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

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 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

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

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

New York pension favours credit as it pumps $1.1 billion into tech, loans and distressed
New York State Common Retirement Fund has splurged over $1 billion in credit, topping allocations it made in equities and real estate

UK pension readies £1.3 billion listed alternatives fund
The fund will provide liquid access to infrastructure, specialist real estate, private equity and alternative credit

Certior holds first close on direct lending fund of funds
Certior Capital, the Helsinki-based private credit and alternative investment manager, has held a first close of a European direct lending fund of funds backed by Finnish, Benelux and Spanish institutions

LGIM launches European ESG bond fund
Legal & General Investment Management has become the latest manager to launch a European credit fund focused on environmental, social and governance criteria

Schroders holds second close on private credit fund of funds "driven by UK pension demand"
Schroders says a growing demand from UK pension funds for diversified private credit exposure has helped the firm hold an £85 million second close on its private credit fund of funds, Schroders Capital’s Multi Private Credit Fund

Alantra makes breakthrough in real estate debt with €132 million fund raise
Alantra says it has held a €132 million close on a first real estate debt fund, just €8 million short of its hard cap. Alteralia Real Estate Debt FIL had an initial target of €100 million and will invest predominantly in Spain (60%)

Five Arrows hits 40% deployment on new €1.4 billion direct lending fund
Rothschild has held a €1.4 billion final close of its third European direct lending fund, Five Arrows Debt Partners III

Vanguard opens subscriptions for core-plus bond fund
Vanguard Core-Plus Bond Fund builds on the firm's original Core Bond fund but with greater exposure to high yield and emerging markets investments