Ares rounds out bumper year for direct lending with $14 billion US fund
Ares Management is ending 2021 with yet another massive direct lending fund-raise

LP round up: CLO fund included in whopping $13 billion of credit allocations in November
Credit took centre stage in November as investors allocated over $13 billion to credit funds in the month, with one pension allocating $50 million for a European CLO risk retention fund 

Muzinich adds UK and Ireland institutional sales head
Muzinich & Co has hired a head institutional sales for the UK and Ireland

Axa IM raises €1.2 billion for SRTs
Axa Investment Managers has closed Partner Capital Solutions VIII, a significant risk transfer (SRT) strategy, at roughly €1.2 billion, according to an announcement.

Past form points to bleak picture for IG fund flows as new covid variant emerges: BofA
With a new covid-19 variant for investors to worry about, faltering high grade fund flows face additional headwinds versus high yield and government bonds

BNP Paribas AM launches Article 9 social bond fund
BNP Paribas Asset Management has launched a sustainable bond fund that will be classified as article nine under the EU’s sustainable financial disclosure regulation

Amundi replaces European loan head and appoints deputy
Amundi has shaken up the hierarchy of its loan business with a personnel shuffle at the top

BlueBay launches Article 8 multi-asset credit fund with Lloyds of London backing
The Article 8 fund will invest in high yield, bank loans, financial capital bonds, structured credit, convertible bonds, emerging markets and developed market investment grade

Oaktree raises largest ever fund with $15.9 billion for "opportunistic credit" strategy
Oaktree Capital Management has closed its largest ever fund, collecting a whopping $15.9 billion on its latest opportunistic credit strategy, Oaktree Opportunities Fund XI

HPS among winners as Texas pension reveals $725 million allocation to credit
Texas County District & Retirement System has revealed over $700 million in allocations to credit funds it made in October and November - including $400 million to a HPS managed account

HPS targets $9.5 billion for fifth mezzanine debt fund
HPS Investment Partners is targeting $9.5 billion for its fifth global mezzanine debt fund, HPS Strategic Investment Partners V - but unlike earlier vintages, HPS says it will not target opportunities within the upstream energy space

Pemberton closes €1.75 billion strategic credit fund 40% deployed
Pemberton Asset Management has closed its second strategic credit fund, Pemberton Strategic Credit Fund II, at around €1.75 billion

Ironwood targets $500 million for mezz debt and equity fund
Ironwood Capital is targeting $500 million ($550 million hard cap) for its latest fund which will focus on subordinated debt and minority equity investments in lower middle market US companies

American Equity mandates $1 billion to Monroe for software and tech lending
American Equity Investment Life has awarded $1 billion to Monroe Capital for its technology lending platform focusing on middle market software, technology and recurring revenue

Credit Fundraising: Private credit and CLO captive equity feature strongly as closes mount up
Credit funds have made a fair start to the fourth quarter, although the $21 billion raised during October is down substantially on September’s impressive record for 2021

Arcmont raises €5 billion for upper-mid market strategy
Arcmont Asset Management has raised €5 billion for a direct lending fund that will target senior loans

Credit funds at a glance (November 2021)
A round up of fundraising and people moves in credit

Points up front: Definitely not an ex-parrot
One of the biggest credit fund launches last month was Arini, led by star credit trader Hamza Lemssouguer  

Points up front: HPS gives it 200%
One of the biggest fundraisers this year in credit is HPS Investment Partners. Its $11.7 billion Specialty Loan Fund V totals $15.4 billion including leverage

Ares joins CLO equity fundraising rush with $400 million target
Fundraising for CLO captive equity funds is surging, with Ares Management the latest manager to win capital for such a strategy

Muzinich secures "substantial equity commitment" for new CLO platform
Muzinich’s CLO ambitions – reported by Creditflux late on Wednesday – are being supported by equity capital, both internally and through investors

Real estate manager wins $50 million debt mandate from 'Hong Kong insurer'
Patrizia has secured a $50 million commitment from a Hong Kong insurer to invest in real estate debt

Axa IM launches multi-strat fund for pensions
Axa Investment Managers’ ‘alternatives’ business has launched an open-ended strategy for pension funds

LP round up: no Stoptober as investors allocate $5 billion to credit
US institutional investors allocated $5 billion to credit funds in October, with Oak Hill and Pimco among the biggest mandates    

Lazard targets IG, crossover and HY in long/short credit ucits fund
Lazard Asset Management has unveiled a new credit ucits fund that will invest primarily in investment grade, crossover and high yield bonds in Europe and North America