When going green is not all it seems Investors are not convinced that ESG-friendly loans necessarily force managers to up their game. Private debt, it could be argued, has up to now occupied the back seat when it comes to environmental, social and governance issues. The expectation in sponsored deals has been that private equity…

Driving forward on ESG, but acceleration needed Private debt managers have made considerable progress but, particularly in North America, there is more to be done. Today any private debt manager underplaying the importance of environmental, social and governance issues might expect short shrift from any investor they approached for capital. However, it wasn’t always that…

Private debt warms up in the Middle East Sovereign wealth interest is becoming apparent as one of the world’s nascent debt markets shows signs of growth. As a relatively new asset class, private debt remains heavily undeveloped outside of North America and Europe. For investors looking to diversify outside of these regions and gain emerging…

Germany’s direct lenders make their mark The country’s once-dominant banks have seen their share of the lending market steadily eroded by alternative finance sources. It must have been around four or five years ago. The venue was London and a delegate at Private Debt Investor’s latest Capital Structure Forum was expressing the view that Germany…

Debt finds a foothold in the Middle East The region may be at a nascent stage, but private debt firms are seeing signs for optimism. As a relatively new asset class, private debt remains heavily undeveloped outside of North America and Europe. But some are tipping the Middle East and North Africa to be one…

The distressed opportunity mounts up Leveraged loan defaults have been accelerating, with companies having come under strain during the pandemic. Considering there has been a lot of talk about the delaying of the distressed opportunity as a result of companies being propped up by government support schemes, the figures in the chart above – showing…

The default story may have another twist Aided by support schemes, many businesses have been protected from the worst effects of the pandemic. But what happens when the support comes to an end? “While we are not out of the woods, we have seen a large number of loans return to performing credits, and we…

Timing is key in distressed debt The global pandemic provided another reminder that moving fast when opportunity arises is vital for managers in the space. When covid began spreading swiftly around the world early last year, a key facet of distressed debt investing was reinforced – the importance of timing. As public and private markets…

Remote due diligence is here to stay The challenges of life away from people and offices may have hindered private debt fundraising to an extent, but video meetings also have their supporters. Fundraising these days is a tough slog, right? Well certainly for private debt anyway, even if the still-surging private equity asset class managed…

Can Europe close the fundraising gap? Our fundraising data show North America pulling clear as the favourite investor destination. However, Europe’s relative decline may not be long-lasting. Over the last couple of weeks in this column, we have reflected on a couple of the key themes arising from our Q1 2021 fundraising data. The first…