Minnesota pension fund looks to commit $535 million to 'private credit'
Minnesota State Board of Investments has recommended investments worth $535 million to private credit, according to board documentation seen by Creditflux

European direct lender seeks €2.5 billion for new Luxembourg-based debt fund
London-based direct lender Pemberton is launching a new debt fund that will invest in mid-market European companies, Creditflux has learned

Patrimonium's Heine reveals what it takes to be a direct lender in Germany
Europe’s middle market lending community this week heard just how gruelling a job it is to source deals in Germany. Heine answered a number of important questions such as, "how many beers does it take for a sourcing manager to make it through one year?"

Aberdeen Standard Investments launches global private markets fund
Aberdeen Standard Investments has launched a £138 million Global Private Markets Fund (GPMF), which will invest in a diversified mix of private credit, private equity, real estate and infrastructure

Alcentra launches third direct lending fund
A year on from closing its second direct lending fund, Alcentra is understood to be marketing fund three in its direct lending series

European direct lending up 34% in recent quarter: Deloitte report
Direct lending in Europe continues to boom, according to the latest Deloitte deal tracker, which found a 34% growth of direct lending deals in third quarter 2017 alone compared to third quarter 2016

GreenOak announces final close at €600 million on real estate debt fund
The manager has held a final close on its Europe Secured Lending Fund, with total capital commitments of €600 million, surpassing its original target size of €500 million 

Private debt performance shines in institutional investing study
A quarter of institutional investors say private debt outperformed their expectations over 12 months to 28 August 2017

Private debt manager makes multi-million dollar sales for third credit opps fund
Private debt manager Park Square has made significant sales for its Capital Credit Opportunities III fund over the course of a year, regulatory filings indicate

Balance of power shifts away from direct lenders
Mid-sized corporations are getting their way at the expense of direct lenders at the negotiation table, recent research suggests.

European Investment Bank supports Spanish direct lending with €300 million loan
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a €300 million loan to Bankinter, a Spanish bank, in order to promote lending to small and mid-sized enterprises in Spain

Tikehau raises another €300 million through bond issue
Tikehau has considerable firepower to deploy into the credit market, obtaining €1.3 billion of financing in the last month.

Amundi hopes investors bite as it produces Italian ham and cheese offering
Amundi aims to raise €150 million for a new private debt fund that will invest in private bonds guaranteed by iconic Italian food products    

Swedish firm debuts direct lending fund with an eye on Scandanavian SMEs
A Swedish broker and asset manager has launched a new direct lending vehicle known as the Scandinavian Credit Fund I

Ares keeps up direct lending growth and plans new credit fund launch
Ares Management’s credit business just keeps growing, with the firm planning a new fund launch and a continued push into European direct lending, according to a recent results presentation

Local Pensions Partnership looks to go direct with £1.3 billion credit fund
The Local Pensions Partnership (LPP), which runs the pension schemes of two separate UK local government areas, has announced the launch of a £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) credit fund

BlueBay closes senior-only European debt fund at €3 billion
BlueBay Asset Management has announced that it is held a final close on a €3 billion European direct lending fund

Fast-growing private credit firm Northleaf brings in senior advisor
Northleaf Capital Partners has announced that Robert Weiss has joined as a senior advisor for its private credit team

BlueBay, Brightwood and Permira win private debt mandates
BlueBay Asset Management, Brightwood Capital Advisors and Permira Debt Management have been tasked with overseeing a London pension fund’s direct lending portfolio