Creditflux and Debtwire unveil European Direct Lending Perspectives
Creditflux and its Acuris stablemate Debtwire have joined forces to produce European Direct Lending Perspectives in a report that sheds light on the biggest trends from 2018.

Värde partners with Guber on €734 million NPL deal
Värde Partners along with Guber Banca have led a group of investors to make a joint acquisition of a €734 non-performing loan portfolio originated by 22 mutual, rural, and cooperative banks spread throughout Italy  

Alcentra's co-head of US direct lending switches focus to Europe - Debtwire report
Alcentra has appointed Peter Glaser as co-head of European direct lending, according to Creditflux’s sister publication Debtwire

Los Angeles pension to shortlist managers for private credit mandate
Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS) is set to short-listed six firms as semi-finalists as part of a $670 million private credit mandate.  

Ares and GSO carry unitranches over €1 billion mark
Flush with cash, European direct lending managers have finally passed the milestone one billion unitranche mark this quarter

Former KKR pair resurface with new direct lending business
KKR's former global co-head of mezzanine and European head of private credit has reunited with his former colleague to launch a London-based direct lending business

Kartesia fills vacancy in DACH with key hire from Bayside
Kartesia has hired Guiseppe Mirante as its head of credit opportunities for DACH, according to an announcement today

Beechbrook completes £128 million first close for UK direct lending fund
The manager's second UK-focused sponsorless fund has gained the attention of British Business Bank 

Private credit delivers strong returns for Finnish pension
Valtion Eläkerahasto (VER) has generated 12.4% from its private credit funds for 2018, according to its latest annual report  

Illiquid credit boost returns for PensionDanmark
PensionDanmark has generated 5.8% returns from its illiquid credit portfolio for the year 2018, according to its latest annual report published today. But its liquid credit portfolio took a 3.4% hit

Ares grows credit 34% with direct lending boost, but high yield takes rough ride in Q4
Ares Management Corporation reported strong returns for its European direct lending strategies in the fourth quarter of 2018. But the firm's overall revenues slumped and its US loan funds and high yield strategies were hit by the volatile credit market 

Schroders appoints global head of private assets division
Schroders has made a hire for its newly created job of global head of private assets, which includes private equity, infrastructure finance, real estate investments and direct lending  

Tikehau garners €2.1 billion for European direct lending strategy
Tikehau Investment Management has collected €2.1 billion for its fourth private debt strategy - three times larger than its predecessor fund 

Allianz IM puts $200 million into Indian private debt
Allianz Investment Management has committed $200 million into the private debt platform of Edelweiss, an Indian diversified financial services firm.  

BlueBay closes fourth direct lending fund at €6 billion
BlueBay Asset Management has held a final close for its fourth private debt fund with over €6 billion of investable capital

MV and EQ combine for €70 million for private credit fund
EQ Asset Management has raised €70 million for its second private credit fund in partnership with MV Credit, the fund of fund operator has announced

Italian foundation seeks new CIO to oversee pension pot
Rome-based foundation Fondazione Enasarco is searching for a new chief investment officer, following the departure of Robert Rausch  

Performing credit tops distressed credit for Blackstone, but credit AUM declines
The firm is looking to boost its direct lending business to gain $10 billion of available capital over the next couple of years

AnaCap buys €4 billion Italian SME loan portfolio
AnaCap Financial Partners has made its first transaction of its fourth credit opportunities fund 

Axa IM looks to buy stake in mezzanine lender Capzanine
Axa Investment Managers (Axa IM), the multi-asset investor, and Axa France, the Paris-based insurance company, have entered exclusive talks to buy a minority stake in French private equity house and debt provider Capzanine, from Eurazeo

Partners Group private debt assets hit €15.36 billion
Partners Group, the Swiss alternatives manager, secured €5 billion of new private debt commitments in 2018, propelling the firm’s private debt assets under management to €15.36bn

Allianz GI expands private debt team with senior hire
The new hire will be responsible for developing Allianz GI’s mid-market debt offering across Germany

Strathclyde pension looks to allocate up to £1.1 billion into credit
Glasgow City Council, the administering authority for the Strathclyde Pension Fund, has launched request for proposals (RFP) seeking to appoint investment managers specialising in private corporate debt and real estate debt.

Muzinich poaches Neuberger Berman MD for top fund distribution role
Muzinich has hired a global head of distribution, according to an announcement today, picking up the role previously held by Joshua Hughes, who left for CIFC Asset Management in May

Head of European private debt Bone earns promotion at Partners
Partners Group’s head of private debt in Europe, Christopher Bone, has been promoted to partner as one of 10 senior-level promotions announced by the firm