Oaktree prices US and European CLOs in single day

Oaktree priced two CLOs to close out last week – a new European issue titled Arbour CLO XVI via Citi, and a reset of a 2024-vintage US BSL transaction through SMBC Nikko

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

CLO equity price decline represents compelling buying opportunity — CIFC
Over the next 12 to 24 months, CLO equity could generate returns comparable to those seen in 2023-2024, CIFC believes

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

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

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

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 

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

Former Ares CLO leader Boris Okuliar joins Corinthia
London-based Okuliar is now Corinthia’s chief strategy officer and head of global diversified credit, signalling the private credit firm’s expansion into public credit

CLO equity payments decline for US and Europe
Reinvesting US BSL CLOs saw median equity payments slip 16bps from the fourth quarter of 2025

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

US lev loans, CLO spreads move in opposite directions as market worries deepen over software loans
ANALYSIS: The unusual dynamic has been driven by worries about disruption from artificial intelligence, as investors fret about the potentially wide-ranging impacts across a range of sectors

Global CLO law firm rankings – FY 2025
Milbank and Paul Hastings again top Creditflux’s global legal manager and arranger counsel rankings for 2025 – but the shifting legal landscape drove changes further down

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

2026 kicks off with a lot of thunder and not much lightning
ANALYSIS: A lot of noise around geopolitics, Fed interference and market volatility has had little effect on the global CLO market, for now  

CLO industry in push to increase use of AI in 2026
ANALYSIS: Investors are already using AI to evaluate managers and CLO documentation

TwentyFour AM favours European CLO equity going into 2026
In comparison, US CLO equity faces more challenges related to LMEs and refinancing activity, the asset manager said

North American and European credit defaults to fall next year – S&P Global
Global credit default rates will remain contained next year with North American defaults falling to around 4% 

CLO issuance projected to hit new records in 2026 – KBRA
The ratings agency projects USD 220bn in issuance across US BSL CLOs and private credit CLOs as well as five to six European private credit CLOs next year

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

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

ABF increases the lending toolkit – Apollo co-head of asset-backed finance Bret Leas
PODCAST: Bret Leas, co-head of asset-backed finance at Apollo Global Management, says asset-backed financing has contributed to a significant widening of the financing toolkit, on the latest edition of the Credit Exchange podcast with Lisa Lee

New York State Common Retirement Fund commits USD 200m to Oak Hill's CLO fund
The pension fund has committed the funds to OHA CLO Equity Fund III, which will target investments in North America and Europe

Blackstone raises USD 1.6bn for new high-yield ABF strategy
The alternative asset management giant is targeting USD 4bn for its new high yield, private-asset-based finance fund