Audax ties Churchill in 1H26 US direct-lender rankings as deal sizes increase – 1H26 US Direct Lender Rankings
US direct lending volume was broadly stable in the first half of 2026, reaching USD 155.6bn across 1,645 deals, compared with USD 154.2bn across 1,716 transactions in 1H25, according to Debtwire's 1H26 US Direct Lender Rankings report

KKR becomes latest big-name manager to price static private credit CLO in 2026
KKR has issued the first new CLO under its Lending Partners shelf in half a decade, with the USD 624m private credit deal issuing as a non-reinvesting transaction through BNP Paribas

Fidelity issues new Euro CLO
Fidelity has priced a new European CLO through Bank of America, with the triple A paper split across one note and two loan tranches

Private credit secondaries deals more than doubled in 1H—Evercore
The first half of the year saw private credit secondaries volume balloon to USD 20bn, surpassing full-year 2025 volumes, with GP-led deals dominating, a new report from Evercore shows

European CLO issuance kicks into gear as spreads tighten in
European triple A spreads tightened this week to a new low of 124bps, with new issues hitting the market from Blackstone, Palmer Square, Apollo, Spire and ICG

M&G launches European CLO ETF with EUR 200m
The actively managed M&G AAA EUR CLO Active UCITS ETF will provide exposure to AAA CLOs

Golub prices USD 625m private credit CLO
Santander acted as the arranger for Golub Capital Partners CLO 92(M), which issued its triple A paper at SOFR plus 146bps

CalPERS expands Goldman Sachs credit commitments, South Carolina picks Barings fund
CalPERS commits another USD 750m to West Street credit vehicles; South Carolina RSIC allocates USD 250m to a Barings fund

Optimum to show restructuring proposal to creditors’ advisors as company presses for deal before 4Q
Market participants discuss fraudulent conveyance claims amid reorganisation; creditor advisors are already restricted to review diligence documents

Iran War to increase corporate default rates globally — IACPM Survey
Though the credit market is absorbing new leveraged loan issuance amid geopolitical uncertainty, credit managers expect the war to drive a rise in defaults

New European Partners Group CLO prices with delayed-issuance single B tranche
Both the triple As and double As were split across note and loan tranches, with the triple As issuing at the current market benchmark of 130bps over Euribor

CLO equity price decline represents compelling buying opportunity — CIFC
Over the next 12 to 24 months, CLO equity could generate returns comparable to those seen in 2023-2024, CIFC believes

M&A volume leap 20% to USD 1.38tn in first quarter of 2026
Even the Iran conflict has not arrested momentum among larger deals. A mammoth USD 122bn capital raise from OpenAI closed on the last day of the quarter, according to Mergermarket data

Michigan, New Mexico make large bets on asset-based credit strategies
Michigan SIB commits USD 800m to Apollo, LGT credit funds; New Mexico SIC allocates USD 400m for Ares, Pemberton funds

AI blockbuster deals surge as Middle East conflict test dealmaker confidence
Mergermarkets M&A Highlights 1Q26: Global M&A volume jumped 22% to the second highest start ever

Euro CLO market perks up to close out week, as LGT and Capital Four price deals
A new issue from LGT Capital Partners and a reset from Capital Four came after a tepid week of issuance, impacted by the ongoing disruptive impacts of AI on software loans, allied to uncertainty stemming from the war in Iran

First Brands secures final mediation extension to advance case resolution talks, judge warns against further delays
Judge approves extension of FBG case resolution mediation with Judge Isgur through 27 March; likely the final extension for case resolution talks

European CLO market predicted to double in size within five years
At the FT Live Euro CLO conference in London, managers have predicted rapid growth in the European market over the next five years

ABS primary braves geopolitical uncertainty as spreads start to feel pressure – European ABS Weekly Digest
The European ABS primary market mostly shunned geopolitical risk this week as seven deals priced, two of which were pre-placed

Eurazeo expands evergreen push across Europe as wealth inflows rise 18%
EUR 922m in wealth inflows in 2025, up 18%; Two evergreen launches in 2025, wealth AUM now EUR 5.8bn

CLO primary market in Europe to go quiet amid oil price upheaval – Acer Tree
EXCLUSIVE: No new issues are expected to reach the market this week as investors and managers take a wait-and-see approach following new geopolitical pressures 

Air Baltic and INEOS Quattro bonds fall, AD Education loan continues to slide – Market Comment
Latvian flagship airline Air Baltic’s EUR 380m 14.5% senior secured 2029 notes are 5 points down from Friday, while UK-based chemicals group INEOS Quattro’s EUR 775m 8.5% senior secured 2029 notes are 4.5 points down at 77.9-mid in the wake of rising costs stemming from the US/Iran conflict

Loan ETFs see massive outflows as retail investors react to software, Iran
EXCLUSIVE: The software sell-off and Iranian conflict have rattled the retail market and led to a spike in outflows, according to Octaura data

BlackRock TCP reports new write-downs, wiping out 19% of NAV
Loans on non-accrual now account for 9.7% of cost for the BDC’s portfolio and 4% of fair value, the fourth quarter earnings presentation shows

Golub reset sets fresh AAA market tight for private credit CLOs
Golub Capital Partners CLO 71(M)-R issued its top-of-stack paper at SOFR plus 135bps, two bps inside the previous low