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  

Europe sees first reinvesting private credit CLO as Ares prices rare sterling deal
The second private credit CLO in Europe is comprised of over 50 middle-market companies based in the UK, primarily operating in defensive industries

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

News in brief
Blackstone plays offense amid volatility

Are unusual deals from Clearlake and JPMorgan signs of things to come?
Deals that would have gone to public markets switched to private credit

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

Clearlake launches Clearlake Credit to chase private and public credit investments
The new platform will integrate the newly acquired MV Credit and WhiteStar Asset Management

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

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  

Dechert adds Paul Hastings partner to bolster private credit, CLO biz
Brian Whaley will bring his experience in private credit, securitization and structured products to the global finance group

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. 

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

M&G plans private credit fund for UK defined contribution plans
UK regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, recently approved the private credit feeder fund  

CVC blows past fundraising target on its European direct lending fund
The alternative investment manager has already increased the fundraising target once for the 2023 vintage fund  

StepStone to launch private debt vehicle for European wealth investors
The ELTIF will invest in private credit asset classes across the European Union

Candriam partners with Kartesia on private debt fund for European retail investors
European private debt firms Candriam and Kartesia are launching a private debt fund for individual investors via European Long-Term Investment Fund 

M&G to acquire majority stake in P Capital Partners
London-based investment firm to take 70% share in Swedish private credit business  

GP-led deals to reach 50% of credit secondaries volume in 2025: Jefferies
Private credit secondaries volume will be increasingly driven by GP-led transactions this year, said Jefferies in a report