Creditflux

Goldman Sachs AM merges public and private BDC
Goldman Sachs Asset Management has merged two of its business development companies: Goldman Sachs BDC, a $1.54 billion publicly traded BDC, and private BDC Goldman Sachs Middle Market Lending Corporation, which has $1.7 billion assets

Pennsylvania pension creates private credit bucket
Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System has approved a new 4% allocation to the private credit asset class

First Eagle buys US CLO manager THL Credit
Two years after establishing its credit business with the acquisition of NewStar Financial, First Eagle Investment Management is aiming big again after striking a deal to buy THL Credit Advisors

Golub sets new record with seventh US CLO of 2019
Golub Capital Partners has become the first CLO manager to price seven new issues in the US market since 2010

Beware of "mequity" risk in direct lending, writes Barings
Barings co-head of global private finance, Ian Fowler, predicts that the adoption of lending terms associated with broadly syndicated loans into private credit will not prove beneficial in the long term

US university backs private credit fund
The University of Michigan Regents has committed to a private credit fund that purchases small balance commercial and industrial loans

Californian pension commits $15 million to Angelo Gordon credit fund
San Mateo County Employees' Retirement Association (SamCERA) has approved a $15 million commitment to a fund managed by Angelo Gordon, according to documents seen by Creditflux  

Mid market CLO league tables: first time managers crack the top five
Five new issue middle market CLOs priced in November for a combined total of $2 billion with Audax and Owl Rock doubling down in 2019.

US pension allocates $150 million to private credit
Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (APFC) has backed two private credit funds, committing $150 million to the asset class  

BNP Paribas AM set to launch Nest-like private credit offer to UK pensions
French manager BNP Paribas Asset Management is set to launch a diversified private credit fund for smaller UK pension funds over the first half of 2020, similar to the one it structured for the pension scheme Nest  

Astor and Armory team up for US mid-market credit interval fund
Astor Investment Management has teamed up with Armory Capital to launch a middle-market credit interval fund, according to US regulatory filings

Pantheon appoints ex-Star Mountain official as head of global private debt
Pantheon has appointed a former Star Mountain Capital official as partner and global head of private debt in New York 

US buyers take punt on Europe's first 2.0 SME CLO
Investors in Be-Spoke Capital’s Alhambra SME Funding 2019-1 are mostly European asset managers, but some banks and US-based institutions also invested in the precedent setting transaction 

Alcentra plugs gaps as CIO leaves the firm
Alcentra’s chief investment officer has departed, with the firm splitting his responsibilities between its heads of European loans and US loans as co-CIOs 

BlackRock targets €2.5 billion as it completes first close on European mid-market fund
BlackRock European Middle Market Private Debt Fund II, having collected €1.5 billion at first close, is expected to hold a final close in the first half of next year at around €2.5 billion, according to market sources 

EIB confirms investment in European mid market CLO
The European Investment Bank has confirmed it invested €61 million in Alhambra SME Funding 2019-1 – the first European 2.0 CLO backed by middle market loans

Permira hit by downgrades in direct lending portfolio but maintains leverage facility ratings
Permira Credit Solutions II's largest asset holding, which represents 17% of the fund, was downgraded from B to D, according to Arc Ratings. Another was downgraded from CCC+ to CCC

Direct lending strategies grow by 32% in Luxembourg, report finds
Direct lending strategies domiciled in Luxembourg have almost doubled to comprise 32% of the private loan market, up from 18% last year, according to a joint private debt fund survey conducted by KPMG and Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry

UK pension partnership launches maiden private credit offering at £581 million
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership (BCPP) is set to commit £581 million in private credit, as part of its maiden offering in this asset class  

West coast pension looks to step up direct lending allocations
The City of Fresno Retirement System will commit $140-160 million to private credit for the next two years, according to board documentation seen by Creditflux. This comes amid a pause in direct lending commitments for the pension fund, which has not committed any capital to this market in 2019

Crescent swoops into mid market CLOs with 'reverse-sequential' ramp-up strategy
Crescent Capital Group is launching its debut CLO backed by middle market loans and has opted to use an unusual ramp-up tactic

Italian journalists set for greater exposure to infrastructure debt
The pension fund for Italian journalists has launched a request for proposals in which it seeks exposure to infrastructure debt, along with infrastructure equity

45% of insurers look to increase private debt allocations, finds Natixis IM survey
Private debt allocations are expected to grow for 45% of insurers over the next three years, according to a recent survey by Natixis Investment Management. But regulation and internal restrictions are the biggest challenges to greater adoption of private markets allocation

GSO official to join distressed debt manager Kennedy Lewis
The head of capital markets at GSO Capital Partners, who serves as a portfolio manager, will join distressed debt firm Kennedy Lewis Investment Management as a partner in 2020

Saranac adds private markets specialist in London
Saranac Partners has added a private market specialist from Citi