Insurer CNO takes minority stake in Janus Henderson’s Victory Park
CNO Financial Group also agreed to commit a minimum of USD 600m to new and existing investment strategies by the private asset-backed credit firm

Evolving M&A is transforming the capital formation landscape – KKR
'Critical' link between M&A and credit is set to fuel growth in private markets

PGIM and Partners Group to create public-private asset portfolio products
The two struck a partnership to create multi-asset investment products designed for both individual investors and the institutional investor channel

PineBridge explores sale of structured capital fund
EXCLUSIVE: PineBridge Structured Capital Partners III looks to sell debt and equity portfolio; fund invests in junior capital, closed at USD 600m in 2016

Samsung Life becomes latest institution to take minority stake in Hayfin
Insurer Samsung Life joins Mubadala and AXA IM Prime as minority stakeholders in Hayfin

Goldman, T. Rowe partner on public-private asset products for individual investors
As part of the agreement, Goldman Sachs will take a small stake in T. Rowe Price by purchasing up to USD 1bn in the publicly traded asset manager’s common stock

Rithm acquires Crestline, creating USD 98bn alts platform
Crestline adds USD 17bn in assets under management and capabilities across direct lending, fund liquidity solutions and insurance

Asset-based lending increasingly acts as private debt diversifier
Direct lender Bow River is the latest manager to acquire a lower middle market asset-based financing firm as investors seek to diversify existing private debt portfolios

Bow River Capital acquires asset-based lending firm
The acquisition will add a 12-person team and a strategy focused on providing private, asset-based loans to companies in the lower middle market

Venture debt specialist Horizon expands lending to listed, small cap companies
EXCLUSIVE: Horizon Technology Finance revamps its strategy by merging with Monroe’s other listed BDC and expanding its focus beyond traditional venture lending

Churchill’s survey of private equity firms suggests M&A is returning to normal levels
Senior PE executives are confident in both deal activity and returns

AXA Prime, Mubadala take stakes in Hayfin as more private credit firms welcome outside investors
Private credit managers selling GP stakes to third parties has become more common as managers seek ways to spur additional growth

Man Group to acquire CLO and private credit manager Bardin Hill
The USD 3bn credit manager, now named Bardin Hill, is a private credit and US CLO shop based in New York

Blackstone inks new private credit partnership with L&G
PRECIS: The partnership will see L&G gain access to IG private credit assets and the two firms create new public-private credit products.  

The M&A market is normalising – Ares’ Matt Theodorakis
PODCAST: “People are looking to do deals going forward” after taking a pause following ‘Liberation Day’, Theodorakis told Lisa Lee, managing editor at Creditflux, on the latest Credit Exchange podcast

Clearlake seals largest new direct lending deal for Dun & Bradstreet
Ares leads deal, taking USD 1.5bn; Morgan Stanley, Clearlake Capital Markets, Golub and Blue Owl also helped arrange the largest new unitranche ever

Clearlake, direct lenders plan to ink USD 5bn private credit loan for Dun & Bradstreet
EXCLUSIVE: A group of direct lenders led by Ares are wrapping up a USD 5bn term loan and USD 500m revolver, prepping to sign commitment documents within hours

PNC Bank to buy Aqueduct to grow fundraising service capabilities
The acquisition will add to the existing capital advisory services provided by PNC subsidiary Harris Williams

Clearlake abandons bank-led option for a private credit loan to replace Dun & Bradstreet financing
EXCLUSIVE: The private equity firm is going with the Ares-led private credit loan rather than tapping banks to raise debt in the capital markets 

Clearlake set to seal private credit loan to replace risky Dun & Bradstreet financing
EXCLUSIVE: Ares leads USD 5bn unitranche loan with JPMorgan among expected lenders that will replace original 364-day financing

Clearlake launches Clearlake Credit to chase private and public credit investments
The new platform will integrate the newly acquired MV Credit and WhiteStar Asset Management

TPG, Temasek take minority stake in private credit interval fund pioneer Cliffwater
Cliffwater has nearly USD 28bn in its flagship private credit interval fund, the largest in the US

Bank-asset manager partnerships reach European shores
EXCLUSIVE: the recent announcement from Arini and Lazard shows how new entrants into the direct lending market might copy the US model of leaning on bank partners

Coller Capital buys USD 1.6bn portfolio, claiming largest senior direct lending secondaries deal
The private markets secondaries specialist has acquired a senior direct lending portfolio from a multiline US insurer

CLO manager M&A driven by search for talent and scale