-heeled executives. Private credit funds are providing debt and taking minority equity positions in deals a world away from the major US leagues, with examples including English football teams, sailing competitions, sports equipment firms, sports-related media and more

Huge lending from banks to private credit could cause systemic problems
There is little evidence of ‘cockroaches’ in credit. But in one sector, problems may just be hidden

Individuals account for nearly a quarter of private credit investor base – Alternative Credit Council
The global private credit market grew to around USD 3.5tn in assets at the end of 2024, according to a new report from the Alternative Credit Council and Houlihan Lokey 

Opacity and falling returns create pessimism around private credit – Morningstar
EXCLUSIVE: Morningstar’s Dan Kemp warns of too much money chasing too few opportunities, and urges investor caution in private credit

North American and European credit defaults to fall next year – S&P Global
Global credit default rates will remain contained next year with North American defaults falling to around 4% 

AI capex set to expand at unprecedented speed and scale – BlackRock
The 2026 outlook from the BlackRock Investment Institute notes that capital spending ambitions tied to the buildout of the artificial intelligence boom are so large that the micro is becoming macro

CLO issuance projected to hit new records in 2026 – KBRA
The ratings agency projects USD 220bn in issuance across US BSL CLOs and private credit CLOs as well as five to six European private credit CLOs next year

Concerns growing about potential turn in the credit cycle – Goldman 2026 outlook
Investors should monitor signs of late-cycle behaviours, with the possibility that pressure on leverage ratios may result in credit ratings downgrades, Goldman Sachs Asset Management said in its 2026 investment outlook

Morgan Stanley launches private market fund for European individual investors
The new product from Morgan Stanley Investment Management will invest across private equity, private credit, real assets and some public assets

CVC launches dedicated private credit secondaries platform
The alternative asset manager tapped Henri Lusa, a former managing director at Partners Group, to lead the new effort

Venture debt firms sound first notes of caution about AI
Venture debt loves a high-growth industry, and the growth story of the century has been artificial intelligence (AI). As some of the first investors in AI scale-ups, venture debt firms can take some credit for this success

Watch out for the cockroaches
After the collapse of First Brands, some of the biggest hitters in global finance have been quick to argue that any bugs in the system won’t affect them — but are bad news for everyone else

Private credit is too small to create a global financial crisis — but there are plenty of other storm clouds gathering
Total bankruptcy filings have climbed every quarter since June 2022

Neuberger Berman raises USD 7.3bn for US direct lending
The firm held a final close for NB Private Debt V, which will be used to invest in senior secured, first-lien and unitranche direct loans

Polus raises EUR 890m for European special situations fund
The latest fund exceeded its original EUR 750m target, a source familiar told Creditflux

Dealmaking optimism appears in European credit – CVC
The alternative asset manager increased its European credit exposure during the third quarter after seeing a spread pickup

First Brands and Tricolor show due diligence matters – Crescent President Chris Wright
PODCAST: There are lots of mixed signals currently in the market, which is creating uncertainty, according to Chris Wright, president of Crescent Capital Group, on the latest episode of Credit Exchange with Lisa Lee

ABF increases the lending toolkit – Apollo co-head of asset-backed finance Bret Leas
PODCAST: Bret Leas, co-head of asset-backed finance at Apollo Global Management, says asset-backed financing has contributed to a significant widening of the financing toolkit, on the latest edition of the Credit Exchange podcast with Lisa Lee

New York State Common Retirement Fund commits USD 200m to Oak Hill's CLO fund
The pension fund has committed the funds to OHA CLO Equity Fund III, which will target investments in North America and Europe

Blackstone raises USD 1.6bn for new high-yield ABF strategy
The alternative asset management giant is targeting USD 4bn for its new high yield, private-asset-based finance fund

Tikehau surpasses target on private credit secondaries fundraise
EXCLUSIVE: The latest fund, which has yet to close, has already racked up more than USD 750m

Corporate Europe kicks on with ECM, M&A plans as US market fears grow
Best year for European corporate equity capital markets and M&A since 2021, but storm clouds forming in US AI valuations and private credit

Expect more corporations to default – JPMorgan head of global credit financing Jake Pollack
“The idea that default rates will go up over time is not particularly difficult to get to,” says Jake Pollack, head of global credit financing and North America credit trading at JPMorgan, on the latest Credit Exchange podcast with Lisa Lee

Private credit's public pivot – crisis play or permanent shift?
Participants see model evolving from crisis response to structural strategy, as pricing gaps, disclosure rules and mindset barriers still hold asset class back

Venture debt lenders gear up for growth
Lending to venture capital-backed companies is hitting an all-time high in the US and Europe, with AI, enterprise software, fintech, sustainability and biotech among the busiest sectors