CLO market round-up: 27 Nov - 1 Dec
After a busy Thanksgiving week, CLO pricing activity was substantially quieter last week, with only a handful of deals in the market.

Credit impact fund surpasses $100 million target close
The fund targets companies that support social and environmental causes in Africa, Asia and the Americas

Primary market roars into life
The primary CLO market pickup that started in August continued strongly in September, both in Europe and the US. Although the overall direction was the same on both sides of the Atlantic, the type of activity was quite different.

1H23 European direct lender rankings
The volume of European direct lending facilities issued fell to just €8.5 billion in 2Q23. The same quarter last year was the largest on record at €51.3 billion, representing over an 80% drop year on year.

European direct lender launches third fund
European asset manager Bridgepoint has closed its third direct lending fund, BDL III, with investable capital of over €3.4 billion according to a company announcement. 

Arcmont and Barings land direct lending doubles
Readers with long memories may recall that Creditflux used to award a handful of prizes for direct lending funds at the Manager Awards. But this year those gongs were spun out into their own glittering gala.

Direct lenders grab larger share of loan market despite fundraising slowdown
With Debtwire’s European direct lending conference in London next Thursday, we speak to market participants about the dynamic between European syndicated loan market and direct lending

LP round up: HPS wins $550m mandate as Ares launches third US direct lending fund
US institutional investors allocated nearly $3 billion to credit funds in April. The news comes amid a BlackRock survey in the month which showed significant investor interest in private credit

Virginia pension discloses $800 million in credit allocations
Virginia Retirement System has disclosed $800 million in credit fund allocations made over the first quarter of this year

Fund performance: European CLO funds lead the way
February was a positive month for many funds, as only one quarter failed to reach the black. This builds off a stellar start to the year: 96% of funds reached a positive return in January

HPS raises $12 billion for fifth junior capital fund
HPS Investment Partners has closed its fifth junior capital solutions fund, HPS Strategic Investment Partners V, at $12 billion. With leverage, the strategy has $17 billion investable capital

Ares and Mubadala establish $1 billion global credit secondaries JV
The pair aim to capitalise on the 'anticipated growth and substantial demand’ from managers and investors for customised liquidity solutions

Tikehau preps sixth European direct lending fund launch
Tikehau Capital is preparing to start fundraising for its sixth European direct lending fund, Tikehau Direct Lending VI 

Fund performance: Credit funds end difficult 2022 on a positive note
In December 66% of credit funds reached a positive return, following an even better November where 81% of all funds pushed into the black

LP round up: 27 managers find the top corner with investor wins
Credit fund managers like to take it one fund at a time and give it 110% for their 90-minute investor fund pitches - and it's working as $3.8 billion was allocated during November and early December. The gaffer would be proud. 

Ardian closes €5 billion European direct lending fund
Ardian has closed its fifth mid-market European direct lending strategy with €5 billion capital commitments, exceeding its €4 billion target

LP round up: two managers terminated as 20 win $2.5 billion
US institutional investors allocated over $2.5 billion to 20 credit managers in October, according to documents seen by Creditflux. Two credit fund managers however were terminated in the month

Fund performance: Wake us up when September ends
After a resurgent August, credit markets hit a rough patch in September, with every Creditflux index posting negative returns, and only 12.9% of funds in our listings showing a positive return.

Apollo invests $1 billion in IG CLOs, launches secondary solutions platform and cuts BDC fees
In its earnings call, Apollo highlighted the resilience of the CLO asset class, strong deployment in direct lending, upcoming reduction in management fees for its publicly traded BDC and the launch of a new secondaries and sponsor solutions platforn, seeded by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority

Ares plans four credit fund launches amid strong deployment
Ares Management benefitted from strong private credit deployment in the quarted and unveiled plans to raise its sixth European direct lending fund, second flagship closed-end alternative credit fund and third US junior capital direct lending fund

Arcmont says liquid loan opportunities depend on timing as it advocates direct lending instead
Arcmont Asset Management has made the case for direct lending over syndicated loans in a white paper, despite having being an admirer of CLO management platforms 

CLO official takes top role as Onex announces new credit leadership
Onex Credit Partners has announced a new leadership structure with two co-heads of credit replacing the CEO that left late last year. One of the promotions is an experienced CLO official 

We’ll get through this awkward patch
Wide liabilities have made pricing CLOs trickier in the past few months. But speakers at Creditflux’s CLO Symposium were optimistic that the arbitrage is OK — so long as you can place those triple As

Fidelity International makes senior direct lending hires in private credit push
Fidelity International has been staffing up in European direct lending, with 12 additions to the private credit team that was established a year ago

LP round up: Apollo and Silver Rock win over $1 billion as pensions plough into private debt
Institutional investors allocated at least $2 billion to credit funds in April, according to Creditflux data, with Apollo and Silver Rock emerging as big winners