Tikehau builds private debt secondary platform with senior hire
Tikehau Capital has bolstered its private debt capabilities with the launch of a new secondaries platform

Be-Spoke one week away from pricing breakthrough SME CLO
Be-spoke Capital has moved a step closer to pricing its SME loan securitisation, with price talk emerging for the forthcoming Alhambra SME Funding 2019-1

Schelcher nears €300 million first close of European direct lending fund
The strategy - mainly focused on France - has recieved a €40 million commitment from the European Investment Fund

Aviva expands ESG private debt capabilities
Asset manager Aviva Investors has appointed Ed Dixon to serve as head of head of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) within real assets, including private debt.  

Wells Fargo AM makes big credit hire to co-head its private strategies team
Wells Fargo Asset Management has appointed Vincent Lu to co-head the firm’s private strategies, according to an internal memo seen by Creditflux

THL updates credit investment framework to include ESG
THL Credit Advisors has announced that it has developed an investment framework for assessing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in analysing credit quality and risk factors

Italian bank Equita launches €1 billion asset management arm
The firm has plans to launch its second private debt fund Equita Private Debt Fund II at the end of the year 

Direct lenders seek kindred ESG private equity sponsors
Direct lenders are keen to cultivate relationships with private equity sponsors that have a background investing with an environmental, social and governance (ESG) focus.

EQT looks to raise €500 million via IPO
The initial public offering is anticipated to increase EQT's flexbility to “pursue growth opportunities” and expand its private market investing business

Capital Four holds final close on nordic direct lending fund
The Copenhagen-based manager has held an €343 million final close for its latest private debt fund, according to market sources

Danish pension's credit portfolio gains 7.7% in 2019
Danish pension fund Arbejdsmarkedets Tillægspension (ATP) generated a return of DKK 2.7 billion ($401.2 million) on its credit portfolio in the first half of 2019, increasing the market value of credit investment to DKK 35 billion, according to H1 results

Silicon Valley pension to invest $20 million in private debt
San Jose Federated City Employees Retirement System and Health Care Trust is set to make commitments of $20 million in private debt, as part of its fiscal year 2019-2020 pacing plan, according to documents seen by Creditflux  

Local connections pay off as UK pension backs Tosca
Tosca Debt Capital has begun marketing Tosca Debt Capital Fund III and secured a commitment from the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, according to documents seen by Creditflux

UK's Tameside borough backs senior loan fund
The Tameside Metropolitan Borough in Manchester, UK has decided to commit $200 million in Churchill Middle Market Senior Loan Fund II, according to documents seen by Creditflux.  

Past Returns: German direct lending’s overhaul
In Creditflux five years ago we reported on German fund managers campaigning against regulations which dictated that funds require a banking licence to act as direct lenders. In 2016 they got their way as the German Banking Act stipulated that the banking licence requirement would not be imposed if a direct lender was authorised under the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive.

UK direct lending deal flow picks up with 99 deals in H1, finds GCA Altium
While loan volumes in the UK were much higher than expected, activity in Germany was lower compared to H1 last year, according to the GCA Altium MidCap Monitor Q2 2019

Hamilton Lane holds $760 million final close for private credit fund
Hamilton Lane has held a $760 million final close for its latest global private credit fund, collecting slightly less capital than the manager’s predecessor fund. 

Alcentra reaches €5.5 billion close for European direct lending fund
Alcentra says that it has raised €5.5 billion for its latest European direct lending strategy

UK pension pool to launch maiden private credit offering
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership is launching its first private credit offering in early Q4, Creditflux has learned

HIG closes European small-cap special situations fund at $1.5 billion
HIG's distressed debt and special situations unit has closed held a final close for H.I.G. Bayside Loan Opportunity Fund V

Private debt should alleviate the next downturn, says Paul Hastings
Private debt should soften the next downturn and not exacerbate it, according to a note published by law firm Paul Hastings

Los Angeles pension fund narrows down global direct lending search to four managers
Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System (Lacers) has listed the finalists for a private credit mandate, according to an agenda document seen by Creditflux.  

Direct lender hires head of credit as it closes in on European mid market CLO
BeSpoke Capital has made a big hire as part of a reorganisation of the direct lender’s business

Robus lifts soft-close from credit fund after capitalising on late-2018 correction
The soft close for Robus Mid-Market Value Bond Fund has been in place since October 2017

DWS backs away from planned ESG-style European CLO
DWS has dropped plans to launch a European CLO, sources say. It is unclear why DWS, the asset management arm of Deutsche Bank, has turned its attention elsewhere, but one source says that the capital-intensive nature of putting together risk retention-compliant deals likely weighed on the firm.