Louisiana pension commits $150 million to mezzanine and credit opportunities funds
Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana has awarded $150 million to two credit funds managed by Ares Management and Audax Group at its 7 May board meeting, a spokesperson for the pension has confirmed

Arcmont hires former Golub official as US sales head
Arcmont Asset Management has appointed a head of US sales, a spokesperson for the firm has confirmed

Tennessee pension awards $125 million to special situations credit fund
Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System has awarded $125 million to a special situations credit fund 

Former Stifel loan trading head lands at Imperial
Imperial Capital Group has appointed the former head of loan trading at Stifel as a managing director and senior loan trader

Credit breakdown as one-day volatility outstrips financial crisis
Credit default swap markets have surpassed the record one-day volatility of the global financial crisis, with indices surging to new wide prints as the spiralling impact of the coronavirus outbreak brings government lockdowns on travel while wreaking havoc on oil prices and supply chains

VIP Cinema makes uncomfortable viewing for CLOs as it's reeled into Chapter 11
CLOs hold $52.9 million of debt in seatmaker VIP Cinema Holdings, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the District of Delaware

Texas pension pumps $300 million into Pimco fund
Texas Municipal Retirement System has earmarked up to $300 million to a credit fund managed by Pimco, according to board documents seen by Creditflux, building on a relationship established through a predecessor fund

Whiting Petroleum CDS gaps wider as it engages debt advisors
Credit event concerns have taken CDX HY constituent Whiting Petroleum to a recent wide print, after the energy exploration firm’s management held talks with advisors to find ways to remedy its capital structure

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.

Carlyle appoints regional head of credit opps fund
Carlyle Group has hired a managing director to serve as North American head of its credit opps fund

JP Morgan AM moves CFO to head up private credit
The chief financial officer of JP Morgan Asset Management has switched to a newly created role as head of private credit

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

Monroe adds four to its opportunistic private credit team
Monroe Capital has expanded its opportunistic private credit team with four hires: Darrick Ginkel, Chris Spanel, Jason Starr and Joseph Valickus

Creditors left with sour taste as two food companies file for bankruptcy
Credit investors have been left to digest two US food company bankruptcy filings this week, with dairy producer Dean Foods triggering the first credit event to hit on-the-run series 33 of the CDX HY index, while Houlihan's Restaurants has also sought protection

Highland LP’s bankruptcy could trigger power grab, as hunt for assets begins
Creditors to Highland Capital Management's limited partner subsidiary are calling for a change of management to handle the firm's emergence from bankruptcy protection

Ropes & Gray adds two global finance partners in New York
The law firm has poached two partners from Willkie Farr & Gallagher

CVC closes $1.4 bilion special situations fund
CVC Credit Partners has held a final close at $1.42 billion for its second global special situations fund, which it says took eight months to fundraise.

Highbridge refocuses on credit as it liquidates listed multi-strategy fund
Highbridge Capital Management has announced to investors in a multi-strategy fund that it is winding down the vehicle and refocusing its business exclusively towards credit

Texas pension scheme earmarks $45 million for private debt
San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund is set to commit $45 million in private debt in 2019, according to minutes from the March board of trustees meeting.  

GSO makes senior hire to lead distressed trading
GSO Capital Partners has bolstered its distressed trading desk with two hires 

Alaska pension commits $545 million to seven credit funds
Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation has earmarked $545 million to funds across the credit spectrum across Q2, according to 27 February board documentation

Disagreement between Sound Point and former portfolio manager comes to an end
The long-running dispute between portfolio manager Jeff Teach and his former employer Sound Point Capital Management has been brought to an end following a final arbitration award

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

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

Texas pension fund commits €75 million to European distressed debt
A $30.01 billion pension fund has awarded €75 million to a European distressed debt fund managed by AnaCap Financial Partners