Credit Rendezvous: record fiscal stimulus provides pick-me-up
Credit markets had a mini bounce-back in the second quarter as central banks poured cash into the economy. But there is great uncertainty about the effects of a second wave of coronavirus. As part of our quarterly report on credit - the Credit Rendezvous - Creditflux spoke to experts across 12 segments of the credit market

Fund performance: CLO funds keep up the momentum for second month running
May returns have been led by continued momentum from CLO funds. In the last month, funds that invest in CLO notes in some capacity have made up 90% of our top 10, while 97% of funds listed generated positive returns - an improvement of 15% on last month's figures.

Credit funds at a glance (July 2020)
A round-up of fundraising and people moves

Ucits at a glance: Ucits recover lost ground
The foot has come off the gas for many funds - 57% of funds did not break the 2% return barrier.

ICG hires two for its European real estate debt platform
Intermediate Capital Group has hired two managing directors to its European real estate debt platform, according to an announcement today

Värde targets $1 billion for inaugural dedicated credit dislocation fund
Värde is seeking to raise $1 billion for its dislocation and distressed debt fund, according to an investor presentation seen by Creditflux. The firm is targeting a first close this month

Fund performance: CLO tranches move up
April returns managed a partial bounce back after a tumultuous March. 82% of funds listed in the Creditflux database made positive returns, showing at least small signs of recovery after 90% of all funds listed posted negative returns in March

Credit funds at a glance (June 2020)
A round-up of fundraising and people moves

Ucits at a glance: Ucits begin recovery phase
April returns prove positive for Ucits funds as 85% of those listed in the Creditflux database have moved into the black after a rough March

EnTrust aims to onboard $1 billion for maritime direct lending fund by June
EnTrust Global is targeting $1 billion for a maritime direct lending fund, Blue Ocean Onshore Fund, and anticipates a final close in June

Alantra holds €30 million first close on Spanish real estate debt fund
Madrid-based Alantra anticipates a €100 million final close by the end of the year

KKR deploys 10% of $2 billion coronavirus dislocation credit fund
KKR Credit has plans to launch a $2 billion dislocated corporate and asset backed credit fund to take advantage of coronavirus-induced volatility. And the New York-based manager has wasted no time swooping on opportunities after deploying $212 million by 9 April

BNP Paribas AM appoints head of real estate debt after departure
BNP Paribas Asset Management has promoted Christophe Montcerisier to head of real estate debt

Credit Rendezvous: recovery begins, but is it U, V or even W?
Investing in credit is not as easy as ABC. The coronavirus crisis has crushed valuations and although most assets will eventually pull to par, no one is sure how the recovery will pan out

Axa IM brings together real assets and structured finance in reorganisation
Axa Investment Managers is set to split its platform in two with an 'alternatives' business and a 'core' division  

Real assets are now the top picks in private credit
Direct lending is no longer the darling of the private credit market, with pension funds increasingly making space for credit strategies backed by real assets.

Italian pension fund seeks greater exposure to private debt
BNL, the pension fund of the investment manager BNP Paribas Italia, has launched a request for proposals (RFP), looking to commit €20 million to private debt closed-end funds.  

Eurizon launches real assets division
Italian asset manager Eurizon has launched a new organisation, specialising in alternatives investments that have a focus on the real economy, including private debt.  

KKR closes $1.3 billion global impact fund
KKR has made a final close of its KKR Global Impact Fund SCSp at $1.3 billion  

Mercer puts private debt at heart of $2.7 billion fund of fund
Mercer has held a final close at $2.7 billion for a private markets fund that offers investors access to private debt and sustainable products  

Whitehelm holds €500 million first close on infrastructure debt strategy
Whitehelm Capital has held a €500 million first close on its infrastructure debt strategy, according to an announcement. Creditflux's sister publication Inframation reports that this is split between Whitehelm Capital Infrastructure Debt Partners I and managed accounts

Credit Rendezvous: the outlook in 2020 across a dozen segments of the credit market
Welcome to the Credit Rendezvous, the first instalment of a regular feature published by Creditflux that tracks credit market dynamics in a dozen segments from investment grade, liquid loans, CLOs and CSOs all the way through to distressed debt. We view this as the meeting point for credit specialists across strategies to share their perspectives

Investors preferred real asset debt to corporate private debt in 2019, finds Bfinance
Bfinance stated that, in dollar terms, real asset debt searches conducted by investors outweighed corporate private debt searches in 2019

DC pension set to invest in private debt assets
Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), a UK based pension scheme, is set to enable the members of its defined contribution (DC) section to get exposure to private markets assets, including private debt, from February

Pantheon joins forces with Kermony in France
Pantheon has announced an exclusive 'introducer relationship' in France with Kermony Capital today, which is set to introduce Pantheon’s private debt capabilities to French investors