Manager selection stakes are heightening as CLO pain points intensify: Barclays
CLOs’ slump in market value and piling of distressed assets have made differentiation between managers much more acute on key metrics, regionally and by vintage, according to Barclays credit strategists

Credit Rendezvous: the upside of inflation
It is clear, inflation is not transitory and central banks are acting with several interest rate hikes likely in store for the US this year. That makes loans and CLO debt tranches attractive, but there could be opportunities beyond these floating rate assets

Värde promotes three credit specialists to partner
Värde Partners has promoted Jim Dunbar, Aneek Mamik and Carlos Sanz Esteve to partner

Intriva adds to asset management build up with senior hire
Intriva Capital, a mid-market lender and alternative investment firm, has hired a senior asset manager from HIG Capital

Credit fundraising: managers build homes for real estate credit funds
The “largest ever real estate credit fund” was one of the fundraising highlights last month as Blackstone’s Real Estate Debt Strategies IV fund reached $8 billion on its final close

LP round up: $5 billion flows to credit as private market allocations increase
Global institutional investors allocated nearly $5 billion to credit funds this week, according to documents seen by Creditflux

Sculptor promotes two after European credit head leaves for Pimco
Sculptor Capital Management has filled the void left by Mathieu Clavel, its former head of European and Asian corporate credit in Europe and Asia, by promoting two senior figures in its credit business

LP round up: managers keep fundraising hopes high as GSO targets $7.5 billion for mezz offering
Institutional investors allocated $1.6 billion into credit this week, according to documents seen by Creditflux

Pimco plans to outperform come rain or shine with $4.5bn all-weather fund
Pimco has become the latest manager to fashion a flexible, all weather credit fund that invests across public and private markets, geographies and capital structures. The Newport Beach-based manager is hoping to raise $3 billion for the strategy. With half a turn of leverage, it could have up to $4.5 billion to deploy.

EQT undertakes strategic review of credit business
EQT has announced a review of its credit business with the firm appointing JP Morgan to evaluate its 'strategic options', according to the firm’s Q4 2019 report

Azimut hires ex-Dyal official as it aims to buy minority equity in asset managers
Azimut will initially focus on acquiring minority stakes in alternative asset managers with under $3 billion AUM – including private credit, private equity, infrastructure and real estate firms

Mizuho appoints US and European credit trading heads in leadership shake-up
The hires include a newly created CLO role, head of credit trading, and head of special situations and illiquid trading 

Steinhoff CDS auction in limbo due to lock-up and CVA
A date to settle CDS referencing Steinhoff Europe had still to be agreed as Creditflux went to press — more than a month on from when the EMEA Determinations Committee (DC) ruled that the company had triggered a failure-to-pay credit event.

GSO co-founder plans new credit business
GSO Capital Partners co-founder Tripp Smith is launching his own credit management firm, according to a report by Bloomberg

KKR promotes three European credit specialists to managing directors
KKR has promoted several members of its team to managing directors - including a former US CLO portfolio manager

Blackstone builds on multi-asset approach with fifth fund
The new vehicle will invest directly into Blackstone deals across its alternatives platform

Aircraft lessors: gathering clouds lead to talk of turbulence
Aircraft leasing companies have been cruising over the past two years as passenger numbers grew, but rising interest rates and trade tariff concerns are making some bondholders nervous

UK funds brace themselves against value-for-money ruling
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published its final set of fund governance rules that aim to strengthen the duty of authorised fund managers to their investors.

Drug makers: desperately seeking pain relief
With Teva’s profitable Copaxone being undermined by cheaper alternatives, the company is in need of a pick-me-up. By Euan Hagger

Managers predict skill will win out
We asked managers to predict the year ahead across a range of credit strategies. Overall, they had a positive outlook. By Grace Jennings-Edquist

US power generators: Falling prices spark bankruptcies
As renewables and gas undercut traditional power generators, bond holders are preparing for price shocks. By Euan Hagger

Former ICG credit head Kershaw takes advisory role at distressed debt firm
Dagmar Kent Kershaw, the former head of Intermediate Capital Group's credit fund businessin Europe and Australia, has landed an advisory role at a $7 billion distressed debt manager

Leading fund: Lupus Alpha CLO Opportunity Notes I
Single-B CLO trades boost Lupus Alpha asset Management

Cheyne hires former BlueBay official Robertson to lead new credit unit
Cheyne is targeting below investment grade credit and has hired the former global head of leveraged finance at BlueBay to lead a newly-assembled team of three

BNP Paribas moves quickly to restaff London high yield trading business
BNP Paribas has moved quickly to restaff its European high yield trading desk, making two new senior hires for the business last week