Record 1Q for European ABS primary issuance despite geopolitical volatility
Primary issuance in the first quarter of 2026 reached a record EUR 25.4bn (excluding CLOs), marking a 34% increase on 1Q25, according to Debtwire's European ABS Activity Tracker

AI disruption fears and Middle East-driven macro volatility weigh on loan and bond issuance – 1Q26 LevFin Highlights
LevFin issuance across the US and European institutional loan and high-yield bond markets saw a strong start to the year before fears of artificial intelligence (AI) disruption and escalating macro volatility stemming from the US and Israel war with Iran weighed on market activity

Global issuance falls 22% QoQ and 12% YoY amid tech selloff and geopolitical insecurity – 1Q26 Loan Highlights
Loan issuance in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions reached USD 1.37tn in 1Q26, according to Debtwire data; this volume was 22% down compared to the previous quarter and 12% below 1Q25

Tikehau looks to develop Asia direct lending product via JV
The French alternative asset manager has struck a joint venture with Amova Asset Management, formerly known as Nikko Asset Management, to solidify its presence in Asia

M&A volume leap 20% to USD 1.38tn in first quarter of 2026
Even the Iran conflict has not arrested momentum among larger deals. A mammoth USD 122bn capital raise from OpenAI closed on the last day of the quarter, according to Mergermarket data

Iran conflict weighs on primary but cross-border European loan deal flow continues
Europe Loan Digest: Electronic Arts prices euro-dollar loan; Grifols launches refi

European direct lending opportunity grows as US faces headwinds—AlbaCore
EXCLUSIVE: Outflows from select US direct lending vehicles could result in European direct lending spreads, particularly on larger deals, widening even further, Luke Gillam, head of senior direct lending, told Creditflux

AI blockbuster deals surge as Middle East conflict test dealmaker confidence
Mergermarkets M&A Highlights 1Q26: Global M&A volume jumped 22% to the second highest start ever

Investors scrutinise AI disruption and opportunities in the European loan market
Lower EV, high leverage elevate credit risk and refi challenges; AI-driven sell-off creates selective buy opportunities

Majority of LPs expect to mix public and private credit despite liquidity challenges – BSP survey
Within the next five years, 59% of global institutional investors expect to take an integrated approach to public and private credit investments, new research from Benefit Street Partners shows 

ABS primary braves geopolitical uncertainty as spreads start to feel pressure – European ABS Weekly Digest
The European ABS primary market mostly shunned geopolitical risk this week as seven deals priced, two of which were pre-placed

Citi announces debt capital markets co-heads, including a hire from BofA
The new co-heads will fill the open spot left by head of global debt capital markets Rich Zogheb, who is retiring after 40 years in the industry

Unitranche deals take off in Europe, setting new record – Houlihan
The European private credit market completed 570 unitranche deals in 2025, marking an all-time high since Houlihan Lokey started publishing its quarterly report

Group.ONE TLB and Cision loan fall on continued AI selloff
Market Comment: Software leveraged loans are under pressure on continued AI fears

Fund performance – December 2025
All categories end 2025 positively as Pictet Alt takes 12-month crown

Private credit investors chase higher risk-return—Campbell Lutyens
A new survey shows investors are seeking higher returning strategies amid expectations of lower rates, while also turning away from the dominant North American market

CAPZA appoints co-head of private debt
New parent company BNPP AM Alts seeks to accelerate the growth of the mid-market private debt franchise in Europe, the company said

Loan market steams ahead with new launches as more deals line up in Europe
Flex-downs abound, but Hologic’s sub-300bps spread raises eyebrows, while performance in focus for Archroma, Seqens and Lipton Tea

Rising tide swells deal flow as 2026 M&A wave grows
Tech, healthcare, financial services dominated 2025 deal flow, as US inbound soared; UK, EU policy stability, German defence spending support 2026 European deal sentiment

Repricings comprise half of European levloans’ record year, new money drops to lowest level since GFC
The European leveraged loan market reached its highest yearly issuance volume ever in 2025, according to Debtwire data, driven by repricings

Allianz GI raises EUR 1.2bn to fund private debt secondaries
The sophomore fund held a first close and will pursue private debt secondaries deals globally

CVC launches dedicated private credit secondaries platform
The alternative asset manager tapped Henri Lusa, a former managing director at Partners Group, to lead the new effort

CLO investor Pearl Diver targets USD 1.5bn for SRT interval fund
The global structured credit manager will use the new institutional, open-ended vehicle to invest in first-loss or mezzanine tranches of significant risk transfer deals

Dealmaking optimism appears in European credit – CVC
The alternative asset manager increased its European credit exposure during the third quarter after seeing a spread pickup

European direct lending poised for record year despite 3Q M&A slowdown
Direct lending volumes in Europe in 3Q25 amounted to EUR 27.4bn across 310 transactions, according to the Debtwire European Direct Lender Rankings