CLO managers position themselves for ‘more rocky times’
Panelists speaking at the Creditflux 2026 CLO Symposium in London say the market is still open for CLO issuance, but that inflation is starting to hit underlying corporate borrowers

Creditflux CLO Symposium 2026 – Day Two
Join us for Day Two of the Creditflux CLO Symposium 2026 as we discuss the macroeconomic backdrop for CLOs, M&A and LBOs, artificial intellingence, liquidity and more

Last call for Creditflux CLO Symposium 2026
Join us at the definitive CLO community gathering on 20-21 April 2026 at The Chancery Rosewood, London

Iran War to increase corporate default rates globally — IACPM Survey
Though the credit market is absorbing new leveraged loan issuance amid geopolitical uncertainty, credit managers expect the war to drive a rise in defaults

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

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

Arthur Cox bolsters structured finance team with Walkers hires
EXCLUSIVE: Two structured finance specialists will leave Walkers to join Arthur Cox over the summer

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

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

CLOs price from Polus and Tikehau as Euro market shows signs of vitality
New CLO transactions from Tikehau and Polus have helped maintain this week's momentum to the European CLO market, after a quiet period last week as managers digested the implications of the Iran war and ongoing worries over the impact of AI on software loans

Sona prices first new 2026 CLO
The upper mezz tranches on Sona Fios CLO VII priced wide of investor guidance

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

Arini prices new half-billion-euro CLO via JPMorgan
.The manager’s ninth European CLO priced its triple A paper at Euribor plus 130bps

Entegra to launch CLO pricing benchmark for Europe
EXCLUSIVE: The firm also introduced visibility reports for European CLO managers today to guide managers in pricing new issue CLOs, founder Daniel Ezra said

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 

Euro CLO market perks up to close out week, as LGT and Capital Four price deals
A new issue from LGT Capital Partners and a reset from Capital Four came after a tepid week of issuance, impacted by the ongoing disruptive impacts of AI on software loans, allied to uncertainty stemming from the war in Iran

Sona markets new Euro CLO
Jefferies has been engaged as the arranger for Sona Fios CLO VII, with the deal set to price toward the end of next week

Arini preps fresh CLO, breaking new Euro issuance pause
EXCLUSIVE: The latest print will be the manager’s first new European issue of the year, and comes at a time of caution in the primary market

Palmer Square issues 2026's first static European CLO
Arranged via JPMorgan, the half-billion-euro new issue priced its triple As at 100bps over Euribor