Blackstone IG private credit reaches USD 115bn off insurer interest
The alternative asset manager is focused on raising capital from this investor segment without becoming an insurer itself.

Regional banks drive growth of SRT market as EU continues to dominate issuance
Regional banks that used the standardised approach are playing a bigger role in SRT market, while the number of insurers writing credit protection through SRT almost doubled from 2023 to 2024

CalPERS hires Dutch pension alum to head private debt
The new hire fills the empty seat left by Jean Hsu, who retired from the position last year

L&G discontinues GP stakes programme as head of strategy departs
Current GP stakes investments remain 'strategically significant'; Hannah Gore-Randall led investments into Pemberton, NTR, ImpactA
   

BNP Paribas taps alts head for combined BNP, AXA IM group
Isabelle Scemama will oversee more than EUR 300bn in assets as the two groups merge

Default expectations rise as tariff threats to North America deepen – IACPM survey
Credit portfolio managers across the world see tariff-related headwinds for both the US and Canada

Ares launches direct lending fund for European wealth investors
The firm’s first ELTIF product will give individual investors access to its existing European direct lending strategy

US pensions' push into European private credit involves local expertise pursuit, mid-market strategy differentiation
The European credit market is expected to benefit from recent fiscal stimulus announcements and lower primary tariff impact, while mid-sized managers are likely to see growing demand for differentiated strategies

US pensions increasingly eye European private credit amid expanding allocations, diversification pressures
US public pensions have committed at least USD 4.4bn to European private credit strategies since July 2024  

M&G strengthens European structured credit with Madrid appointment
The hire is part of M&G’s strategy to expand its European origination and research capabilities, supporting the growth that M&G expects to see in structured credit

Former Platinum Credit MD joins multi-manager platform Schonfeld
Jordan Stevens previously served as a senior credit deal lead for Platinum Equity’s private credit platform

Buyout Highlights - Overview of Europe Buyout and Financing Trends 1Q25
Leveraged loans are again the main source of financing for LBOs in Europe, providing 65% of the total volume issued in 1Q25  

Pemberton raises EUR 6.1bn for senior direct lending funds
The asset manager held a final close for Mid-Market Debt Fund IV and Senior Loan Fund II

M&G expands direct lending origination team with new hire in the Netherlands
M&G Investments is expanding its direct lending team with the appointment of Gijs Boumans in a newly created role, based in Amsterdam

Bank-asset manager partnerships reach European shores
EXCLUSIVE: the recent announcement from Arini and Lazard shows how new entrants into the direct lending market might copy the US model of leaning on bank partners

Bilateral SRT deals fall out of fashion as banks broaden investor base
EXCLUSIVE: Fewer synthetic SRT deals executed bilaterally as banks diversify investor base, secure tighter pricing

Pemberton appoints head of European GP, NAV financing origination
Jürgen Breuer previously helped the manager build out its DACH direct lending effort

Scottish Widows plans private markets push through LTAF launch
EXCLUSIVE: the pension fund plans to invest in both private credit and private eqity with separate managers for each  

More volatility, more uncertainty and more tailwind for private credit – KKR’s Dan Pietrzak
PODCAST: The new Trump administration in the US has introduced new uncertainty with its preparedness to employ wide-reaching tariffs, and M&A volumes remain depressed, but KKR’s private credit team is busier than it has been in the past few years. 

PAG raises USD 1.25bn for significant risk transfers
The Hong Kong-based alternative asset manager is expecting the SRT market to grow at a 30% to 40% rate annually over the next few years

Blackstone hires Goldman alum to head European private credit origination
Dominic Ashcroft previously served as head of leveraged finance for EMEA at Goldman Sachs

Macquarie launches European direct lending platform
The company is planning to launch a similar US-focused direct lending business by mid-2025

Marathon ditches distressed strategy to raise USD 2.7bn for opportunistic credit
EXCLUSIVE: The asset manager originally launched the fund with a distressed debt strategy but has since switched the focus to making opportunistic private credit and equity investments  

Arcmont launches impact private credit strategy backed by APG, TIAA
The European private debt firm launches a strategy to help address environmental and social challenges as institutional investors around the world increasingly show interest in more than just pure financial returns

Fund performance - February 2025
Structured finance leads, but all indices stay positive as 2025 begins