Varagon boosts healthcare expansion with New York hire
The middle market lender continues its efforts in the sector, following the opening of a new healthcare-focused Chicago office

Blackstone builds on multi-asset approach with fifth fund
The new vehicle will invest directly into Blackstone deals across its alternatives platform

Crestline holds $600 million final close for PE-focused financing fund
The new fund will provide financing to private equity funds post their investment period, allowing them to provide follow-on growth capital to portfolio companies or additional liquidity 

Managers see growth in distressed and direct lending, but structured credit splits opinion
The private credit industry remains on track to grow to $1 trillion assets under management by 2020, according to joint research published by the Alterative Credit Council and law firm Dechert with allocations to distressed and mid-market deals tipped to rise. But structured credit has divided US and European managers

Blackstone grows credit assets by 31% over year
The firm achieved strong fundraising in credit, taking credit-related assets under managment to $130.6 billion in the third quarter, a 31% increase year-on-year 

Alameda County approves $33 million investment in senior loan fund
Alameda County Employees’ Retirement Association has approved a $33 million commitment to a senior debt fund managed by Abry Partners

Monroe prices second new issue mid-market CLO of 2018
Monroe Capital Partners has priced its second new issue middle market CLO of the year, according to market sources

BDCs find variety of routes to higher leverage but remain cautious of two-times limit
Business development companies have been granted flexibility by US regulators, but there seems to be little consensus on the best way to take advantage

39% of private debt investors are underweight, but they're looking for opportunities
485 Investors have come together to reveal their thoughts about allocation, in a survey conducted by London-based investment consultant bfinance

Nashville pension allocates to energy credit funds
Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County has approved a $20 million commitment to two energy-focused private credit strategies

GSO debuts in mid market CLOs with Diamond CLO
GSO Capital Partners' Diamond CLO is for one year with the manager pricing a short-dated mid-market deal

Kayne Anderson holds $3 billion final close for middle market credit fund
The Los Angeles-based manager closed its third middle market credit fund with with $3 billion investable capital including separately managed accounts and leverage

Shetland Islands pension looks to terminate bonds and introduce direct lending
A UK pension fund is looking to terminate its bond mandate and introduce a 12.5% direct lending and 12.5% alternative funds asset allocation, according to board documentation seen by Creditflux

Distressed debt outperforms as Texas pension fund's credit strategies gain 11.2%
Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS), the $30 billion pension fund, generated 11.2% annualised returns from its credit portfolio for the year ending 30 June. Distressed debt was a major positive, but IG credit lost value

US pension fund's new private credit portfolio delivers strong early returns
A US pension fund recently created a private credit bucket and this has generated 9.25% time-weighted returns

GSO registers new direct lending fund after going solo
After its partnership with FS Investments reached an end, GSO Capital Partners has registered a new direct lending fund with US regulators

Maine pension bolsters private credit allocation with $100 million mandate
The pension fund mandated $100 million to a US direct lending firm, after it was underweight its 5% target allocation to alternative credit 

Credit drives strong returns for five of the largest asset managers in the business
Carlyle is close to hitting its ambitious fundraising target; direct lending has been kind to Ares; and Och-Ziff has decided to shed its US CLO risk retention stakes after exiting its financing agreements

Star names join Barclays as it pushes into CLOs

THL Credit looks to raise new US direct lending fund
Boston-headquartered THL Credit is looking to raise capital for its fourth direct lending fund – THL Credit Direct Lending Fund IV, according to SEC filings.

Oaktree raises new special situations fund while CIO warns of direct lending risk
Oaktree Capital Management has released its second quarter 2018 results in which the Los Angeles-based firm reported $2.4 billion of new capital commitments in the quarter

Houlihan Lokey launches US loan platform and signs up HPS
Global investment bank Houlihan Lokey has launched a new syndicated leveraged finance platform as part of its capital markets group in response to “significant client demand” 

Capital Dynamics registers debut direct lending fund
Zug-based Capital Dynamics is looking to launch Capital Dynamics US Middle Market Credit Fund after establishing a private credit business over the last 12 months

San Francisco pension fund to deploy up to $4.5 billion in private debt
The City and County of San Francisco Employee’s Retirement System has revealed details of its new private debt pacing plan - which will see it deploy up to $4.5 billion and partner with up to 25 private debt managers over the next six years

Ares emerges as favourite to take over troubled direct lending fund
Following Oaktree’s wind-down request, the board of the Ranger Direct Lending Fund has chosen Ares as replacement manager - moves which could see the fund change its focus from peer-to-peer loan investments to asset-backed loans