News•Feb 19, 2026
The Increasing Visibility of Stress
The latest editorial highlights that Business Development Companies (BDCs) are increasingly mirroring broader credit stress in the market. Deteriorating loan performance and tighter financing conditions are evident across BDC portfolios. At the same time, a looming maturity wall—large volumes of debt coming due in the next few years—could force many BDCs into restructurings or asset sales. These trends suggest a more constrained financing environment for middle‑market borrowers.
By Private Debt Investor
News•Feb 19, 2026
Loan Note: Carlyle’s Sidhu on the European Opportunity; Configure Highlights Mixed M&A Picture
Carlyle’s Taj Sidhu expressed optimism about Europe’s private‑debt market, citing strong borrower resilience and attractive financing conditions. He highlighted low‑interest‑rate environments and a growing pipeline of mid‑market deals as catalysts for continued asset growth. Meanwhile, Configure’s latest M&A snapshot described...
By Private Debt Investor
News•Feb 19, 2026
Schroders Capital Hires Asia Fundraising Head From Oaktree
Schroders Capital has appointed Sabrina Meng as its new Head of Asia Fundraising, transitioning from Oaktree Capital Management. Meng will assume the role next month, bringing extensive experience in private‑debt capital raising across the region. The move underscores Schroders' ambition...
By Private Debt Investor
News•Feb 19, 2026
Bloomberg: Leveraged Lending Insights – 2/16/2026
The US leveraged loan market opened 2026 with extraordinary vigor, posting $168.2 billion in new issuances during January—the strongest monthly total in over a decade. By mid‑February, activity slowed dramatically, with only $25.9 billion of new deals launched through February 18, the lowest...
By The Lead Left
News•Feb 19, 2026
The Pulse of Private Equity – 2/16/2026
Technology private equity deal activity surged in 2026, with total deal value climbing 67.4% year‑over‑year while the number of transactions rose a modest 13.4%. The gap between value and count indicates that firms are executing larger, mega‑cap deals rather than...
By The Lead Left
News•Feb 19, 2026
Infra’s $650bn Window of Opportunity
The article highlights a $650 billion infrastructure investment window but notes that markets are penalising hyperscaler capital expenditures that appear erratic. It questions whether traditional infrastructure managers can impose the discipline needed to attract capital. The piece warns that unchecked hyperscaler...
By Infrastructure Investor (PEI Group)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Midmarket Dealmakers’ Confidence Remains Steady: ACG Survey
The Association for Corporate Growth’s Q1 2026 Market Pulse Survey shows middle‑market dealmakers remain cautiously optimistic, with 64% anticipating a slight increase in M&A activity over the next six months—mirroring the prior quarter and up from 54% earlier in the...
By Middle Market Growth (ACG)
News•Feb 18, 2026
KBRA Direct Lending Deals: News & Analysis – 2/16/2026
Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) released its latest direct‑lending default indices covering the trailing‑twelve‑month period ending February 17, 2026. The indices aggregate performance data from a broad universe of private credit transactions, including senior secured loans, unitranche facilities, and mezzanine tranches. By...
By The Lead Left
News•Feb 18, 2026
Middle Market Deal Terms at a Glance – February 2026
SPP Capital Partners released its February 2026 Middle Market Deal Terms snapshot, updating leverage, debt‑to‑EBITDA, and pricing metrics for senior bank cash‑flow, senior non‑bank unitranche, and junior capital across micro, small and mid‑cap segments. Compared with February 2025, leverage ratios have nudged...
By The Lead Left
News•Feb 18, 2026
Debtwire Middle-Market – 2/16/2026
The VanEck BDC Income ETF is yielding 12.3% as of 12 February, just below its five‑year high of 12.8% reached in April 2025. In contrast, the BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield index has slipped to 6.6%, down from an 8.5%...
By The Lead Left
News•Feb 18, 2026
Octus: Private Credit & Deal Origination Insights – 2/16/2026
In the third quarter of 2025, Business Development Companies (BDCs) reported the highest non‑accrual rates among issuers in the Information Technology (23%) and Consumer Discretionary (22%) sectors. The data, released in Octus’s private‑credit briefing, shows a clear tilt toward software‑heavy...
By The Lead Left
News•Feb 18, 2026
Leveraged Loan Insight & Analysis – 2/16/2026
Business development companies (BDCs) have seen their share price to net asset value (NAV) ratios slip lower as investors anticipate reduced base rates and grapple with heightened software sector exposure. The average price‑to‑NAV now sits below 95%, reflecting a widening...
By The Lead Left
News•Feb 17, 2026
Australia’s Energy Transition Hits a Permitting Wall
Australia’s renewable rollout is stalling as planning and environmental permitting delays choke new generation projects. State‑level approval processes are taking years, pushing back construction of solar farms, wind parks and battery storage. Although the federal government has introduced streamlined pathways,...
By Infrastructure Investor (PEI Group)
News•Feb 13, 2026
Expect the Unexpected: A 2026 Lending Outlook with WhiteHorse Capital
WhiteHorse Capital’s Pankak Gupta and Stuart Aronson forecast a cautious‑optimistic 2026 for middle‑market lending, citing modest Federal Reserve rate cuts and lingering inflation. They expect a rebound in M&A activity with narrowing valuation gaps, while new capital inflows are driving...
By Middle Market Growth (ACG)
News•Feb 13, 2026
Private Equity Holding Periods Continue to Climb
Private‑equity firms now hold portfolio companies for a median of six years, the longest span since the metric began tracking in 2000. The increase reflects delayed exits caused by market uncertainty, the COVID‑19 pandemic, and a strategic shift toward add‑on...
By Private Equity Info — Blog
News•Feb 12, 2026
PE Weekly: Business Services Retains Its M&A Strength
Business services private equity firms continued a busy week of M&A, completing multiple platform acquisitions—including Kingswood Capital’s purchase of Safran Passenger Innovations (renamed RAVE Aerospace), H.I.G. Capital’s buy of CargoTuff, Trinity Hunt Partners’ launch of Allvia, KPS Capital’s pending acquisition...
By Middle Market Growth (ACG)