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

Sagard holds $650 million first close on second non-sponsored private credit fund
Sagard Credit Partners has held a $650 million first close on its second vintage credit fund, Sagard Credit Partners II. The vehicle has a $1.3 billion hard cap

Dyal and Owl Rock in talks over merger via spac - a year after Dyal buys into direct lender
Dyal Capital Partners and Owl Rock Capital Group (a company in which it has an ownership stake) are in talks to merge courtesy of a spac which is sponsored by an affiliate of HPS (another company which Dyal has a minority equity stake)

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

FS and KKR to merge BDCs to create $14.9 billion vehicle
FS Investments and KKR plan to merge their two business development companies into a single vehicle which would have about $14.9 billion in assets

Monroe sets $1.5 billion target for fourth lower mid-market direct lending fund
The Chicago-headquartered manager is targeting $1.5 billion for Monroe Capital Private Credit Fund IV. The vehicle held a $276.2 million first close last month

LP round up: $2.8 billion flows to credit as Apollo concedes fundraising may slow
Florida Retirement System Trust Fund made the largest commitments allocating $1.6 billion. Apollo meanwhile acknowledged a potential slowdown in fundraising as investors await results on an independent review into CEO Leon Black's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein

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

Credit fundraising: Dubai manager gets in on the act as direct lending takes off
Shuaa launches credit fund in the Gulf as Ares, Contingency, HPS and Perceptive are among those to close billion-plus funds

NXT CEO to retire next year
The chairman and chief executive officer of NXT Capital, Robert Radway, is retiring late next year

BlackRock co-head of direct lending set to depart
The co-head of direct lending at BlackRock and Tennenbaum Capital Partner’s special situations unit is set to leave the firm by the end of the year

Perceptive holds $1.1 billion final close on healthcare direct lending fund
Perceptive Advisors has held a $1.1 billion final close on its its third healthcare-focused direct lending fund, Perceptive Credit Opportunities Fund III

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

Evolution lifts AUM to $1.8 billion after launching direct lending strategy
Evolution Credit Partners Management has finalised fundraising for a private debt fund. It has held a $565 million final close on its inaugural middle-market direct lending fund

US investors piled into structured credit and private lending in 2019, Gapstow finds
US institutional investors' allocations to 'alternative credit' increased 12% year-over-year in 2019, according to research by fund of funds manager Gapstow Capital Partners

Wriedt buys minority stake in direct lender Scio and joins as strategic advisor
Oliver Wriedt, the former chief executive officer at DFG Investment Advisers, has bought a minority stake in European credit asset manager Scio Capital

Perceptive nears $1 billion hard cap for healthcare credit fund
Perceptive Advisors is nearing its $1 billion hard cap for its third healthcare-focused direct lending fund, Perceptive Credit Opportunities Fund III

Investors should invest in private debt throughout 2020, says bfinance
Private debt has so far proved able to maintain stable valuations and pay coupons in 2020 so investors should keep faith through the year, according to investment consultant bfinance

LP round up: Connecticut eyes Fortress for private credit partnership
Investors placed $3.3 billion across 26 credit mandates over the past fortnight, according to documents seen by Creditflux 

KKR targets sub-debt and ABS with latest private credit fund
KKR is preparing to launch its third mezzanine private credit fund, dubbed KKR Private Credit Opportunities III

LP round up: Oregon eyes $1.8 billion into structured credit
Institutional investors have earmarked over $6 billion to credit funds over the past two weeks

Crestline prepares third speciality lending fund
Crestline Investors is preparing to launch its third speciality credit fund, Crestline Speciality Lending Fund III

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

Oaktree managing director joins Peak Rock as it grows credit business
Peak Rock Capital has appointed a former Oaktree Capital Management official to help lead investments across corporate credit 

Mount Logan and Sierra take over management of Resource credit fund
Mount Logan Capital and Sierra Crest Investment Management, an affiliate of BC Partners Advisors, have agreed to take over management of the Resource Credit Income Fund, a US-based $240 million interval fund