Private equity firm launches cannabis credit fund
Private equity firm Gotham Green Partners has become the latest fund manager to launch a strategy geared towards the cannabis sector

New York pension fund signs up to new SVP distressed debt fund
New York State Common Retirement Fund has made a $150 million commitment to distressed debt specialist Strategic Value Partners, board documentations reveal 

Asset manager launches $150 million private credit fund
Commonfund Asset Management, an asset manager for non-profit organisations, has launched a new private credit fund with a $150 million target size, US SEC filings reveal

Ares emerges as favourite to take over troubled direct lending fund
Following Oaktree’s wind-down request, the board of the Ranger Direct Lending Fund has chosen Ares as replacement manager - moves which could see the fund change its focus from peer-to-peer loan investments to asset-backed loans

Investcorp names new co-CEO
Alterative investment manager Investcorp has announced that Hazem Ben-Gacem will become co-chief executive officer, joining current co-CEO Rishi Kapoor

Oaktree's multi-strategy credit platform reaches $2.9 billion
Los Angeles based Oaktree Capital Management's multi-strategy credit platform – which includes Oaktree Global Credit Fund – has hit $2.89 billion as at 31 March 2018  

Oaktree raises at least $2.1 billion for second real estate debt fund
Los-Angeles Oaktree Capital Management has beaten its original $1.75 billion target size for Oaktree Real Estate Debt Fund II, US SEC filings reveal

New Hampshire pension agrees $50 million investment in direct lending
New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS) has committed $50 million to a Chicago-based direct lender

New York pension commits €200 million to ICG across two mid market funds
ICG has won a €200 million golden ticket for two of its mid market funds: ICG North American Private Debt Fund II and ICG Europe Fund VII

Canadian pension fund appoints head of credit
Toronto-headquartered Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has appointed John Graham as head of credit investments, effective 1 June 2018

Credit-oriented PE firm opens Texas office to aid capital deployment
Credit-oriented private equity firm Orion Energy has opened a new office in Houston in a bid to set up a local presence and deploy capital from its recent successful fund close

New York pension fund allocates $400 million to two private debt funds
New York State Common Retirement Fund has awarded $400 million to two private debt managers: GSO and Vista Equity Partners, Creditflux has learned

Dentons brings in derivatives lawyer as partner
Global law firm Dentons has added Alice Yurke as partner in its capital markets practice, the firm announced yesterday

BlackRock expands US private debt capabilities with TCP acquisition
BlackRock has agreed to acquire $9 billion asset manager Tennenbaum Capital Partners

Los Angeles pension fund mandates $35 million to real estate debt fund
A Los Angeles pension fund has mandated $35 million to Almanac Realty Investments for its eighth real estate debt fund, Creditflux understands

Mayer Brown adds private credit partner in Chicago
Jaime Gatenio joins global law firm as banking and finance partner in its global private credit group

BlackRock's iShares contribute to strong AUM growth despite volatile quarter
BlackRock has reported a 17% year-on-year growth in AUM at the end of first quarter 2018, as well as a 28% year-over-year growth in first-quarter earnings

Lazard builds out alternatives platform with new MD hire
Lazard Asset Management has named a new managing director: David Gibson, who spent two decades at DE Shaw

Alts firm closes second mortgage fund at $750 million hard cap
The Minneapolis manager's fund will seek investments in newly originated loans, secondary loan trading and other structured securities backed by mortgage assets. The last fund in the series closed at $500 million

Alternatives firm hits $1.3 billion for opportunistic credit hedge fund
Alternative investments firm Varde Partners is on a roll: it has raised at least $1.29 billion for its opportunistic credit fund Varde Investment Partners, Creditflux has learned

Missouri pension fund selects Brightwood and Monroe for private debt mandate
The St Louis Public School Retirement System has committed $22 million to private debt, according to board documents seen by Creditflux

Palmer Square hires COO from Scout after surpassing AUM milestone
Palmer Square Capital Management has hired Scott Betz as chief operating officer, following the firm surpassing $5 billion assets under management

BlackRock raising $2.5 billion for direct lending fund: report
BlackRock is seeking to raise $2.5 billion for a private credit fund – and has already hit the $1.5 billion mark in sales, according to a Bloomberg report

New Hampshire pension makes $50 million commitment to direct lending
The New Hampshire Retirement System has approved a $50 million commitment to BlueBay’s Direct Lending Fund III (USD unlevered), according to documents seen by Creditflux

Direct lenders pile into "turbocharged" market as fundraising skyrockets: report
Growth in the direct lending market in the 12 months to 31 December was “turbocharged,” growing robustly in the fourth quarter 2017 in particular due to a consistently growing Eurozone economy, according to Deloitte