Japanese regulator makes CLOs exempt from risk retention - if loans are appropriately originated
The Japan Financial Services Agency (FSA) has said that CLOs can sit outside the remits of its securitisation regulation, if investors in the country can provide ‘in-depth analysis’ showing the underlying assets were appropriately originated

CDX EM adds Gulf top tier as MCDX goes sub-IG
The March roll of CDS indices brings notable changes to two products in the IHS Markit suite, CDX EM and MCDX, following users’ feedback on trading requirements

Isda tables plans to rid CDS market of narrowly tailored credit events
After lengthy deliberation, a working group of major firms is today set to publish proposals aimed at ridding the market of ‘narrowly tailored credit events’, whereby borrowers are persuaded to default on debt payments in order to trigger pay-outs for CDS holders

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

CapitaLand gains $556 million for China real estate debt fund
The Singapore-based firm announced that the fund will target a $750 million final close 

Japan Post registers more than JPY 1 trillion in CLO holdings for first time
Japanese banks continue to devour a bigger slice of the CLO market, with Japan Post Bank’s latest financial statements for the end of 2018 showing holdings of over JPY 1 trillion ($9.17 billion) for the first time

GSO plans follow-up European direct lending fund
GSO Capital Partners is putting together a senior debt fund and has the backing of Taiwan Life

Allianz IM puts $200 million into Indian private debt
Allianz Investment Management has committed $200 million into the private debt platform of Edelweiss, an Indian diversified financial services firm.  

US pension seek real estate debt managers
The State Universities Retirement System (SURS) has launched a real assets investment search, seeking private core, private core plus, and private non-core real estate managers, on both debt and equity  

It’s going to be a credit picker’s market
Our panel of experts believe that the credit market will be volatile this year, but there will be opportunities in European credit and additional tier one bonds, trups CDOs and unitranches

CLO market holds breath as Japan risk retention looms
Risk retention compliant US CLOs could make a comeback after the Japan Financial Services Authority (JFSA) unveiled its proposed new risk retention framework, which could tie the hands of the world’s biggest buyers of US CLOs

Norinchukin increases CLO holdings to $62 billion
Norinchukin’s CLO holdings increased again last quarter, with the bank’s exposure to the asset class standing at JPY 6.8 trillion ($62.2 billion) on 31 December

Virginia pension fund commits to Asian private credit
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) approved a $150 million commitment to the SSG Capital Partners V fund at a January board trustees meeting, a spokesperson has confirmed.  

Central counterparties need to improve after Nasdaq Clearing member default, says Isda
Derivative central counterparties (CCPs) must look to make a number of improvements to risk practices, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association has said in a paper that follows a clearing member default at Nasdaq Clearing in September

CLO market waits on Asia deals to set year-opening benchmark
Three weeks into the new year, and the CLO primary market is still waiting for its first deal. And, in particular, the market is waiting on the Asian buy-and-hold investor base to reveal their hands.

Dignari nears $500 million target size for China credit fund
Dignari Capital Partners is nearing a final close for its second China-focused credit fund, according to 9 January US regulatory filings

Majority of investors seek to increase private credit allocations, BlackRock survey reveals
Over half of investors plan to increase their allocation to private credit in 2019, according to an institutional client rebalancing report published by BlackRock

Hyundai allocates $250 million to US real estate debt
Hyundai Investments has mandated $250 million to a real estate debt fund co-managed by Related Cos and HPS Investment Partners

Abax targets $400 million for Asian structured credit fund
Abax Global Capital has launched its third Asian-focused structured private credit fund - Abax Asian Structured Private Credit Fund III, according to US regulatory filings

New Zealand Superannuation Fund hires CIO
New Zealand Superannuation Fund (NZSF) has appointed Stephen Gilmore to serve as chief investment officer  

Singapore adds Ice into clearing cocktail
Ice Clear Credit, the US credit default swap clearing house of Intercontinental Exchange, has obtained recognised clearing house status from the Monetary Authority of Singapore

Singapore fund to lend to financial institutions in emerging and developing markets
Singapore’s EFA Group is aiming to raise $100 million for a fund that will lend to banks and financial institutions in emerging and developing economies

Invesco unveils "belt and road" debt fund
Invesco has unveiled a new fixed-income Ucits strategy that aims to capture investment opportunities driven by China’s “Belt and Road” initiative

Värde raises $400 million for Asia credit fund
Värde Partners has closed its inaugural Asia-focused fund at $400 million - six months after launching

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