16% of insurers plan CLO allocation increase, survey finds
Goldman Sachs Asset Management has released its annual insurance asset management survey

The Last Tranche: awards season is upon us [podcast]
A look at 2018 award offerings and finalist, plus some insight on direct lending and b-wics

Bespoke gains pull CLO buyers as market tipped to hit $100bn
Synthetic bespoke issuance could catch up with the more visible CLO market this year, say structured credit specialists

Leveraged loans pose credit risk but not systemic risk, conference told
Regulators and the press need to understand the difference between credit risk and systemic risk, claimed panelists at the IMN European CLOs and Leveraged Loans conference

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.

US dollar three-month is focus point for benchmarks, finds Ice Libor survey
One-, three- and six-month US dollar and sterling are the focus points for Ice Benchmark Administration to seek agreement with banks, according to the results of IBA’s survey on uses of Libor

CIFC launches its first CLO Ucits fund
CIFC Asset Management has become the latest manager to launch a new CLO Ucits fund

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

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 

Tikehau’s private debt AUM hits €7.5 billion
Tikehau Capital, the Paris-based asset management and investment firm, has reached €7.5 billion in private debt assets under management (AUM) as of September 2018. This represents an increase of 17% for the third quarter, amounting to €1.1 billion  

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 

Blackstone grows credit assets by 31% over year
The firm achieved strong fundraising in credit, taking credit-related assets under managment to $130.6 billion in the third quarter, a 31% increase year-on-year 

Silverpeak looks to put together listed CLO equity fund
Silverpeak's CLO-focused fund will primarily invest in CLO equity and be listed on the New York Stock Exchange

GoldenTree adds partner to its structured credit team in London
GoldenTree Asset Management has made a big hire to its London office with a structured credit specialist joining as partner

Halcyon rebrands to Bardin Hill, names new CEO and sells minority stakes to TSSP and Dyal
Halcyon Capital Management has rebranded its platform to Bardin Hill Investment Partners and has announced a new leadership structure following the retirement of John Bader who served as chief executive officer

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

Reed Smith adds former NatWest structured finance specialist to its team
Law firm Reed Smith has added structured finance specialist David Barton as counsel in its London office

GSO CLO fund looks to wind up with offer to roll into manager's originator strategy
The board responsible for Carador Income Fund, managed by GSO Capital Partners, has given shareholders an opportunity to wind the fund up, alongside a rollover opportunity for shareholders into GSO's CLO originator fund, Blackstone/GSO Loan Financing

Maples & Calder announce several CLO lawyer promotions
Maples & Calder has announced several promotions for CLO lawyers.- including three partners and one counsel 

Bain targets $500 million for CLO-focused vehicle
Bain Capital Credit is targeting $500 million for its CLO-focused vehicle, Bain Capital Credit CLO Management, according to sources familiar with the situation

Steep climb: dealers and investors cross-examine merits of five-year CSOs
The market for bespoke tranches of credit synthetic obligations (CSOs) looks set for further year-on-year growth, but this could depend on expanding activity to longer tenors

Credit drives strong returns for five of the largest asset managers in the business
Carlyle is close to hitting its ambitious fundraising target; direct lending has been kind to Ares; and Och-Ziff has decided to shed its US CLO risk retention stakes after exiting its financing agreements

CLO Ucits funds take off despite investment limits
CLO investors are swarming over the Ucits fund market, despite the obvious regulatory headwinds and stringent liquidity requirements associated with these structures