Loan slump brings managers closer

Four managers join forces on gigantic £1.9 billion unitranche
The supersized transaction to Ardonagh Group, led by Ares, is the largest ever unitranche facility

Ares 2016 US CLO suffers downgrades to three tranches
Moody’s has downgraded three debt ranches from Ares XL CLO, a 2016 US CLO which is passing its par value tests

OC health check: second European 2.0 CLO reports junior OC breach
33 deals reported overcollateralisation (OC) breaches last week in a relatively quiet reporting period.  314 deals are now reporting OC breaches as of the latest report, according to CLO-i.

Ares fined $1 million by SEC over 'misuse of non-public information'
Ares Management has been fined $1 million by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in a settlement surrounding compliance failure relating to a portfolio company

Ares appoints Garrison managing director as partner in ABL team
Ares has hired a managing director from Garrison Investment Group to join its asset backed lending group as partner

Fitch takes action on 29 European CLO tranches
Fitch Ratings took action on 29 European CLO tranches yesterday, placing the majority of these on rating watch negative

Ares sets CLO triple A benchmark with senior notes at 170bp
Ares Management has priced a new three-year reinvestment US CLO at the tight end of price guidance, setting new benchmark levels in the process

$350 million of CLO collateral drips into default as oil companies file for Chapter 11
CLOs hold $353 million worth of debt of two oil and gas companies - Ultra Petroleum and Gavilan Resources - which have become the latest casulties of the precipituous decline in oil prices. The pair filed for chapter 11 protection in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas on Thursday and Saturday, respectively

Louisiana pension commits $150 million to mezzanine and credit opportunities funds
Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana has awarded $150 million to two credit funds managed by Ares Management and Audax Group at its 7 May board meeting, a spokesperson for the pension has confirmed

CLO pipeline: Apollo targets fourth deal as managers line up to break 2020 ducks
Six CLO managers, five in the US and Fair Oaks Capital in Europe, are showcasing their first new issues of the year in preparation for pricing later this month. And Apollo Global Management is marketing its fourth new issue CLO (third US new issue CLO) in the last month and a half

Three-year US CLOs set to tighten as large managers market deals
US CLO triple A spreads are tightening sharply this week with market sources indicating that benchmark levels for three-year reinvestment deals have gone into the 180s

Ares raises $3 billion special situations fund ahead of huge European direct lending launch
Ares Management has witnessed “accelerated fundraising” for its special situations fund, which it has closed at around $3 billion, according to the firm’s earnings calls. The firm also launched its fifth European direct lending fund this week, which Ares expects could be “the largest private comingled fund in its history”

Who’s got the moves US: oil and gas leads renaissance for US CLO managers
The US leveraged loan market has held steady over the last two weeks. After rising to just below 87 of par in mid-April, the S&P LSTA US Leveraged Loan index closed at 85.75 to start this week

Fitch places five BDCs on negative outlook
Fitch Ratings has changed the outlooks of five business development companies from stable to negative folllowing a review of its rated BDCs

Virginia pension allocates $850 million to credit in Q1
Virginia Retirement System has allocated $850 million to three credit strategies in the first quarter of the year, according to an update at its 15 April investment committee meeting

Secondary CLO debt trades well but Trace suggests CLO equity trading at 12 cents
A variety of CLO paper was in for the bid yesterday with US secondary CLO volumes reaching $281 million, and European volumes hitting €74 million

Ares takes different approach to primary CLOs as it plans three-year US deal
The primary market for CLOs since the coronavirus escalated into a pandemic last month is evolving briskly with Ares Management planning a new US CLO with a three-year reinvestment period

Credit funds at a glance

A round-up of fundraising and people moves in credit

CLO pipeline: down but not out, as deals find new ways to limp forward
Deepening credit instability has taken a toll on CLO appetite, but there is still life in the primary market

Ares hires head of ESG from Partners Group
Ares Management Corporation has appointed a head for its environmental, social and governance (ESG) practice, effective from April  

Points up front: Credit picking follows on from investor picking
Credit picking skills will be important this year amid heightened idiosyncratic risk, so everyone seems to say. But Ares Management, one of the biggest names in direct lending, has demonstrated that asset managers can also be picky with the mandates they take on, when the firm walked away from a private debt mandate with London CIV in January.

Credit funds at a glance
A round-up of fundraising and people moves in credit

Kissick and make up: Ares replaces board member
Ares Management has appointe a replacement to its board of directors as retired Ares co-founder John Kissick steps down

CLO market celebrates Valentine's Day by romancing with resets
Refinancings have been the talk of the month in the CLO market, but this Valentines day saw managers turn their minds to resets