Cerberus agrees to acquire €1.1 billion NPL portfolio from AIB
Allied Irish Bank has agreed to sell a €1.1 billion NPL portfolio to a consortium led by distressed debt specialist Cerberus 

Schroders deepens commitment to real estate debt
Schroders has made a minority investment in a middle-market commercial real estate provider, to "offer more private debt opportunities that meet the growing investor need for compelling fixed income returns"

ESO acquires UK lower mid-market private equity firm
ESO Capital, a lender to European SMEs, yesterday announced it has acquired UK lower mid-market private equity fund Core Capital Partners

BMO agrees deal to acquire brokerage KGS-Alpha
BMO Financial, the Montreal-headquartered bank, has struck a deal to acquire New York-based brokerage KGS-Alpha

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

BlackRock expands US private debt capabilities with TCP acquisition
BlackRock has agreed to acquire $9 billion asset manager Tennenbaum Capital Partners

Spain's Ahorro Corporación to push into direct lending amid ownership changes
Spanish brokerage and advisory firm Ahorro Corporación is planning to move into direct lending and has changed up its ownership structure, with StormHarbour's stake dropping from 90% to 40%

Triangle BDC goes on a different tangent with Barings and Benefit Street deals
Triangle BDC sells assets to Benefit Street and arees to Barings takeover in an unusual deal 

White Oak acquires interest in municipal credit fund manager FCO
White Oak Equity Partners, which purchases interests in alternative asset managers, has acquired a minority interest in alternative municipal strategy specialist FCO Advisors

Zais hit with class action filing over proposed go-private deal
A Zais Group stockholder has filed a putative class action lawsuit against the firm, taking aim at Zais’s plans to merge with subsidiary ZGH Merger Sub and Zugel’s firm Z Acquisition – a plan that would result in the company going private

Brookfield buys 25% stake in European credit manager
Brookfield has acquired a 25% stake in Link Financial Group, the parent company of European credit specialist LCM Partners

Fidante acquires minority stake in credit fund manager Latigo
Fidante Partners has today announced that it has acquired a minority stake in Latigo Partners, a credit asset manager.

Deutsche Bank looks to raise up to €1.8 billion in partial IPO of DWS
Deutsche Bank has unveiled further details of the Initial Public Offering of its asset management business, as well as a deal with Japanese insurer Nippon Life

Hercules Capital makes mighty push into commercial finance with acquisition
Speciality finance and venture growth firm Hercules Capital has acquired asset-based lender Gibraltar Business Capital in a bid to expand financing options to clients

Canadian asset manager acquires Asian private credit specialist Clearwater
In a bid to gain entry to the Asian private credit market, Canadian investment firm Fiera Capital Corporation has acquired Asian credit specialist Clearwater Capital Partners

Bless the bonds down in Africa, urges Botswana firm launching two debt funds
An Africa-focused asset management company run by a former Investec and T Rowe Price professional is promoting the launch of one debt fund – and says it now plans to launch another

Real estate credit manager Terra Capital forms partnership with Axar
Real estate credit manager Terra Capital Partners has formed a strategic partnership agreement with Axar Capital Management, the firms have announced

Joint offering from Allfunds and INTL FCStone targets institutional investors
New York-based financial services firm INTL FCStone Financial has entered into an agreement offshore mutual fund distribution platform Allfunds Bank, which offers access to more than 57,000 funds

Altegris and Artivest merge to form alternatives investment platform
Alternative investment research and management firm Altegris, based in La Jolla in California, has merged with New York-based alternative investment technology firm Artivest

White Oak buys niche lender FNCC
White Oak Global Advisors has acquired specialist direct lender Federal National Commercial Credit (FNCC), in a bid to “focus on growing its asset-based lending platform”

London direct lender rebrands following acquisition by Investec
Investec Bank has rebranded Amicus Commercial Finance as Investec Capital Solutions, following Investec’s acquisition of Amicus Commercial Finance in December

Global consulting firm acquires Japanese multi-management platform
Global consulting firm Mercer, a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, has acquired the Japanese hedge fund multi-manager BFC Asset Management

Cleveland multi-boutique plans IPO as it targets $100 million via share issue
Victory Capital, a multiboutique asset management firm based in Cleveland, is going public

JP Morgan AM professional to lead spin-out of credit hedge fund
Former JP Morgan Asset Management portfolio manager Fahad Roumani appears to be gearing up to lead a spin-out firm, which will manage the JPS Credit Opportunities Fund under its new name

Investcorp brings long-short manager onto its hedge funds partnership platform
Alternative invesmtent manager Investcorp has announced its strategic partnership with Steamboat Capital Partners through its Hedge Funds Partnerships platform