Credit fundraising: managers build homes for real estate credit funds
The “largest ever real estate credit fund” was one of the fundraising highlights last month as Blackstone’s Real Estate Debt Strategies IV fund reached $8 billion on its final close

Hayfin partner lands at Ares in London
Ares Management has appointed a former Hayfin official as managing director in the firm’s credit group, focused on alternative credit investments

LP round up: $5 billion flows to credit as private market allocations increase
Global institutional investors allocated nearly $5 billion to credit funds this week, according to documents seen by Creditflux

Ares pulls in at least €6 billion for European direct lending
Ares Management is well on track for raising its largest European direct lending fund

Ares adds to European direct lending team
Ares Management has hired a London-based vice president to its European direct lending team

LP round up: managers keep fundraising hopes high as GSO targets $7.5 billion for mezz offering
Institutional investors allocated $1.6 billion into credit this week, according to documents seen by Creditflux

Four managers join forces on gigantic £1.9 billion unitranche
The supersized transaction to Ardonagh Group, led by Ares, is the largest ever unitranche facility

Virginia pension allocates $850 million to credit in Q1
Virginia Retirement System has allocated $850 million to three credit strategies in the first quarter of the year, according to an update at its 15 April investment committee meeting

Ares makes rare move by pulling out of private debt mandate
Greater London’s local government pension pool has lost one of its credit managers after Ares Management withdrew from its role as fund manager on an illiquid loan and private debt mandate  

European Direct Lending Perspectives: fundraising records shatter
Fundraising in European direct lending hit €32.2 billion in September to mark a record-breaking year for the industry, according to the latest version of European Direct Lending Perspectives

Direct lenders start to overcome bank dominance in Spain
Spain is becoming a popular destination for direct lenders — despite the competitive terms offered by local banks. Sources say that borrowers are starting to look beyond pricing to ease of execution and flexible documentation.

Ares credit business grows 4.4%, driven by US direct lending
US and European direct lending, alternative credit and syndicated loan funds dove growth for Ares Management Corporation in the second quarter, the firm said

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

Pennsylvania pension commits $150 million to European credit funds
Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System approved $975 million of investments at its 24 April meeting

Ares to expand network with hubs in Amsterdam and Madrid
Ares Management is expanding across continental Europe by opening offices in Amsterdam and Madrid. These are expected to be running in the first half of 2019

Ares and GSO carry unitranches over €1 billion mark
Flush with cash, European direct lending managers have finally passed the milestone one billion unitranche mark this quarter

Unlevered direct lending funds bring in first-time investors
Unlevered direct lending funds are particularly appealing to first-time investors and one of the biggest managers in the business has taken note of this

Ares grows credit 34% with direct lending boost, but high yield takes rough ride in Q4
Ares Management Corporation reported strong returns for its European direct lending strategies in the fourth quarter of 2018. But the firm's overall revenues slumped and its US loan funds and high yield strategies were hit by the volatile credit market 

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 

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

Ares launches "largest ever" European direct lending fund with up to €10 billion to invest
Ares Management has held the final close on what it claims to be the largest European direct lending fund raise ever

Ranger direct lending fund set to wind-up as Ares withdraws candidacy
A new development in the Ranger Direct Lending Fund saga: Ares withdraws its proposal to assume managerial responsibilities for the fund

Ares emerges as favourite to take over troubled direct lending fund
Following Oaktree’s wind-down request, the board of the Ranger Direct Lending Fund has chosen Ares as replacement manager - moves which could see the fund change its focus from peer-to-peer loan investments to asset-backed loans

Ares targets €4.5 billion for fourth European direct lending fund
Los Angeles based Ares Capital Management has launched its fourth European direct lending fund, Ares Capital Europe IV, with a €4.5 billion target size, SEC filings show

Ares keeps up direct lending growth and plans new credit fund launch
Ares Management’s credit business just keeps growing, with the firm planning a new fund launch and a continued push into European direct lending, according to a recent results presentation