RM launches “highly defensive alternative fund” with 7-8% total return target
London-headquartered alternative credit fund manager RM Capital has launched a “highly defensive alternative fund”, VT RM Alternative Income Fund, which it claims to be the first of its kind

Real estate debt takes off as funds raise billions
Octopus's Ludo Mackenzie on why real estate debt is attractive: “In absolute terms, property yields are close to where they were in 2007, which would imply that the asset class is fully priced. In relative terms, however, compare commercial property yields to the risk-free rate and there is a healthy margin of around 3.5%.”  

Ostrum and Natixis unite to launch real asset private debt platform
The new real asset private debt arm will target €6 billion AUM by 2020 and focus on three sectors: real estate, infrastructure and aviation

Manager holds first close for £500 million UK real estate debt fund
London-based TH Real Estate, an affiliate of Nuveen, has held a first close of its second global real estate debt fund

Amundi expands real estate debt platform
Paris-headquartered Amundi has launched a commercial real estate debt strategy, which will offer exposure to Eurozone senior real estate debt

Oaktree raises at least $2.1 billion for second real estate debt fund
Los-Angeles Oaktree Capital Management has beaten its original $1.75 billion target size for Oaktree Real Estate Debt Fund II, US SEC filings reveal

Real estate lending gains €700 million in six months for Paris-based direct lender
French alternative investments manager Acofi Gestion has raised €700 million of AUM for commercial real estate lending since July 2017

Three Swiss banks team up to launch new private market fund platform
New investment boutique Hermance Capital Partners will focus on private equity, private debt and private real estate

Aberdeen Standard Investments launches global private markets fund
Aberdeen Standard Investments has launched a £138 million Global Private Markets Fund (GPMF), which will invest in a diversified mix of private credit, private equity, real estate and infrastructure

BNPP AM establishes two new private debt strategies
BNP Paribas Asset Management establishes two new private debt strategies: European Infra Debt and European Real Estate Debt

London real estate manager launches £500 million debt fund
Specialist real estate debt manager Laxfield Group has launched its latest real estate debt fund, securing £500 million of institutional capital commitments

Goldman closes third real estate credit fund with $6.7 billion in total capital
Goldman Sachs has completed its final close for its latest real estate credit investment vehicle, which has $6.7 billion in total capital available to invest including leverage

Manager hits £600 million hard cap for third real estate debt fund
London-based DRC Capital has closed its third real estate fund at £600 million ($802 million), hitting its hard cap and surpassing its target of £500 million 

Chicago-based firm closes debt fund with over $1 billion raised
LaSalle Investment Management has announced the final close of its third debt strategies fund with over £800 million ($1 billion) in commitments

Amundi raises €665 million loan fund and expands in real estate debt
Paris-based Amundi reveals the final close of its third senior corporate debt fund and expansion of its real estate platform

Aberdeen Standard holds first close on secured credit fund at £350 million
Aberdeen Standard Investments is looking to invest in real estate debt, infrastructure debt and other types of private credit

Apollo teams up with Palmira to launch €1 billion joint venture
A new joint venture from Palmira Capital Partners and the Apollo European Principal Finance Fund III seeks to invest more than €1 billion in pan-European modern logistics facilities

Bain takes new route to NPL acquisitions as it strikes deal with Liberbank
Bain, Oceanwood and Liberbank are taking part in an unusual NPL deal referencing €602 million of assets

AEW and Natixis AM raise another €100 million for real estate debt fund
AEW and Natixis Asset management, both affiliates of Natixis Global Asset Management, have completed a third closing of Senior European Loan Fund II (Self II) following commitments from institutional investors in France, Germany and Italy

London-based Signal raises €725 million for credit and real estate funds
London-based private asset management firm Signal Capital Partners has raised €725 million with an investment strategy targeting credit and real estate special situations

Europa hires former Barclays pair as it launches UK real estate debt fund
Europa Capital has launched a UK debt vehicle and appointed two former Barclays specialists as consultants

Axa IM puts money to work in the US as it closes global real estate debt fund
AXA’s real estate investments arm has closed its 10^th commercial real estate senior debt fund after achieving its capped target of €1.5 billion

Schroders debuts its first UK infrastructure debt fund
Schroders has announced the launch of its UK Infrastructure Debt fund, which will target investment from UK pension funds and insurance companies

Time-saving hedge fund platforms stop opportunities evaporating
Lengthy commitment periods and drawn-out negotiations between institutional investors and fund managers could be a thing of the past thanks to a wave of multi-manager hedge fund platforms

Värde closes latest fund at $1.7 billion
Credit manager Värde Partners has raised $1.74 billion for its latest fund, Värde Fund XII