Direct lender hires head of credit as it closes in on European mid market CLO
BeSpoke Capital has made a big hire as part of a reorganisation of the direct lender’s business

New kids on the block dominate awards

DWS backs away from planned ESG-style European CLO
DWS has dropped plans to launch a European CLO, sources say. It is unclear why DWS, the asset management arm of Deutsche Bank, has turned its attention elsewhere, but one source says that the capital-intensive nature of putting together risk retention-compliant deals likely weighed on the firm. 

Spire wins Creditflux Manager of the Year award
Spire Partners was the big winner at Creditflux's Manager Awards last night as the London-based manager scooped the award for the manager of the year. On top of this, the firm picked up awards for Best European CLO Manager and Best European CLO for Aurium CLO II

Prospect's $500 million CLO fund merges with Stira Alcentra global credit fund
Prospect Capital Management’s $500 million closed-end CLO fund has officially merged with a global credit fund managed by Alcentra and Stira

The Last Tranche: awards season is upon us [podcast]
A look at 2018 award offerings and finalist, plus some insight on direct lending and b-wics

CVC, Octagon and Spire vie for multiple Creditflux awards
Creditflux is pleased to unveil the finalists for the most prestigious awards dinner in the credit

Credit funds at a glance

A round-up of fundraising and people moves in credit

Finding the best managers, CLOs and direct lenders

It’s going to be a credit picker’s market
Our panel of experts believe that the credit market will be volatile this year, but there will be opportunities in European credit and additional tier one bonds, trups CDOs and unitranches

Partners Group private debt assets hit €15.36 billion
Partners Group, the Swiss alternatives manager, secured €5 billion of new private debt commitments in 2018, propelling the firm’s private debt assets under management to €15.36bn

Head of European private debt Bone earns promotion at Partners
Partners Group’s head of private debt in Europe, Christopher Bone, has been promoted to partner as one of 10 senior-level promotions announced by the firm

Muzinich aims to take granular portfolio tactic across Europe
Muzinich has put together what it describes as a “direct lending 2.0” strategy, which it anticipates will serve as a solution to the constraints faced by middle market lenders in Europe. The firm launched the Italian version of the strategy in November via its Italian subsidiary Springrowth SGR and is looking to create follow-ups in other European jurisdictions

KKR promotes three European credit specialists to managing directors
KKR has promoted several members of its team to managing directors - including a former US CLO portfolio manager

Blackstone builds on multi-asset approach with fifth fund
The new vehicle will invest directly into Blackstone deals across its alternatives platform

Tikehau’s private debt AUM hits €7.5 billion
Tikehau Capital, the Paris-based asset management and investment firm, has reached €7.5 billion in private debt assets under management (AUM) as of September 2018. This represents an increase of 17% for the third quarter, amounting to €1.1 billion  

First European SME CLO 2.0 edges closer after warehouse tweaks
Be-Spoke Capital’s European SME CLO is nearing the finishing line, with sources indicating NatWest Markets aims to price the deal, Alhambra SME Funding 2018-1, in early December. The development comes after the CLO exceeded the warehouse’s 12-month ramp-up period

Ares ups its target for US senior direct lending growth to $4.7 billion
Following $5 billion of inflows into global direct lending in the third quarter, Ares has upped the target for its US direct lending strategy 

Blackstone grows credit assets by 31% over year
The firm achieved strong fundraising in credit, taking credit-related assets under managment to $130.6 billion in the third quarter, a 31% increase year-on-year 

August: fund performance
CLO spreads jumped wider in August, but funds that invest in these assets have been able to outperform

September: credit funds at a glance
White Oak Global Advisors held a $2.1 billion final close on a new direct lending fund, while Phil Raciti's move from CVC Credit Partners to Halcyon Capital Management was one of the biggest moves in the credit industry