Investors should stay the course on private credit even amid valuation uncertainties—Mariner
EXCLUSIVE: Institutional investors can generally ride out any market bumpiness, and these internal marks do not necessarily reflect final returns, head of Mariner Institutional Mike Welker said 

Neuberger, SMBC ink deal to back Japan-focused private debt funds
A joint venture between Neuberger Berman and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. will manage private debt funds that invest primarily in LBO loans 

Blackstone President Jon Gray says firm has navigated outflows comparable to BCRED before
Blackstone saw elevated outflows a few years ago with its semi-liquid real estate product, BREIT, and believes BCRED will prove similarly resilient, President Jon Gray said on the firm’s first-quarter earnings call

Lending to nonbank entities like BDCs will be a growth area—State Street
Additionally, the firm said its investment grade private credit ETF, developed with Apollo, hit USD 800m in assets under management during the quarter

Ares to launch new private credit fund with USD 10bn-15bn equity target
The fund has the same equity target as its record-breaking predecessor, Ares Senior Direct Lending Fund III

Northleaf private ABF managing director exits
CJ Wei, who focused on asset-based finance at the Canadian private markets firm, departs for a new role

Perpetual nontraded BDC fears are exaggerated—KBRA
Credit quality and liquidity at these semi-liquid private credit funds remain comfortable despite the negative shift in investor sentiment, the ratings agency said  

Blackstone raises USD 10bn for oversubscribed opportunistic credit fund
The alternative asset management giant will use the fund’s flexible mandate to invest across industries, capital structures, and geographies

Tikehau looks to develop Asia direct lending product via JV
The French alternative asset manager has struck a joint venture with Amova Asset Management, formerly known as Nikko Asset Management, to solidify its presence in Asia

Exit requests surpass 40% at Blue Owl’s semi-liquid, technology lending fund
The private credit fund designed for individual investors saw quarterly redemption requests surge, leading the fund to impose its 5% exit cap

Private credit community pushes back on alarmist narratives
Executives downplay AI risks, citing preparedness and strong credit fundamentals; Defaults and recoveries remain stable, despite negative headlines

Maturity wall threatens high-risk AI private credit names – KBRA
Direct lenders are showing an unwillingness to extend maturities for companies that are vulnerable to artificial intelligence or underperforming already 

JPMorgan Asset Management mixes public, private credit in new semi-liquid fund
JPMorgan’s asset management arm offers exposure to various credit investments across the public and private markets in a new interval fund for affluent individuals

European direct lending opportunity grows as US faces headwinds—AlbaCore
EXCLUSIVE: Outflows from select US direct lending vehicles could result in European direct lending spreads, particularly on larger deals, widening even further, Luke Gillam, head of senior direct lending, told Creditflux

Ares unitranche to back Nordic's acquisition of TradingHub defies AI concerns
The deal showcases that private credit shops are still willing to lend to software companies  

Majority of LPs expect to mix public and private credit despite liquidity challenges – BSP survey
Within the next five years, 59% of global institutional investors expect to take an integrated approach to public and private credit investments, new research from Benefit Street Partners shows 

Defaults concentrate in smaller names, showing ‘size does matter’ – Houlihan Lokey
EXCLUSIVE: Credit quality concerns were generally contained to the smaller end of the smallest borrowers as interest coverage ratios improved for the broader market, new fourth quarter data shows

T. Rowe Price and OHA launch credit interval fund with CLO exposure
The multi-strategy interval fund will allow wealth clients in the US to access public and private credit investments including CLOs

Tikehau sees fertile ground for latest credit secondaries fund amid market tumult
TPDS II closed on over USD 1bn, more than double size of inaugural vehicle; focus is on LP-led credit secondaries, despite market pivot to GP-leds

Institutions back direct lending as individual investors rush for exits
ANALYSIS: Some institutional investors are even hoping the pullback in retail capital will result in better deployment opportunities

Trinity strikes first-out lending JV targeting US lower middle market
Trinity Capital is partnering with another listed BDC, Capital Southwest Corporation, on the 50-50 joint venture

Morgan Stanley caps semi-liquid private credit fund redemptions at 5% limit
Investors rushing to exit the perpetual nontraded BDC will get less than half of their money back. Redemption requests surged to approximately 10.9% this quarter, an investor letter shows

JPMorgan cuts back lending to private credit funds after loan markdowns
The pullback comes after the bank marked down the value of certain loans held by private credit funds that served as collateral

Direct lenders hit hard as credit market reels from war and AI
Volatility has come back to credit markets. Artificial intelligence’s impact on corporate earnings, a war in Iran that is ensnaring the rest of the Middle East and upticks in inflationary pressures are weighing on managers

Direct lending braces for redrawn landscape
After a stellar 2025, direct lenders are coming under pressure. Large-cap financings are colliding with record tight spreads in public markets, while competition is rising in mid-market lending