KKR and PGIM among bidders to buy Alcentra: Bloomberg
BNY Mellon is set to offload its credit investment unit Alcentra, according to a report by Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter

Gapstow expects strategic deals as credit manager M&A volume slumps to $120 billion
M&A volume involving credit asset managers dropped last year with total target value assets under management slumping to $120 billion from $149 billion in 2020 (and $254 billion in 2019), according to Gapstow Capital Partners

Pemberton hires former BlackRock official for new Dubai office
Pemberton has become the latest credit manager to expand its presence in the middle east with a new Dubai office

HPS reveals private credit-focused non-traded BDC
HPS Investment Partners has become the latest manager to launch a public, non-traded business development company

Former CIFC European CIO moves on from CLOs as he joins Man
Man Group has hired CIFC's former European chief investment officer alongside a Swiss Re official to launch a new capital assets solution unit

Ares launches new IG private credit strategy with senior hire
Ares Management has bolstered its credit capabilities by adding a new investment grade private credit strategy and hiring a managing director

Park Square sells minority stake to Bonaccord
Bonaccord Capital Partners has bought a minority stake in $10 billion private credit shop Park Square Capital

Tikehau raises nearly €2 billion for direct lending amid record-breaking quarterly fundraising
Tikehau Capital has collected nearly €2 billion for Tikehau Direct Lending V, plus a further €275 million for its secondary private debt strategy 

Pennsylvania pension reveals $500 million in commitments to three private credit funds
Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement has revealed three private credit commitments as part of $1.1 billion in allocations to its alternatives bucket

BC closes $1.2 billion second special opportunities fund 12 months’ incubation
BCP Special Opportunities Fund II has collected $1.2 billion in capital commitments - but a year later than it originally earmarked a final close

Hayfin raises 'more than €2 billion' for special opportunities strategy
Hayfin Capital Management has held a ‘more than €2 billion’ final close on its third special opportunities private credit fund, Hayfin Special Opportunities Fund III

"Some observers believe Europe’s opportunity in private debt lies at the lower end of the middle market"
European private debt has lagged its counterpart in the US. But a growth spurt may not be far off

SME CLO supremo leaves Be-Spoke for expanding Spanish firm
One of the pioneers behind SME CLOs has left Be-Spoke Capital to join another Spanish lender. He leaves behind the only SME CLO in Europe since the 2008 financial crisis  

Credit funds at a glance (January 2022)
A round up of fundraising and people moves in credit

Credit Fundraising: mega funds contribute to record-breaking month as volume hits $39bn
The sheer size of the funds raised in November more than compensated for a drop in the number of funds raised as fundraising volume in credit reached $38.9 billion. This beat September by $2.4 billion to make it the most productive month of credit fundraising in 2021

Ares rounds out bumper year for direct lending with $14 billion US fund
Ares Management is ending 2021 with yet another massive direct lending fund-raise

Firm claims to cut loan settlement times with blockchain based securitisation
Cadeia, a German technology firm, claims to have undertaken the first ever fully blockchain based corporate loan securitisation transaction

Muzinich adds UK and Ireland institutional sales head
Muzinich & Co has hired a head institutional sales for the UK and Ireland

BNP Paribas AM launches Article 9 social bond fund
BNP Paribas Asset Management has launched a sustainable bond fund that will be classified as article nine under the EU’s sustainable financial disclosure regulation

Amundi replaces European loan head and appoints deputy
Amundi has shaken up the hierarchy of its loan business with a personnel shuffle at the top

Oaktree raises largest ever fund with $15.9 billion for "opportunistic credit" strategy
Oaktree Capital Management has closed its largest ever fund, collecting a whopping $15.9 billion on its latest opportunistic credit strategy, Oaktree Opportunities Fund XI

Fidelity appoints former CVC official as global head of private assets solutions
Fidelity has hired from CVC to a newly created role of global head of private assets solutions, following the expansion of its private credit businesses earlier this year

HPS targets $9.5 billion for fifth mezzanine debt fund
HPS Investment Partners is targeting $9.5 billion for its fifth global mezzanine debt fund, HPS Strategic Investment Partners V - but unlike earlier vintages, HPS says it will not target opportunities within the upstream energy space

Pemberton closes €1.75 billion strategic credit fund 40% deployed
Pemberton Asset Management has closed its second strategic credit fund, Pemberton Strategic Credit Fund II, at around €1.75 billion

Blackstone Credit names tech investing head
Blackstone Credit has promoted a New York-based official as its global head of technology investing