Who predicted $145 billion of issuance?
That went better than expected: US risk retention came in, and $145 billion of global new issuance later, it’s clear that CLOs aren’t disappearing. By Tanvi Gupta and Sam Robinson

Middle east direct lending fund registers 17% IRR after successful exits
Dubai-headquartered direct lender NBK Capital Partners successfully exits its $157 million private debt fund, NBK Capital Mezzanine Fund I, with returns of 17% gross IRR

MidOcean nets $87.6 million in 12 months for credit opps fund
MidOcean Partners has raised more than $87 million in a year for its first Credit Opportunity IDF fund, regulatory filings indicate

SSGA reports healthy income and AUM boost in Q4 2017
In its earnings release yesterday, Boston-headquartered State Street Global Advisors reported a rise in net income to $687 million for fourth quarter 2017, up from $648 a year earlier – a 19.1% increase

US mid-market earnings grow 12.8% in Q4 2017, up from 4.9% in Q3
Earnings in the US middle market grew by 12.8% in fourth quarter 2017, while overall revenue grew by 11.5% during September and October 2017, according to a Golub report

European CLO round-up: Carlyle and Investcorp share reset record
Much like its counterpart in US, the European CLO market is off to a speedy start with two resets and a refi – generating total volumes of €1.5 billion

Morgan Stanley's fixed income sales dramatically dip in Q4 earnings report
Morgan Stanley's sales and trading net revenues took a dip in 2017, with fixed income net revenues in particular down 31% compared to 2016 figures

Goldman earnings reveal 18% decrease in institutional client services revenue
The Goldman Sachs group has reported mixed results in its latest earnings release, revealing a dip in institutional client services revenue in 2017 compared to the prior year, but overall net revenues of $32 billion for 2017

BlackRock's AUM increases 22% in a year as ETFs contribute to growth
BlackRock’s assets under management have surpassed $6.2 trillion following “a record year” for the firm in 2017, company officials said in a recent earnings call

Citi finds that triple A investors should look at short-dated CLO resets over refis
Citi's credit research team has put together a report assessing how US CLO triple A tranches are pricing relative to their inherent refinancing risk.

US league tables: CBAM tops US CLO rankings after meteoric rise
Just over a year ago, New York-based CBAM Partners commenced operations amid much fanfare. Fast forward 12 months and the asset manager has delivered on its promise, with Creditflux data showing that the firm was the largest CLO issuer of 2017

Euro league tables: Citi tops rankings in a year of growth for the CLO market
50 new issue CLOs, 39 active managers and four debutants: Creditflux analyses the revival of the European CLO market last year

Los Angeles pension fund looks to renew US loans relationship with Bain
A $15.7 billion Los Angeles pension fund is looking to renew its contract with Bain Capital Credit, according to investment committee board documentation

European direct lending up 34% in recent quarter: Deloitte report
Direct lending in Europe continues to boom, according to the latest Deloitte deal tracker, which found a 34% growth of direct lending deals in third quarter 2017 alone compared to third quarter 2016

Trailblazing ethical investment fund from Rathbones passes £1 billion
Well before ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing became a buzzword, a Rathbones-managed fund was investing in ethical companies. Now that vehicle – Rathbone Ethical Bond fund – has passed £1.03 billion

Credit markets ignore geopolitical exposures, suggests Guggenheim
Global credit spreads have spent 2017 tightening, but markets may be ignoring certain risks, according to Anne Walsh, chief investment officer for Guggenheim’s fixed income unit

PDM liquidates CLO funds after 20% per year returns
Permira Debt Managers is liquidating two structured credit funds after generating strong returns

Investors nod through wind up of 1.0 euro CLOs
CLOs may have weathered the storm of the financial crisis far better than other structured products, but the tally of CLO defaults is quietly growing

They said it: the dangers of corporate finance
Cairn Capital's Asif Godall gives his take on companies that don't have a deleveraging plan

Investors crystallise gains through liquidations
Refinancings and resets have dominated 2017, but CLO equity investors have found other ways to make strong returns

Fitch rating outlook: CLO spread compression to continue in 2018
Spreads on new broadly syndicated loan (BSL) CLO notes rated AAA down to BBB will be further squeezed in 2018

Engineering and construction: diversification leads to deepening debt
In trying to build a more global roster of clients, some construction companies may have dug a hole for themselves

Inflation is seeping in and leverage is rising like helium
The Fed is keeping close tabs on any signs of inflation in consumer products. But there are signs of an inflationary bubble in the credit market

Bids reach 87 cents for equity in re-issued CSAM CLO
A control equity stake in a 2017 CSAM CLO - which traces its roots back to 2007 -  was up for sale via a b-wic late last month