AI capex set to expand at unprecedented speed and scale – BlackRock
The 2026 outlook from the BlackRock Investment Institute notes that capital spending ambitions tied to the buildout of the artificial intelligence boom are so large that the micro is becoming macro

Muzinich names new co-head of US private debt in flurry of senior hires
Jens Ernberg has joined Muzinich from Camberline Capital Management, along with Matthew Bandini and Rocco DelGuercio

Leverage constraints, dividend potential was a driver in Blue Owl’s failed BDC merger
EXCLUSIVE: Investors in the nontraded BDC may have taken a hit to the share price as part of the original merger plan, but merging with the more leveraged listed BDC would have improved dividend yield

Florida, New Mexico systems commit hundreds of millions to direct lending
Florida commits USD 1bn to European direct lending; New Mexico allocates USD 450m at November meeting; Illinois, San Diego pensions also disclose recent commitments

Blue Owl’s blunder and risk of retail investment dominate discussions at SuperReturn Private Credit
Blue Owl abandons OBDC and OBDC II merger plan due to market conditions; Retail investors pose risk to private credit, with potential for forced selling in downturn

Private credit downgrades persist despite revenue, EBITDA improvement – S&P
Private credit downgrades were driven by pockets of weaker borrowers, but the upper end of the market shows strong fundamentals, the ratings agency said in its latest report

Blue Owl BDC M&A termination highlights the cost of market timing
ANALYSIS: BDC mergers are a common tactic to provide immediate liquidity to investors in less liquid private credit funds, but Blue Owl’s attempt came after a tumble in listed BDC share prices

Blue Owl calls off BDC merger
The firm previously planned to merge its listed BDC, OBDC, with the nontraded BDC, Blue Owl Capital Corporation II

Morgan Stanley launches private market fund for European individual investors
The new product from Morgan Stanley Investment Management will invest across private equity, private credit, real assets and some public assets

CVC launches dedicated private credit secondaries platform
The alternative asset manager tapped Henri Lusa, a former managing director at Partners Group, to lead the new effort

Blackstone starts new fundraising round for institutional, evergreen US direct lending fund
The alternative asset management giant is back to raise more capital for Blackstone Senior Direct Lending Fund after previously closing on USD 22bn in October 2024

Park Square strikes US direct lending alliance with Nomura
The new agreement will help Park Square source US senior direct lending deals for its new US Loan Partners fund

Diameter raises USD 4.5bn for stressed, distressed, special-sits credit
The final close of the firm’s third dislocation fund surpassed its hard cap

McDermott promotes partner in fund finance business buildout
The newly combined law firm McDermott Will & Schulte wants to focus more on lender-side counsel as net-asset-value lending market expands

Venture debt firms sound first notes of caution about AI
Venture debt loves a high-growth industry, and the growth story of the century has been artificial intelligence (AI). As some of the first investors in AI scale-ups, venture debt firms can take some credit for this success

Neuberger goes smaller on flagship fund even as platform grows
The firm’s latest Private Debt Fund V clocked in around USD 1bn short of the predecessor fund as investor capital flows into other vehicles under the same strategy

Manulife CQS looks to launch asset-backed finance product
EXCLUSIVE: The investment manager is now interested in offering investors dedicated asset-backed finance exposure

Manulife CQS raises USD 1.1bn for regulatory capital relief strategy
Under the strategy, the manager can pursue bilateral and club deals to take loans off a bank’s balance sheet

Neuberger Berman raises USD 7.3bn for US direct lending
The firm held a final close for NB Private Debt V, which will be used to invest in senior secured, first-lien and unitranche direct loans

Polus raises EUR 890m for European special situations fund
The latest fund exceeded its original EUR 750m target, a source familiar told Creditflux

CalPERS invests nearly USD 5bn in private credit in 2Q, with Ares, Sixth Street as biggest winners
 Public Pensions, Private Pursuits: California, Connecticut state systems make large private credit moves

Barings BDC taps new CEO for the new year
Thomas McDonnell, who has spent two decades at the firm, will step in as CEO for the listed business-development company

Dealmaking optimism appears in European credit – CVC
The alternative asset manager increased its European credit exposure during the third quarter after seeing a spread pickup

Nontraded BDC liquidity concerns grow after listed BDC sell-off
The rapid growth in these semi-liquid vehicles has meant many more individual investors in the wealth channel are exposed

Sixth Street Specialty Lending starts CEO transition
The BDC’s current CEO Joshua Easterly will step down from his position at the end of the year but continue his role as co-CIO of the greater Sixth Street platform