Sound Point targets Italian mid market for special situations fund
Sound Point Capital Management is understood to be targeting between $200 million and $300 million for a new European credit hedge fund

Alcentra and reit specialist Steadfast team up for fund
Alcentra has launched a new retail fund in the US to invest in mid-market credit

Standard Life unit looks to put money to work in European direct lending
SL Capital has opened for business in private debt with officials at the company confirming that they have started with €270 million of capital to lend to privately-owned European borrowers

Columbus-based pension fund supports upcoming LBC credit offering
A US pension scheme has agreed to invest in a fund, which is targeting 15% returns

Muzinich brings in €180 million for new European private credit fund
Muzinich has held a first close on a pan-European private debt fund with €180 million in commitments

Texas mid-market lender pulls in $180 million for second fund
A Houston-based mid-market specialist has raised just under $180 million in the first close of its second private equity-style fund, according to regulatory filings

Ares wins $1.1 billion in global direct lending SMAs in strong start to 2017
Direct lending proved to be Ares Management’s most successful strategy in fundraising terms with the firm registering $1.1 billion of inflows for European and US private debt in the first quarter

West coast pension plans $300 million Carlyle mid-market allocation
Pension fund puts money into commingled fund and separate account with Carlyle Group

Fund manager sees global appeal for new $2 billion energy lending fund
EIG welcomes commitments from non-US based investors for its new direct lending fund

Highland shelves plans for format switch as interval funds gather pace
Instead of converting a mutual fund into an interval fund, Highland is looking to launch an interval fund - viewed as a investor-friendly alternative to BDCs - from scratch 

Investing ethically is worth it
Managers could see less volatile returns as a result of their increasing adoption of ESG-friendly portfolios; meanwhile direct lending is spreading across Europe

Nordic asset manager launches debut private credit fund
A Helsinki-based manager has partnered with MV Credit Partners for its debut direct lending fund

JP Morgan credit specialist set to join large credit manager in London
An experienced banker is leaving the leveraged finance desk at JP Morgan ahead of a move to the buy side. He is set to be involved with his new employer's upcoming direct lending fund

Chicago-based manager floats new $500 million loan fund
A mid-market specialist founded by two former American Capital officials is understood to be in the market with a new senior loan fund  

Credit manager bucks the trend by shifting into private equity
A host of private equity firms are planning direct lending funds, but one direct lender is moving in the opposite direction  

Cerberus wins $200 million direct lending mandate from peace garden state
US pension money continues to be channelled into direct lending with officials at a $12 billion pension plan confirming an allocation to Cerberus

US pension fund awards $825 million in credit mandates to HPS
HPS Investment Partners has registered big inflows in recent months and that trend is continuing after a pension fund agreed to back the manager with three mandates