Credit fundraising: three massive European direct lending funds notch up €17.6 bn
Fundraising figures continued upwards in April as just over $24 billion was raised for credit funds, alongside $3.2 worth of allocations to credit managers. Nine funds held final closes including the largest European direct lending fund raised to date

US pension terminates three credit mandates due to 'underperformance' and relative value
The New Mexico pension terminated one multi-asset credit mandate and two bank loan mandates

Fitch lowers US loan default rates for 2021 and 2022
The rating agency has $200.9 billion of ‘market concern loans’ on its radar, saying these have declined in volume for the 12^th month straight but are still up 16% from pre-pandemic.

Beneath the triple C: CLOs benefit as upgrades make for lighter triple C buckets
For the first time since the sell off in March last year, downgrades to triple C have come to a near-standstill

CLOs wheel and deal as overlap increases
2020 CLOs are a different breed to any other vintage. But this cohort features an overlap of almost 40% as CLO issuers have been forced to focus almost entirely on secondary market loans

Fund managers brace for EU’s new sustainability regulations
European fund managers were faced with new environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) regulations in March, which enhance disclosure requirements around sustainability

LP round-up: $2.6 billion flows into 26 credit managers
A stuck ship in the Suez Canal may have prevented others from getting through one of the world's busiest waterways in March, but allocations to credit funds were much more free flowing as investors poured over $2.6 billion into the hands of credit managers

BofA replaces European lev fin capital markets head
Bank of America has named a new head of European leveraged finance capital markets, with Joe Bishay leaving the role

Vontobel names fixed income trading head amid four senior hires
Vontobel Asset Management has appointed four senior hires to its team including a newly created role of head of fixed income trading

Sterling-heavy loan b-wic points to PGIM CLO
A £233 million-equivalent portfolio of bids wanted in competition (B-wic) on loans, comprising £177 million worth of sterling paper and €65 million of euro paper, is almost identical to collateral of PGIM’s Dryden 63 GBP CLO 2018

It's all relative: CLO spreads explore record tights as credit indices hit impasse
CLO spreads are grinding to ever tighter levels, despite a flattish week for credit in which corporate credit indices have ended up more or less unchanged

It's all relative: CLOs are lagging no more, as Carlyle deal drags market tighter
“CLOs are lagging” has been a much repeated refrain over the last nine months. But Carlyle Group has this week produced a US CLO that has dragged spreads to their tightest point in three years so that, rather than comparing CLOs to pre-covid levels, they should be assessed against early 2018

The tide has turned… the solution for investors is to move into floating rate loans
2020 was the year of fixed-rate bonds, but treasury curves are steepening and demand for loans is heating up

Alcentra co-CIO for liquid credit set to leave this month
A high profile figure in the US CLO business is leaving Alcentra

LP round-up: investors gift private debt and leveraged loan RFPs over holiday season
2020 ended on a strong note with four institutional investors increasing asset allocation to private debt or initiating private debt and leveraged loan searches. ArrowMark, Banner Ridge, BBAM, HIG Whitehorse, Monroe and Rialto were also awarded mandates

CLO 2021 outlook: back to the 'old' normal with volumes, spreads and structures to revert to pre-covid levels
Predictions went out the window this year because, well, who in December 2019 could have foreseen a pandemic devastating lives and wrecking financial markets? But the emergence of vaccines to combat the threat of the coronavirus has spurred a rally in credit over the last month. And CLO researchers expect a resurgence in 2021 with US new issue CLO volumes predicted to hit the $80-110 billion range, according to reports analysed by Creditflux.

Cessation of activity mid-December is an opportunity to switch off… and let the mind wander
Welshcake is grateful for a lull in credit markets. The downtime has inspired him to dream up a CLO play

Mariner spin-out hires private debt specialist as CIO
Newmarket, which focuses on environmental and social themes, has appointed a CIO from a consultancy firm

GSO co-founder Bennett launches minority GP-stake business
GSO Capital Partners co-founder Bennett Goodman (the “G” in GSO) has teamed with Mike Arpey, Avshalom Kalichstein and Rex Chung to launch a new GP stakes investing business

Loomis Sayles promotes deputy CIO to top job
Loomis Sayles has named a replacement chief investment officer, following the retirement of incumbent CIO Jae Park

[update] Beneath the triple C: theme parks take portfolios on downward ride
Seven corporate debt issuers were downgraded to triple C or below in September by Moody’s or Standard and Poor’s – hurting $2.16 billion of US CLO loans and €1.16 billion of European CLO portfolio. The pace of CLO loan downgrades to triple C has slowed steadily since the peak in April

Värde names deputy CEO and several promotions
The transitional appointments follow George Hicks, co-founder and co-CEO, saying in July last year he would move to an executive chair role by the end of 2021

CLO and loan trading head moves to development finance job
Mediobanca's loan and CLO trading head has moved to CDC Group, a development finance business owned by the UK government

Garrett Motion stalls with CLOs holding $608 million of bankrupt firm's debt
Garrett Motion enters chapter 11 proceedings with a stalking horse offer from private equity firm KPS Capital Partners, which has agreed to buy substantially all of the firm’s assets for around $2.1 billion. CLOs hold around $680 million of Garrett's term loans

Post hires head of sales and marketing in Los Angeles
Post Advisory Group has hired Eileen Mancera as managing director and head of sales and marketing