Blue Owl takes a hit as ‘retail investors may favor headlines over reality’ – Morningstar DBRS
Offering private market products to retail investors can result in reputational damage even when the terms of the product are respected, the ratings agency wrote

Unitranche deals take off in Europe, setting new record – Houlihan
The European private credit market completed 570 unitranche deals in 2025, marking an all-time high since Houlihan Lokey started publishing its quarterly report

AI risk is number one worry for credit investors – BofA
An AI bubble is the top concern for 23% of high-grade credit investors, a new Bank of America report has found

Software sell-off leads to improved CLO equity arb – BNPP
BNP Paribas is currently bullish on H2 2024 CLO equity in the US, largely due to its low NAV and low software exposure

Early 2026 US CLO equity data does not point to improved performance over 2025 – Deutsche Bank
The median quarterly distribution for US CLO equity in 1Q across all deals reporting fell to 2.4%, the lowest number in three years and the seventh consecutive quarterly decline, according to new research from the bank

Inflows for nontraded BDCs slow while redemptions rise – Fitch
The negative investor sentiment seen last year for listed BDCs now hits perpetual, non-traded BDCs

Software selloff hits CLO equity, BB MVOCs – Barclays
The percentage of US loans trading above par has tumbled to 27%, introducing mark-to-market risk for CLO tranche investors

Credit risk lingers in junior European CLO notes outside reinvestment – Fitch Ratings
Under the assumptions of the stress test, 83% of double B and single B rated tranches in transactions past their reinvestment expiry show model-implied ratings below their current ratings

CLO equity payments decline for US and Europe
Reinvesting US BSL CLOs saw median equity payments slip 16bps from the fourth quarter of 2025

European BSL market upped risk to win deals in 2025 – White & Case
The BSL market issued a higher percentage of loans rated below BB against a backdrop of patchy M&A flow

Prepare for a swift credit pullback when the bullish run ends – Deutsche Bank
The likely new US Federal Reserve chair may be more hawkish, and the progress made in artificial intelligence could disrupt credits in the software sector, DB analysts warn

Private credit investors chase higher risk-return—Campbell Lutyens
A new survey shows investors are seeking higher returning strategies amid expectations of lower rates, while also turning away from the dominant North American market

SEC clarification encourages banks to invest in CLOs
ANALYSIS: US banks could comprise a larger portion of triple-A tranche demand in both the US and European CLO markets and help bring stability

KKR confirms lack of exposure to First Brands, rejects concerns about cracks in private credit
In a new investment insight, KKR’s Daniel Pietrzak said that the failure of First Brands and Tricolor does not indicate cracks in private credit 

TwentyFour AM favours European CLO equity going into 2026
In comparison, US CLO equity faces more challenges related to LMEs and refinancing activity, the asset manager said

Individuals account for nearly a quarter of private credit investor base – Alternative Credit Council
The global private credit market grew to around USD 3.5tn in assets at the end of 2024, according to a new report from the Alternative Credit Council and Houlihan Lokey 

North American and European credit defaults to fall next year – S&P Global
Global credit default rates will remain contained next year with North American defaults falling to around 4% 

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

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

Janus Henderson warns of underperformance in stressed loan market
The asset manager highlighted ‘pockets of fragility’ as the loan markets bifurcate

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

Australian regulator joins chorus voicing private-credit concerns
ASIC has warned of sector failings in Australia’s private-credit market and suggested legal reform

US life insurers increase commitments to CLOs and private credit – Fitch

Alt IM-backed life insurers in the US are increasing their allocations to CLOs and private credit in the search for higher yield

European speculative-grade corporate default rates to decline in 2026 – Moody’s
The rating agency’s annual deep-dive into the refinancing risks facing EMEA non-financial corporates also found an increased urgency for refinancing as the maturity wall draws closer