Polus prices third US CLO
Polus Capital Management has issued its third US CLO and its second this year, following the manager’s US market debut in September 2024

US regulators walk back post GFC leveraged lending restrictions
The OCC and FDIC now say the guidance was overly restrictive and that banks should rely on general risk management principles to manage their leveraged lending activity

Oklahoma system allocates USD 1.3bn as others set 2026 targets
OTRS commits USD 1.3bn to Blackstone, KKR private credit funds, while Los Angeles, New Hampshire, San Antonio pensions disclose recent moves

Bank of America Research projects record year for US CLO issuance
The bank forecasts some USD 600bn in deals expected to hit the market, more than 19% ahead of this year’s issuance total, while it also sees at least eight debut managers coming to market in the US in 2026

CLO dispersion set to increase in 2026 – BNP Paribas
Next year is likely to see increasing dispersion in credit performance off the back of a series of idiosyncratic credit events, BNP Paribas has forecast in its 2026 CLO outlook

CLO issuance projected to hit new records in 2026 – KBRA
The ratings agency projects USD 220bn in issuance across US BSL CLOs and private credit CLOs as well as five to six European private credit CLOs next year

European private credit CLOs ramp up, with Pemberton, Ares readying new deals
Pemberton to join Ares with new issues next year, while Barings looks at a reset of its initial static deal

First Brands’ disputes raise alarming concerns that all SPV lenders should be watching – Legal Analysis
SPV lenders face potential risks, including substantive consolidation and collateral devaluation

Record gross supply but meagre risk/reward ratio for CLOs next year, says JPMorgan in 2026 outlook
The bank is forecasting a new record gross supply figure of half a trillion dollars next year for the US CLO market, but that headline figure belies the ‘recycled’ nature of much of the supply, with new origination expected to decline by around 20%

Private credit downgrades persist despite revenue, EBITDA improvement – S&P
Private credit downgrades were driven by pockets of weaker borrowers, but the upper end of the market shows strong fundamentals, the ratings agency said in its latest report

Blue Owl BDC M&A termination highlights the cost of market timing
ANALYSIS: BDC mergers are a common tactic to provide immediate liquidity to investors in less liquid private credit funds, but Blue Owl’s attempt came after a tumble in listed BDC share prices

LME litigation in Europe in focus as Hunkemöller and Selecta bondholders fight back
ANALYSIS: Selecta sees use of creditor cooperation agreement challenged as anticompetitive in court; More LMEs and litigation expected in Europe next year and beyond

The tide of easy money pushes everything upwards – Satori Insights founder Matt King
The end of the US government shutdown has paved the way for a “renewed melt up,” says Matt King, founder of Satori Insights, on the latest episode of Credit Exchange with Lisa Lee

MidOcean gears up for second CLO equity fund
EXCLUSIVE: The investment manager previously raised more than USD 300m for its debut CLO Equity Fund I in 2024

Blackstone starts new fundraising round for institutional, evergreen US direct lending fund
The alternative asset management giant is back to raise more capital for Blackstone Senior Direct Lending Fund after previously closing on USD 22bn in October 2024

Park Square strikes US direct lending alliance with Nomura
The new agreement will help Park Square source US senior direct lending deals for its new US Loan Partners fund

Investor demand for diversification drove multi-currency CLO
EXCLUSIVE: Geographical diversification was a driving force behind the creation of Europe’s first sterling/euro middle market CLO

BlackRock rockets up after HPS buyout
After its acquisition of HPS, BlackRock has risen from 18th place to seventh in the US BSL AUM table. The highest-profile faller is UBS, which dropped out of the top 10. It was top in 2024

Neuberger goes smaller on flagship fund even as platform grows
The firm’s latest Private Debt Fund V clocked in around USD 1bn short of the predecessor fund as investor capital flows into other vehicles under the same strategy

Manulife CQS looks to launch asset-backed finance product
EXCLUSIVE: The investment manager is now interested in offering investors dedicated asset-backed finance exposure

Oaktree Capital’s Robert O’Leary on threats, opportunities in global credit
Credit secondaries set for continued growth as financial sponsors seek liquidity solutions; high-yield bonds seen as defensible, while opportunistic strategies may benefit from distress

Polus raises EUR 890m for European special situations fund
The latest fund exceeded its original EUR 750m target, a source familiar told Creditflux

CalPERS invests nearly USD 5bn in private credit in 2Q, with Ares, Sixth Street as biggest winners
 Public Pensions, Private Pursuits: California, Connecticut state systems make large private credit moves

Barings BDC taps new CEO for the new year
Thomas McDonnell, who has spent two decades at the firm, will step in as CEO for the listed business-development company

BlackRock’s EUR 5tn prediction for European private markets
Private credit, infrastructure and private equity are driving European private market investment to record highs