Kelly Thompson, Direct Lending Deals

Kelly Thompson is the Founder and Editor of Direct Lending Deals, a new publication that lifts the curtain on private credit by giving investors and originators the latest news and analysis on terms & trends in the direct lending market, now a $1 trillion dollar asset class. DL Deals focuses on sponsor-driven transactions, the main engine of deal flow in leveraged lending. Tapping into 20-year relationships, they to go deeper on deals, and cover all segments of direct lending including fundraising, BDCs and people shaping the market.
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Recent Posts

3Q19 Portfolio Highlights: Ares Capital books big quarter for new issues, at $2.4B

Posted by Kelly Thompson, Direct Lending Deals on Nov 1, 2019 9:29:49 AM

Ares Capital yesterday reported a big quarter for new issues, $2.4 billion across 50 borrowers, compared to $1.3 billion in the previous quarter and $1.9 billion in the same period last year. 

Management attributed much of the spike to catch up business that might have hit the market in the first half had the fourth quarter last year not been so volatile.
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Topics: Loans, Middle Market, BDC, First Lien, debt, business development company, Non-accruals, portfolio, Direct Lending, syndicated, underperformers, Direct Lending Deals

Golub plans private party for Parts Town; Deal is latest large-cap to forgo wider distribution

Posted by Kelly Thompson, Direct Lending Deals on Oct 18, 2019 2:15:23 PM

Parts Town is coming to market next week via Golub Capital with a $788 million unitranche financing to back the add-on acquisition of Heritage Foodservice Group. The lender meeting, however, isn’t taking place in a fancy midtown hotel auditorium that can seat hundreds of investors. Instead, Golub is hosting a small group of invites to sell down only about half the deal.

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Topics: Loans, Middle Market, BDC, First Lien, debt, business development company, Non-accruals, portfolio, Direct Lending, syndicated, underperformers, Direct Lending Deals

Unitranche: Integrity Marketing loan highlights better pricing for direct lenders

Posted by Kelly Thompson, Direct Lending Deals on Sep 17, 2019 9:04:55 AM

The $945M financing for Integrity Marketing that was put away quickly and quietly last month not only shows how direct lenders continue to log wins for larger mandates, but also the wider premiums they earn bypassing the syndicated market. 

Pricing on the unitranche loan that Owl Rock Capital, Crescent Capital and Antares Capital put together for the company closed at L+575, according to sources. That's 150 bps higher than the L+425 on the insurance broker’s previous first-lien debt. It's also well above current averages in the more broadly syndicated market. 

According to S&P Global LCD, the average all-in yield is 5.9% across large borrowers this month. With 3-month Libor at 2.14%, that puts the average spread at roughly L+375 for syndicated issuers.

Against other unitranche loans — the tool of choice for many direct lenders —the Integrity Marketing credit is right in the wheelhouse of where the majority of unitranches have priced in 2019, based on data provided by Advantage Data.

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Topics: Loans, Middle Market, BDC, First Lien, debt, business development company, Non-accruals, portfolio, Direct Lending, syndicated, underperformers, Direct Lending Deals

Harvest Partners hit direct lending market for $945M unitranche loan at L+575 to support Integrity Marketing deal: Owl Rock, Crescent, Antares

Posted by Kelly Thompson, Direct Lending Deals on Sep 16, 2019 3:00:00 PM

Harvest Partners went with Owl Rock Capital, Crescent Capital and Antares Capital last month for $945 million in unitranche financing in connection with the private equity firm’s minority growth investment in Integrity Marketing Group, a national life and health insurance broker.

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Topics: Middle Market, BDC, debt, business development company, Non-accruals, portfolio, Direct Lending, underperformers, Direct Lending Deals

Non-Accruals PART II: What about lower middle market defaults? Higher, but even harder to assess

Posted by Kelly Thompson, Direct Lending Deals on Sep 11, 2019 3:34:52 PM

Last week’s look at BDC non-accruals showed an overall rate that still ran below historical norms, but what about the lower middle market? All BDCs invest in these names —that’s the nature of the business— but some drill down more than others.

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Topics: BDC, debt, business development company, Non-accruals, portfolio, Direct Lending, underperformers, Direct Lending Deals


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