Ares raises $3 billion special situations fund ahead of huge European direct lending launch
Ares Management has witnessed “accelerated fundraising” for its special situations fund, which it has closed at around $3 billion, according to the firm’s earnings calls. The firm also launched its fifth European direct lending fund this week, which Ares expects could be “the largest private comingled fund in its history”

Florida pension allocates $600 million to three credit managers
Florida State Board of Administration has awarded $600 million to three credit managers in the first quarter, according to a board update seen by Creditflux

Apollo earmarks $20 billion for dislocation fundraising over 12 months
Apollo's returns for corporate credit, structured credit and direct origination in the first quarter were down 8.3%, 14.7% and 4.8%, respectively, but the firm is looking to launch various credit strategies, including capital solutions, dislocation strategies and distressed strategies, that it “expects to accumulate $20 billion over the next year”

KKR deploys 10% of $2 billion coronavirus dislocation credit fund
KKR Credit has plans to launch a $2 billion dislocated corporate and asset backed credit fund to take advantage of coronavirus-induced volatility. And the New York-based manager has wasted no time swooping on opportunities after deploying $212 million by 9 April

Credit Rendezvous: recovery begins, but is it U, V or even W?
Investing in credit is not as easy as ABC. The coronavirus crisis has crushed valuations and although most assets will eventually pull to par, no one is sure how the recovery will pan out

BlueTorch's Genda details direct lending flows and pricing as he ramps up new fund
BlueTorch Capital has witnessed a 20% pickup in dealflow since covid-19 but, while the company's portfolio has avoided retailers, airlines and hotels, it has not gone unscathed, said chief executive officer Kevin Genda

Global direct lending fundraising plummets in Q1
Global direct lending fundraising figures plummeted in the first quarter as coronavirus-related volatility kicked in. Managers raised just $9.4 billion raised across 11 funds compared to $18.6 billion across 15 in Q1 2019, according to Creditflux's fund database

SEC temporarily relaxes regulations for BDCs
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has provided business development companies with temporary relief in light of covid-19 - including the ability of BDCs, who are unable to satisfy asset coverage ratios, to use an alternative form of calculating leverage

Bardin Hill pulls in $300 million for first close of opportunistic credit fund
Bardin Hill has held a first close on an opportunistic credit fund at around $300 million, according to sources familiar with the matter

Bain uses rights offerings as unusual route to raise cash for BDC
Bain Speciality Finance is looking to raise additional capital through a rights offering to “further strengthen its balance sheet” and “provide additional flexibility to support existing portfolio companies over the coming months”, chief executive officer Michael Ewald said in an open letter to shareholders on Monday

Ohio pension makes commitment to private credit
School Employees Retirement System of Ohio is set to introduce a 5% private credit allocation to its portfolio  

Sacramento pension earmarks $150 million for private credit in 2020
The pension fund expects to commit to two direct lending funds and one credit fund it describes as 'opportunistic'

Alaska pension commits $207 million to credit
Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (APFC) committed $207 million to credit funds and co-investments over the last quarter of 2019  

Texas pension pumps $300 million into Pimco fund
Texas Municipal Retirement System has earmarked up to $300 million to a credit fund managed by Pimco, according to board documents seen by Creditflux, building on a relationship established through a predecessor fund

US pension earmarks $25 million for secondary direct lending investment
Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) is set to invest $25 million to a private credit fund through a secondary market transaction  

Apollo Global Management ends year with a bang
CLOs returned 8% while direct origination continues to be "rocket fuel", the company said

New York pension allocates $100 million to US direct lending fund
New York State Teachers Common has awarded $100 million to a direct lending fund, as its private debt portfolio delivers 10.7% net IRR 

Morgan Stanley IM hires from Carlyle again as it makes direct lending "strategic priority"
The new hire rejoins former colleague Jeff Levin, who Morgan Stanley Investment Management added in February last year to establish a direct lending business as a "strategic priority"

'Speciality finance' gains momentum as US investors go deeper into private credit
Institutional investors are continuing to invest in niche, speciality finance strategies - including litigation financing and life sciences - following intense competition and overcrowding in US private credit 

US insurer Aflac purchases minority stake in direct lender Varagon
Varagon Capital Partners has sold a non-controlling, minority stake of the firm to Aflac Global Investments, the asset management division of US insurance company Aflac Incorporated

Private debt takes centre stage as Arizona looks to bolster credit allocation to 25%
Arizona State Retirement System remains bullish on credit with the $41.9 billion institution looking to bolster its entire credit allocations to almost a quarter of the fund - and private debt will take centre stage in the Arizona pension’s growth plans

Private debt tops the private markets agenda for insurers, finds Schroders
Insurers currently allocate the largest proportion of their private assets’ portfolio to private debt, followed by real estate, according to study published by asset manager Schroders  

Maine pension boosts alternative credit bucket with $100 million to US direct lending fund
Maine Public Employees Retirement System has earmarked $100 million to a US direct lending fund

UK pension partnership launches maiden private credit offering at £581 million
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership (BCPP) is set to commit £581 million in private credit, as part of its maiden offering in this asset class  

Arizona pension to deploy up to $700 million a year in private credit
Arizona Public Safety Employee System is looking to deploy $600-700 million in private credit strategies per year in order to meet its target allocation, according to board documents seen by Creditflux.