UK charities join forces on hunt for ESG managers
Three UK based charities are joining forces in the hunt for a manager to oversee a £32 million ($41.6 million) portfolio with a strong focus on environment, social and governance (ESG) criteria as well as impact investing  

EFA holds first close on Asian private credit fund
EFA Group has held a first close on its Asian private credit fund, according to an announcement by the firm

'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 

Global mid market CLO league tables: Golub and Natixis lead by a distance
Golub Capital and Natixis dominated the mid market CLO space in 2019 in the manager and arranger league tables, respectively

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

Managers acquiesce on fees as small UK pensions seek private credit nest egg
Private credit fund managers are rejigging their fee structures in order to attract small UK pension schemes.

Mid market CLO league tables: first time managers crack the top five
Five new issue middle market CLOs priced in November for a combined total of $2 billion with Audax and Owl Rock doubling down in 2019.

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  

Italian pension eyes private market investments with debt and equity mandate
Fondoposte has launched a request for proposals in which it outlines plans to invest in private debt and private equity  

HSBC notches up first US CLO arranging credit
HSBC has teamed up with Natixis as co-arranger on the latest new issue CLO from Cerberus Business Finance

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.

Audax goes for longer reinvestment period with second mid market CLO
Audax Private Debt yesterday priced its second CLO backed by loans to middle market companies, according to market sources

Churchill splits double Bs for first mid market CLO in two years
Churchill Asset Management has priced its first middle market CLO of the year in a transaction which underlines how lower-rated CLO debt tranches are increasingly being carved up into senior and junior pieces

Mid market CLO league tables: springing back into life after September drought
After a September hiatus, three managers returned to mid market CLOs in October to bring issuance back on track as monthly volume exceeded $1 billion for the sixth time this year

In private credit, we look to stay in senior structures with control

BlueBay private debt spin-off hires in credit opps following rebrand
BlueBay’s former private debt team has rebranded to Arcmont Asset Management, following the completion of its spinoff from BlueBay. And the independent entity is wasting no time in expanding its business by hiring two senior officials to oversee a new opportunistic credit strategy

Garrison BDC needs to liquidate, argues shareholder Clear Harbor
In a letter delivered to the board on Thursday, Clear Harbor emphasised several concerns and demanded a new independent investment advisor with liquidation expertise 

Be-Spoke one week away from pricing breakthrough SME CLO
Be-spoke Capital has moved a step closer to pricing its SME loan securitisation, with price talk emerging for the forthcoming Alhambra SME Funding 2019-1

Newly formed Italian asset manager launches direct lending fund
Equita Capital is seeking a first close of its second private debt fund by February 2020, Creditflux has learnt. The fund is understood to have an ESG focus  

Crestline targets $1.75 billion for 'all weather' fund but investor questions fund size
Crestline Investors is seeking $1.5 billion capital ($1.75 billion hard cap) for its next 'all weather' global special situations fund, Crestline Opportunity Fund IV, with the Fort Worth-based firm looking to hold a final close in October 2019. But one institutional investor has raised concerns about the size of Crestline's latest fundraise.