LP round up: Pimco gets the Disco started as distressed managers win allocations
Insitutional investors allocated just over $1 billion to credit funds last week, according to board documents seen by Creditflux, with special situation funds from Farallon, Pimco and SSG taking the bulk of these commitments

Argentina rallies sharply as DC sets credit event auction date
An auction to settle Argentina sovereign CDS will take place next week, the Americas Determinations Committee has said

BNP Paribas unit holds final close on special opportunities fund of funds
BNP Paribas Capital Partners has held a final close on its European special opportunities fund of debt funds

Patrimonium launches two private debt funds
The Swiss-based direct lender its targeting  €800 million for its second co-investment fund with Credit Suisse and has developed a new credit opportunities strategy

Fund performance: CLO tranches move up
April returns managed a partial bounce back after a tumultuous March. 82% of funds listed in the Creditflux database made positive returns, showing at least small signs of recovery after 90% of all funds listed posted negative returns in March

Distressed debt managers eye CLOs' low single B loans
Opportunistic credit managers have been witnessing a heavier flow of triple C-rated assets emitting from CLOs since March, but they're finding lower single Bs to be a fresh source of deal flow

Owl Rock hires from Oaktree to build opportunistic credit platform
Owl Rock Capital has built out a new opportunistic credit investing division, adding that “current market conditions make it especially attractive and relevant today.” 

Apollo collects $1.75 billion for dislocation fund in two months
Apollo Global Management has taken eight weeks to raise $1.75 billion for a dislocation credit fund, Apollo Accord Fund III B

Candian pension allocates $250 million to dislocation credit fund
Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (Imco) has allocated $250 million to a dislocation credit fund managed by Apollo Global Management

Magnetar wins $400 million for illiquid credit mandate
Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association has allocated $400 million to Illinois-based Magnetar Financial at its 13 May board of investment meeting, according to recently released minutes

Private credit wins investor as Maryland pension introduces 5% allocation
Howard County Retirement has introduced a new bucket to the private credit asset class, reducing its core bond and hedge fund exposure to facilitate this measure, according to board documents seen by Creditflux

Alcentra's 'significant personnel changes' lead pension to terminate private credit contract
Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System has plans to rescind and terminate its private credit contract with Alcentra "based on significant and unexpected turnover of senior personnel”, according to documents seen by Creditflux. The pension is instead looking to redeploy commitments to Crescent Capital

Metropolitan launches fund and finds PE sponsors 'more amenable to non-sponsored terms'
Metropolitan Partners has closed an onshore direct lending fund at $240 million. It focuses on non-sponsored companies and has not made an investment in a sponsored deal for three years. But the firm sees an increasing number of sponsored situations arising from the covid-19 disruption

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

HPS raises $1.5 billion SME credit fund in Europe
HPS Investment Partners has closed a $1.5 billion SME credit fund known as the European Asset Value Fund II

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

Border to Coast bolsters 'alternatives' business with PM hire
The pension fund has hired a portfolio manager for alternative investments, including private credit, private equity and infrastructure  

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

Muzinich subsidiary launches €417 million Italian credit fund
Springrowth, a subsidiary of Muzinich, has held a €417 million final close on an Italian direct lending fund in which Muzinich partners with local banks for origination. The Milan-based firm is also fundraising for a Rescue Financing fund to support companies affected by the coronavirus crisis

Crescent closes second European direct lending fund at €1.6 billion
Crescent Capital has raised €1.6 billion for its second European direct lending fund, exceeding the original €1 billion target size, according to an announcement