Fund performance: Select funds shine in dreary June for credit hedge funds
Credit funds suffered through June, as only 8% of listed funds reached the black. This made June the fourth month in a row in which negative returns increased

KKR reports $115 billion dry powder as it changes public markets business name
KKR reported strong deployment and dry powder figures but fee-related earnings came short of expectations

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

First Eagle wraps up fundraising for $1 billion direct lending fund
The strategy will target 6-9% net internal rate of return for its unlevered sleeve and 8-11% net IRR of return for its levered sleeve

Russia and retail put stop to credit rally with big spread reversal
Russia’s move to cut gas supplies once again to Europe, as well as a Walmart profit warning in the US, are weighing heavily on markets Tuesday and sending credit spreads sharply wider

IG payers provide best tail-risk hedges: Barclays
Investors seeking the cheapest tail risk hedge should look to CDX IG payers, while iTraxx Europe payers are the best hedge against further European underperformance, finds Barclays

Mixed signals abound but European weakness persists
European financial markets are losing further ground against the US in a cautious start to the week, as the euro approaches parity with the dollar for the first time and latest data supports the Federal Reserve maintaining a hawkish approach to policy

Fund performance: Rocky May piles on the misery for credit hedge funds
Negative fund performance soared in May

Credit tacks sharply as hiking talk brings choppy start to week
European financial markets opened the week on a cautious footing, after a weak Asian session, with credit indices oscillating between wider and tighter prints over the course of Monday morning

Russian credit event auction plans put on hold after US sanctions update
Settlement of Russian Federation sovereign CDS has hit a delay, with the US having published updated advice on sanctions that could jeopardise the ability to conduct a credit event auction

DC explains Russian credit event ruling - but not sole member opposition
Factors backing Russian Federation’s credit event trigger have been outlined by the Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee, but without giving any explanation for Citi’s decision to vote against the decision

Russia triggers failure-to-pay credit event
The Russian Federation has triggered a failure-to-pay credit event on sovereign bonds, the Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee has ruled – marking an historic moment that caps off a long run of deliberations on the country’s international debt since it invaded Ukraine on 24 February

Fund performance: Credit hits another bump in the road after March revival
There was more upheaval for credit funds in April, reversing the mini-recovery in March as 40% of funds made positive returns, a decrease on the 47% in March

400 Capital targets $600 million for opportunistic structured credit fund
The fund is targeting a $600 million final close next month with target net returns of 12-15%

Retailers, travel cos and Italian banks lead charge as market rally accelerates
Retail companies have been resurgent on Thursday as the credit market’s relief rally gathered pace, with Europe seeking to catch up with the US following its strong surge

Bespoke bond baskets on the rise as investors seek targeted portfolio trades
High yield index replication and accessing illiquid exposure are two factors building momentum for a new investment approach that bundles bonds into a single risk piece

Credit and equity retreat from extremes but oil slumps further
Financial markets are mounting a tentative recovery on Tuesday, having been hammered to new bearish extremes at the start of the week

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

Earnings wait puts German firm’s investors in real state
The credit market’s brief relief rally on Thursday morning has given way to a resumption of the bearish run, with one European high yield borrower entering dangerous territory and Tesla coming under pressure in US credit after its share price took a hit

US high yield outperforms as credit adds to rally
French equipment rental company Loxam is among the biggest movers as credit markets rally for a second day, but US high yield is having the better week

Trade finance specialist sentenced to 12 years in prison for CLO and fund fraud
David Hu, the former chief investment officer of International Investment Group, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in running a “Ponzi-like scheme”, which included using a CLO to create fraudulent loans.  

High yield and IG single names diverge even as buyside seeks macro neutrality
High yield and investment grade single names are moving in opposite directions at the start of the week, while indices reflect a push by investors to cut directional exposure to macro credit

Crestline collects $3.6 billion across three private credit fund closes
The Fort Worth, Texas-based manager has closed its fourth opportunistic credit fund, third direct lending fund and second portfolio financing fund

Russia’s long EM index tenure cut in one swoop
Various constituent changes have been tabled for the forthcoming March roll of CDX and iTraxx credit derivative indices into new series, but one stand out is the administrator’s decision to eject Russia from all series of CDX EM

StepStone scores AAA rating for listed bond linked to US direct lending portfolio
StepStone Group has sponsored a $102.5 million securitisation of US direct lending loans that is listed on Mexico’s BIVA Stock Exchange in what it claims is the first transaction of its kind in Mexico