Japanese internet and telco giant SoftBank completes Fortress acquisition
Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp has completed the previously announced acquisition of Fortress Investment Group for $3.3 billion in cash

Blackstone taps Australia's mortgage loan market with new acquisition
New York-based Blackstone is tapping into Australia’s lucrative mortgage loan market by acquiring an 80% stake in direct lending company La Trobe Financial

Dyal purchases minority stake in Cerberus's mid market credit unit
Neuberger Berman affiliate Dyal Capital Partners has purchased a minority stake in Cerberus Business Finance (CBF), the middle-market direct lending unit of Cerberus Capital Management

First Eagle completes deal to buy NewStar
New York-based First Eagle Investment Management has completed its previously announced acquisition of Boston-based direct lending specialist NewStar Financial

Conning moves into emerging market debt after buying stake in fund manager
Conning has agreed to acquire a 45% stake in emerging market debt specialist Global Evolution

Hayfin acquires US CLO manager
European credit platform Hayfin Capital Management has signed an agreement to acquire a US CLO specialist

Harvest acquires $1.9 billion investment manager Astor
JMP Group's subsidiary Harvest Capital Strategies has made a minority investment in Astor Investment Management, according to an announcement today

NewStar sale set to go ahead after no further bids emerge
New York-based First Eagle Investment Management looks set to get its hands on mid market credit manager NewStar Financial after the end of a 30-day “go-shop” period

Investors approve appointment of Aberdeen as advisor on Avenue fund
Shareholders of the Avenue Income Credit Strategies Fund have approved a new advisory and sub-advisory agreement for the fund

BNP Paribas acquires stake in SME credit specialist Caple
BNP Paribas Asset Management has acquired a 10% stake in Caple, which facilitates lending to small and mid-sized enterprises through a fintech platform

BNY to merge three of its asset managers
BNY Mellon Investment Management plans to merge three of its managers into one entity that will oversee $560 billion in assets

Japanese bank to buy minority stake in CLO boutique GreensLedge
A Japanese bank is taking its relationship with GreensLedge to the next level by buying a 20% stake in the New York-based firm

Mid-market lender NewStar agrees to sell itself for more than $500 million
New York-based asset manager First Eagle Investment Management announced this morning that it plans to buy mid-market loan specialist NewStar Financial

Aberdeen poised to take over and rebrand Avenue credit fund
Avenue Capital Group’s Income Credit Strategies Closed-End Fund is poised to switch managers and names, with Aberdeen Asset Managers taking over as investment advisor and Aberdeen Asset Management serving as subadvisor, subject to shareholder approval

Mortgage credit specialist Pretium steps in to back Valcour's CLO ambitions
Stamford-based Valcour Capital Management has been acquired by real estate and mortgage credit specialist Pretium Partners in a transaction which boosts Valcour’s prospects of returning to the US CLO market.

Oaktree takes over Fifth Street’s BDCs
Oaktree Capital has won the auction to take over Fifth Street Asset Management’s two business development companies

MetLife acquires fixed income manager Logan Circle
M&A activity within the US asset management business is stepping up with MetLife announcing that it will be acquiring fixed income manager Logan Circle Partners

NewStar picks up Fifth Street CLOs for $16 million
Acquisitive CLO manager NewStar Financial has announced that it has reached an agreement to take on two middle-market US CLOs

Private credit manager eyes merger amid tough fundraising conditions
A direct lender operating a in one of the sparsely-populated parts of the market is open to a strategic partnership with a fund manager after scrapping a fund launch 

Oaktree set to buy mid-market specialist Fifth Street, reports WSJ
Oaktree Capital Management is leading the chase to buy middle-market US lender Fifth Street Asset Management, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal

Dyal takes minority equity stake in private credit manager
Dyal Capital has acquired a minority stake in private credit manager Atalaya Capital Management

Dallas-based Trinitas closes $250 million CLO deal with Pine Brook
CLO manager Trinitas Capital Management has confirmed the receipt of a $250 million line of equity from its new parent Pine Brook

Fifth Street looks to quit CLO management as it winds down credit hedge fund
Fifth Street Asset Management is streamlining its business and its three middle-market CLOs and credit hedge fund will be cut as part of this process

Direct lenders look to spread their wings and cross the Atlantic
Middle-market lending is becoming a global business amid talks of JVs