The right moment to take a chance
Stephen Ketchum founded Sound Point during the global financial crisis with seed funding of USD 35m. He moved into CLOs in 2012. Today, the firm has many arms and AUM of USD 46bn

Gearing up private credit CLOs in Europe
Hybrid deals are the latest attempt to make private credit CLOs work in Europe. They aim to combine private credit and leveraged loans to create a vehicle that delivers yield and liquidity

Direct lending: a history of resilience
They said defaults would get it, then redemptions, then fraud, AI and redemptions (again!). But direct lending has been with us for over a decade — and it keeps proving its staying power

European outlook is rosy, say direct lenders
Attendees at Debtwire’s Private Credit Forum Europe 2026 argued that, despite pockets of distress, demand for private capital is high and the sector’s record shows it is resilient

Welcoming in new CLO equity investors
New investors are committing capital to captive equity funds because they see value beyond pure IRR. But the old guard aren’t happy because projected returns for CLO equity have fallen

Europe sees new 1Q direct lending record
Despite exposure to software companies and worries about fund redemptions, European direct lenders made a strong start to 2026 — and the market is optimistic about the rest of the year

Eldridge revamps for future growth
Todd Boehly and Tony Minella’s freshly restructured Eldridge is focusing on diversified credit and attracting third-party capital under the leadership of Minella and old colleague Jeff Forlizzi

Orrick wins out in legal reshuffle
Comparing our law firm rankings for the first quarter of 2026 with those from 2024 gives a clear picture of the damage done by staff departures. Meanwhile, Paul Hastings and Milbank stayed top

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