'Speciality finance' gains momentum as US investors go deeper into private credit
Institutional investors are continuing to invest in niche, speciality finance strategies - including litigation financing and life sciences - following intense competition and overcrowding in US private credit 

US pension looks to extend contract with EM debt manager
Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System is looking to finalise a one-year contract extension with a manager that has been handling EM debt investments since March 2014  

Napier Park beats 47 managers to win pension's lucrative credit mandate
Napier Park Global Capital has emerged as the winner for a $500 million illiquid credit mandate for Los Angeles County Employees Association, after the pension recieved 48 responses to its original request for proposal 

HIG WhiteHorse reaches $1.1 billion final close for direct lending fund
HIG WhiteHorse has announced a final close on its direct lending fund, HIG WhiteHorse Principal Lending Fund

Private debt takes centre stage as Arizona looks to bolster credit allocation to 25%
Arizona State Retirement System remains bullish on credit with the $41.9 billion institution looking to bolster its entire credit allocations to almost a quarter of the fund - and private debt will take centre stage in the Arizona pension’s growth plans

US pension backs two private debt managers, but retreats from syndicated loans
San Antonio Fire & Police Pension Fund ended 2019 bullish on private debt but shying away from syndicated loans

Texas pension commits $250 million to large US direct lender
Texas County & District Retirement System closed out 2019 with a $250 million allocation to US direct lending

Insurance companies could ramp exposure to CLOs and private credit in 2020
US-based insurers have roughly $7 trillion in assets and a small increase in allocations could have huge implications for the leveraged loan market, CLOs and private credit managers—a dynamic that could unfold in 2020

New York pension commits $225 million to distressed credit
New York State Common Retirement Fund has earmarked $225 million to invest in a fund and a co-investment vehicle managed by Blantyre Capital  

US pension hires Wilshire as ESG consultant
The Rhode Island State Investment Commission has appointed investment advisor Wilshire Associates as environmental, social, and governance consultant at a contract worth up to $75,000  

Texas pension appoints CIO
Teacher Retirement System of Texas has appointed a new chief investment officer, effective from January 2020  

US pension backs special opportunities fund
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) has committed $150 million to a special opportunities fund, managed by Ares Management Corporation  

Pitching your structured credit fund: the three golden rules
Structured credit fund managers were given a lesson in how to market their strategies by a group of asset allocators at the Creditflux CLO Summit in New York.

Points up front: ‘We’re slow and not smart’
Politicians on the campaign trail would do well to take a leaf out of Brian Starr’s book.

Florida pension seeks private credit consultant for new strategy
City of Jacksonville Retirement System has launched a request for proposals, searching for a firm to provide private credit consulting services  

Pennsylvania pension creates private credit bucket
Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System has approved a new 4% allocation to the private credit asset class

US university backs private credit fund
The University of Michigan Regents has committed to a private credit fund that purchases small balance commercial and industrial loans

Californian pension commits $15 million to Angelo Gordon credit fund
San Mateo County Employees' Retirement Association (SamCERA) has approved a $15 million commitment to a fund managed by Angelo Gordon, according to documents seen by Creditflux  

US pension allocates $150 million to private credit
Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (APFC) has backed two private credit funds, committing $150 million to the asset class  

US pension fund hires fixed income manager
Howard County Retirement Plans has appointed Payden & Rygel to oversee a $40 million absolute-return fixed income portfolio, according to documents seen by Creditflux  

UK pension partnership launches maiden private credit offering at £581 million
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership (BCPP) is set to commit £581 million in private credit, as part of its maiden offering in this asset class  

West coast pension looks to step up direct lending allocations
The City of Fresno Retirement System will commit $140-160 million to private credit for the next two years, according to board documentation seen by Creditflux. This comes amid a pause in direct lending commitments for the pension fund, which has not committed any capital to this market in 2019

US pension drops BlueBay from credit programme
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) has terminated BlueBay Asset Management from its credit strategies programme, according to a document seen by Creditflux  

Minnesota pension to invest $300 million in distressed and private credit funds
Minnesota State Board of Investments is set to invest $100 million in a mezzanine debt fund and $200 million in a distressed debt fund

Arizona pension to deploy up to $700 million a year in private credit
Arizona Public Safety Employee System is looking to deploy $600-700 million in private credit strategies per year in order to meet its target allocation, according to board documents seen by Creditflux.