BlackRock becomes latest manager to explore interval fund structure for credit
Several managers have hit the market with the interval fund structure, as investors look to invest in illiquid strategies through an illiquid fund structure

Aviva Investors looks to raise €500 million for new infrastructure debt fund
Aviva Investors has launched a euro-denominated infrastructure debt fund and received commitments to date from five European insurers

UK pension fund NEST seeks 'innovative' private credit manager
The £3.4 billion pension fund issued an invite to tender for private credit managers 

Louisiana pension fund assigns $200 million to DoubleLine and GoldenTree
Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System has allocated to distressed debt and mortgage credit funds run by two experienced asset managers

Aviva appoints head of real assets division in London
Aviva Investors has hired Mark Meiklejon from Aberdeen Standard Investments to lead its newly established real assets investment specialist team

Institutional investors are too constrained in their private debt approach, research suggests
Institutional investors are too constrained in their approach and are focusing too much on mid-market corporate direct lending, research from global advisory firm Willis Towers Watson suggests

Credit drives strong returns for five of the largest asset managers in the business
Carlyle is close to hitting its ambitious fundraising target; direct lending has been kind to Ares; and Och-Ziff has decided to shed its US CLO risk retention stakes after exiting its financing agreements

Cheyne holds £600 million final close for opportunistic real estate debt fund
Cheyne Capital Management has held a £600 million ($800 million) final close for its fifth opportunistic real estate debt fund, the firm has announced

GAM launches new commercial real estate debt fund
Zurich-headquartered GAM Investments has launched of a new commercial real estate debt fund, the firm announced today

KKR forms lending JV to target "clear need for UK mainstream housing development"
KKR and London-based Urban Exposure, a specialist residential development finance provider, have formed a strategic partnership and launched a lending joint venture to target significant opportunities in "mainstream housing throughout the UK”.  

Investors eye alternative credit ahead of expected interest rate increase – report
Investments in alternative credit are set to rise among institutional investors over the next 12 months, according to an alternative credit report published by NN Investments Partners

Brunswick holds €640 million final close for Nordic real estate debt fund
Nordic real estate lender Brunswick Real Estate Capital has held a final close for its second senior debt fund, with capital commitments reaching over SEK 6.6 billion (€640 million)

BlackRock seeks $1 billion for new multi-strat opportunities fund
The new trust will invest at least 80% of its assets in fixed income securities and up to 40% in special situations, SEC filings reveal 

Octopus appoints head of structuring
UK-based property lender Octopus Property has appointed Matthew Pritchard as head of structuring, the firm announced today

RM launches “highly defensive alternative fund” with 7-8% total return target
London-headquartered alternative credit fund manager RM Capital has launched a “highly defensive alternative fund”, VT RM Alternative Income Fund, which it claims to be the first of its kind

Real estate debt takes off as funds raise billions
Octopus's Ludo Mackenzie on why real estate debt is attractive: “In absolute terms, property yields are close to where they were in 2007, which would imply that the asset class is fully priced. In relative terms, however, compare commercial property yields to the risk-free rate and there is a healthy margin of around 3.5%.”  

Aviva establishes real assets platform and sells real estate multi-manager business
London-based Aviva Investors has established a new £37 billion real assets platform, which aims to integrate real estate, infrastructure, structured finance and its private debt business

Ostrum and Natixis unite to launch real asset private debt platform
The new real asset private debt arm will target €6 billion AUM by 2020 and focus on three sectors: real estate, infrastructure and aviation

Manager holds first close for £500 million UK real estate debt fund
London-based TH Real Estate, an affiliate of Nuveen, has held a first close of its second global real estate debt fund

Amundi expands real estate debt platform
Paris-headquartered Amundi has launched a commercial real estate debt strategy, which will offer exposure to Eurozone senior real estate debt

Oaktree raises at least $2.1 billion for second real estate debt fund
Los-Angeles Oaktree Capital Management has beaten its original $1.75 billion target size for Oaktree Real Estate Debt Fund II, US SEC filings reveal

Securitisation lawyer joins Ashurst from rival firm Clifford Chance
International law firm Ashurst has hired Thomas Picton as a securitisation partner in its London securities and derivatives group

Structured credit PM earns promotion as Pimco unveils new managing directors
Structured credit portfolio manager Russell Gannaway is among seven officials to have been promoted to managing director at Pimco

Apollo forms Italian real estate partnership
Funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management have formed a strategic partnership with Milan-based Realty Partners to invest in the Italian real estate market

Wells Fargo AM looks to build out European private debt arm
Wells Fargo Asset Management is seeking to build out its global presence in the private debt industry by strengthening its European private debt business with a new senior hire, Creditflux has learned