LBOs on the rebound: How leveraged loans are stealing the spotlight from direct lenders in 2024
2024 has seen a resurgence in LBO activity, with many of the largest deals opting for leveraged loans over direct lending for financing

September 2024 European Leveraged Highlights
Heading into the final quarter institutional loan volumes rose 171% year-on-year to EUR 150bn, while bond issuance doubled from last year to EUR 93bn

Private credit stands its ground against stiff competition from banks – Market Chatter
Despite an initial wave of fretting and fanfare, direct lenders have largely managed to retain an edge by proactively cutting margins on loans

Euro refinancing flows reverse as public debt supplants private according to S&P
S&P Global Ratings has assigned new ratings for nine European issuers of leveraged buyout structures refinancing private debt in public markets

Shenkman sees opportunity in ‘volatile, liquid bond market’ as it launches CBO
CBO issuance has been sporadic, but Shenkman, a long-time specialist in the market, believes that should change — and at the end of July priced Romark Credit Funding III

Restaurant failures push up consumer services bankruptcies
The consumer services sector has seen a significant uptick in chapter 11 bankruptcies in recent months, driven largely by filings from restaurant and bar companies

Taking stock after a long hot summer
As fall approaches, the global CLO and leveraged loan markets are in a strong position. But will records set in 2021 tumble?  We compare the numbers — and find out what the market thinks

Fund performance
CLOs feel the heat from corporate long-short and ucits funds in July; top ten credit funds in July 2024

Credit hedge funds
Credit hedge fund performance for July 2024

Credit funds at a glance
Fund performance; recent fundraising; recent hires

US spending remains resilient despite financial worries
Consumption accounts for just under 70% of the GDP of the world’s largest economy. The good news is that (repeated) reports of the death of the US consumer seem greatly exaggerated.

Octaura launches new protocol for CLO liquidations
Electronic loan trading platform Octaura has released a new set of processes to streamline loan BWICs and OWICs

Investors gear up for busy autumn at Goldman Sachs LevFin conference
More than EUR 20bn in bonds and loans is due to launch over the coming months, though the M&A pipeline looks relatively light

Blackstone’s head of liquid credit Rob Zable set to leave firm
One of the biggest names in the CLO world is making a change, with Rob Zable leaving Blackstone by the end of the year

Abry Partners shifts public credit fund towards private credit with USD 1.6bn continuation fund
The new credit continuation fund, closed in conjunction with secondaries specialist Coller Capital, will reinvest assets into private credit

Davis Polk hires three fund formation lawyers from Debevoise
Law firm Davis Polk is growing its investment management practice with the addition of three new partners joining in New York

CLO strategies outperform again
In 2023, our index of funds investing in CLO tranches and equity returned 22.9%. In the first six months of this year, the index reached 9.9%, as these funds again delivered outstanding results

Fund performance
Prytania grabs gold; Spire and Sound Point take silver and bronze after June fund returns come in

Credit hedge funds
Our credit hedge fund performance tables for June

Credit funds at a glance
Top performers, recent hires and recent fundraising

By raising billions, private credit funds are causing a seismic shift in leveraged finance
Private credit funds are amassing a huge war chest that’s permanently changing the complexion of the leveraged finance market

Guardian transfers USD 30bn of assets to HPS as partnership deepens
Insurance company Guardian will increase its minority equity stake in HPS and transfer USD 30bn of assets as part of expanded strategic partnership 

iHeart secured group advisors in confidential talks with company
iHeartMedia, still an important name in the US CLO market, is back in the news, potentially impacting 482 different CLOs

Loan repricings continue to flood the primary market ahead of August lull
The US primary loan market has seen a steady flow of well-bid deals this week that were either upsized or priced tighter

Fund performance
Spire, Prytania and Serone funds enter top 10 dominated by CLOs; Leading fund: Alegra ABS 2