The latest news in investment offerings, financial products and other services relative to wealth advisors and their clients.

KKR
KKR, an investment firm, said yesterday that it has completed a $2.5 billion fundraise for committing capital to privately originated performing credit investments in Asia-Pacific.

Family offices, banks, sovereign wealth funds, insurers and asset managers were among those who committed capital to the fund.

The fundraise includes $1.8 billion in KKR Asia Credit Opportunities Fund II and $700 million raised from separately managed accounts focused on the same types of investment opportunities.

At close, the fund is the largest pan-regional performing private credit fund in APAC, the US-listed firm said in a statement. This follows KKR’s inaugural Asia-Pacific-dedicated private credit fund, KKR Asia Credit Opportunities Fund, which closed at $1.1 billion in 2022.

“Private credit remains a relatively nascent yet compelling opportunity across the region. We see strong demand for private credit as an important tool for sponsors or corporates seeking flexible financing solutions and bespoke, partnership-oriented capital to support growth and meet their diverse needs,” SJ Lim, managing director and head of Asia private credit at KKR, said. 

In Asia-Pacific, KKR has closed over 60 investments through its Asia Credit strategy since 2019.

Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered has launched Signature Select Quality Credit Income, an investment-grade collateralised loan obligation (IG CLO) strategy sub-fund. The sub-fund sits under the bank’s Singapore-regulated Variable Capital Company (VCC) platform.

Barings has been named as the sub-investment manager of the fund.

“This collaboration enables investors to pursue a high-quality solution providing income-oriented exposure across market cycles,” Melissa Ricco, head of structured credit at Barings, said.

The strategy is available to high net worth clients from Standard Chartered’s Private, Priority Private and Priority segments with Accredited Investors and/or Professional Investors status, based in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, the UAE and Bahrain. 

UK-listed Standard Chartered aims to launch the fund progressively in other markets in the coming months.

Standard Chartered set up its VCC in June 2024.