All systems go as Fortress embarks on European dream
Fortress has long been planning its European expansion. Now it’s hiring and upsizing in London

‘The enthusiasm has been great’
Why are so many new managers launching? Creditflux spoke to 10 who started a CLO business and found that, while it may sometimes be fraught, it’s a rewarding and enjoyable challenge

Direct lending braces for redrawn landscape
After a stellar 2025, direct lenders are coming under pressure. Large-cap financings are colliding with record tight spreads in public markets, while competition is rising in mid-market lending

Debt options proliferate as lenders back data centres
The AI boom has set off a rush to construct USD 7tn of data centres. The ABS and CMBS markets are being tapped, and direct lenders are creating novel solutions to fund developments

All aboard the legal merry-go-round
A series of high-profile movements among CLO law firms have underscored the importance of top-tier counsels. With partners in place, the focus is now shifting to the next generation

Apollo takes crown as 2025’s top issuer
For the first time, the combined issuance of Apollo Global Management’s three CLO brands has secured it top spot in the Creditflux ranking. The firm beat second-placed Blackstone by USD 1bn

LFFM event makes life-saving return
Leveraged finance leaders meet in London to support the Melanoma Research Alliance, raising millions and spotlighting the breakthroughs that are now helping fight many types of cancer

Direct lending poised to break records but...
Although the volume of direct lending is burgeoning and likely to set a full year record in 2025, questions are growing about lending standards and the sector’s impact on financial stability

Can funds find pots of gold in Europe?
For years, US private credit has been tapping high net worth individuals. Now funds are trying to do the same in Europe — but markets across the pond are fragmented and heavily regulated

How direct lending took off in Europe
In the second of our two-part history, we look at the evolution of direct lending in the UK, the sector’s expansion to other parts of Europe, and its growth into a dominant asset class

ABF: the new frontier for private credit in Europe
ABF is established in the US. It is now a focus for credit investors looking for private credit deployment opportunities in Europe that can offer attractive potential yields outside of traditional direct lending

Hey Google, can AI chatbots replace investment bankers?
Is artificial intelligence coming for investment banking jobs and mandates? Some experts see it as inevitable – but others say the technology cannot replace the power of bankers’ people skills and nuanced market knowledge

BlackRock rockets up after HPS buyout
After its acquisition of HPS, BlackRock has risen from 18th place to seventh in the US BSL AUM table. The highest-profile faller is UBS, which dropped out of the top 10. It was top in 2024

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

Liquidity Ladder: Scale may bring attention, but visibility is emerging as the currency of market liquidity
In his third and final article, Daniel Ezra looks at how a CLO manager’s visibility can impact deal pricing

Reset frenzy set to ease — for now
The majority of deals from 2022 and 2033 that could be reset have been, so activity is likely to slow. But 2024 was a busy year for issuance and deals from then may bring a new surge in 2026

How direct lending took off in Europe
In the first of a two-part history, we look at direct lending’s origins in US junk bonds, its leap across the Atlantic and the rise of the huge firms that now dominate the European industry

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

Hot August sets tone for rest of 2025
Some European CLO managers still get time off in summer, but the days when the whole market shut down are long gone. So, in a busy year for CLOs, this August was the second busiest ever

Six months of records and turmoil at the top
The first half of 2025 saw convulsions in the US economy and Golub setting a record with a huge reset. Meanwhile, Blackstone slipped to third in overall issuance, despite winning out in US BSL

Disappearing Dealers: How The Pullback in SP Trading Balance Sheet Has Rewired Market Structure
Over the past 10 years, CLO issuance has multiplied, while dealer holdings fell. In the first of a three-part guest essay, Daniel Ezra looks at the causes of this change — and how it affects the market

NAV Financing and GP/LP Solutions: supercharging value creation with flexible financial technology
NAV loans are not new, but the adoption rate by sponsors is growing rapidly. What’s all the fuss about?

Opportunity in CLO double B tranches
Given their low default rates, double B CLO tranches offer much higher coupons than might be expected — suggesting they offer some of the best risk/return trade-offs in all of fixed income

‘It’s rare something is both issuer and investor friendly’
In 2015, Apollo’s Albert Huntington invented CLO resets. But the most important thing he learned back then was how flexible CLOs can be if you get consent from all equity holders

Growth in structured finance sets off legal merry-go-round
The departure of John Goldfinch from Milbank’s structured finance practice in late 2023 began a succession of moves between law firms looking to expand their structured finance practices