First Brands Bankruptcy: financial tune up raised red flags that Wall Street overlooked
First Brands files for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection; Stakeholders anticipate significant discovery into company's practices

Morgan Stanley loses head of direct lending and co-head of North America private credit
EXCLUSIVE: the head of direct lending had also served as co-head of North America Private Credit at Morgan Stanley Investment Management; bank assigns new head  

Man Group to acquire CLO and private credit manager Bardin Hill
The USD 3bn credit manager, now named Bardin Hill, is a private credit and US CLO shop based in New York

Investcorp passes halfway mark on second GP stakes fund
EXCLUSIVE: USD 600m raised to date against USD 1bn target of a strategy that was launched in 2019 and focuses on mid-market

Blackstone hires ex-Lazard co-head of US financial institutions
Joseph Cassanelli will work on the team behind Blackstone’s Tactical Opportunities strategy, which allows Blackstone to invest across asset classes, industries and geographies

Doug Cruikshank, Managing Partner & Founder at Hark Capital, on opportunities in NAV Financing
In a recent Fireside Chat, Giovanni Amodeo sat down with Doug Cruikshank of Harc Capital, to explore alternative financing strategies

Capital Four named new sub manager of high yield bond fund
Danish boutique asset manager Capital Four revealed on Tuesday that it will take over sub-management of the Nordea 1 - International High Yield Bond Fund, as the firm continues to build out its investment capabilities in the US

Point72 hires credit investment veteran for portfolio manager role
The new hire will join the firm's macro business team

New Mexico State Investment Council commits $150 million to infra debt fund
The New Mexico sovereign wealth fund approved a $150 million allocation to the Newmarket International Infrastructure Finance Company IV 

Middle-market lender grows with new hires and promotions
Connecticut-based middle market investment firm Ironwood Capital grows team

Loan Highlights 2Q23: Running aground
The global loan market endured a bleak first half of the year, with the overall 1H23 volume falling 28% year-on-year (YoY) to $1.9 trillion, the lowest showing since 2012.

Credit Suisse/UBS deal to create $5 trillion asset manager
The emphasis is set be on wealth and asset management, according to a statement released by UBS in conjunction with its move to acquire Credit Suisse

First Eagle promotes four across syndicated loans and direct lending
First Eagle Alternative Credit has promoted four officials to senior-level roles across its direct lending and syndicated loans businesses

Allspring hires head of US distribution
Allspring Global Investments has hired John Moninger as head of US distribution in a role encompassing retail and institutional sales, platform development, client service and consultant relations.

Position cutting tames market rally and strategists warn on primary impact
Caution is the watchword across financial markets on Tuesday, with the strong recent run giving way to hedging and position cutting ahead of a much-anticipated US inflation reading on Wednesday

Eagle Point expands into structured products including SRTs with big hire
Eagle Point Credit Management has hired a head of ABS, MBS SRT and specialty finance, in a move which underlines the firm’s progression from a CLO equity investor to a broader credit asset manager.

IG payers provide best tail-risk hedges: Barclays
Investors seeking the cheapest tail risk hedge should look to CDX IG payers, while iTraxx Europe payers are the best hedge against further European underperformance, finds Barclays

Euro loans with FX hedging offer better value than US: Barclays
The big underperformance of European loans in June has left them looking cheap versus those in the US – but FX hedging and a nuanced selection process are advisable for investors looking to take advantage of that

JP Morgan splits global head of institutional structuring role as it promotes three
JP Morgan has rejigged part of its credit structuring business with a set of promotions for officials who have covered SRTs, CLOs and CSOs as part of cross-asset roles

Stellus to use tech to connect with wealth advisors for direct lending expansion
Direct lender Stellus Capital Management says it has formed a partnership with ICapital, a fintech platform

MidOcean announces promotions in credit business
Two portfolio managers are among those to earn promotion at MidOcean Partners 

Highland turnaround is complete as Daugherty takes control of affiliates
“I feel vindicated and proud to have fought for over 10 years on behalf of investors. It was worth it,” Daugherty tells Creditflux after reaching an agreement with Highland where he will have an ownership stake in the Highland platform, among other things 

Spac pricing hints at Sound Point's growth ambitions in loan market
Sound Point Acquisition Corp has priced a $225 million IPO, signalling that credit asset manager Sound Point Capital Management is looking to expand its platform

Infrastructure manager targets €1 billion for eclectic mix of project finance debt and SRTs
A Copenhagen-based firm is launching its first credit fund and has partnered with an SRT specialist in London for a component of its potential €1 billion offering  

HPS targets $9.5 billion for fifth mezzanine debt fund
HPS Investment Partners is targeting $9.5 billion for its fifth global mezzanine debt fund, HPS Strategic Investment Partners V - but unlike earlier vintages, HPS says it will not target opportunities within the upstream energy space