Jefferies Credit Partners Announces $4 Billion Capacity for Its European Direct Lending Strategy Anchored by First Close of Inaugural European Direct Lending Fund Backed by Allianz Global Investors

Jefferies Credit Partners’ new European fund and related accounts are expected to provide about $4 billion of lending capacity for its Europe strategy.

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Led by Allianz Global Investors, with further support from South Carolina Retirement System Investment Commission and additional institutional investors, the fund launch builds on Jefferies Credit Partners’ broader expansion strategy into Europe.

NEW YORK & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Jefferies Credit Partners (“JCP”), a leading private credit manager and the asset management division of Jefferies Finance LLC (“Jefferies Finance”), announced approximately $4 billion lending capacity for its European institutional direct lending strategy. The flagship fund related to this strategy is anchored by commitments from Allianz Global Investors, with investments from South Carolina Retirement System Investment Commission and other institutional investors, and is significantly seeded at close through the acquisition of a diversified, recently originated portfolio of European private credit investments.

The fund close accelerates the growth of JCP’s European direct lending platform, which launched in late 2024 and has been actively deploying balance sheet capital since inception. “JCP’s expansion into Europe is a natural extension of our established direct lending platform,” said Tom Brady, President of Jefferies Finance. “With an experienced investment team and an embedded footprint through Jefferies’ EMEA Investment Banking franchise, we are positioned to source high-quality opportunities and replicate the success of our U.S. strategy.”

Additionally, JCP is in documentation with two partnership accounts expected to close later in 2026. Including the fund close, partnership accounts in progress, and access to balance sheet capital, JCP estimates close to $4 billion of lending capacity will be available for the Europe strategy in the near term.

“Europe remains an attractive and underpenetrated market for private credit, and we believe we have a differentiated access point to the European sponsor community through Jefferies’ relationships, which has enabled us to scale our Europe platform meaningfully in a short window,” said James Pearce, Head of European Direct Lending at Jefferies Credit Partners. “The strong investor support for this first close reflects confidence in our team, our sourcing model and the opportunity set ahead.”

“We are pleased to partner with Jefferies Credit Partners on the launch of its inaugural European Direct Lending Fund," said Joaquin Ardit, Lead Portfolio Manager at Allianz Global Investors. "Leading the transaction that seeded the fund's portfolio allowed us to put the full strength of Allianz Global Investors’ credit secondaries platform to work - our scale, our partnership-oriented approach, and our experience structuring GP-led transactions - delivering a positive outcome for all parties involved. This reflects the kind of opportunity our platform looks to support, and we look forward to continuing our work with Jefferies Credit Partners as it grows its presence in Europe.”

The fund’s perpetual structure is designed to provide institutional investors with scalable access to a diversified portfolio of sponsor-backed, senior secured private credit investments across Europe and the UK. The fund will primarily focus on middle market and upper middle market deals.

Jefferies LLC served as financial advisor in connection with the transaction. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal counsel to Jefferies Credit Partners.

About Jefferies Credit Partners

Jefferies Credit Partners is a seasoned and established private credit manager, investing on behalf of a global network of investors. We aim to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns for our investors and create value for our private equity sponsor clients and their portfolio companies. We benefit from a highly integrated sourcing model through our affiliation with Jefferies’ global investment banking platform. This strategic alignment provides proprietary access to a broad pipeline of private credit opportunities across sectors and geographies. JCP is the investment adviser across a range of investment strategies and vehicles, including private funds, CLOs, and separately managed accounts.

This announcement is issued by Jefferies Credit Partners for information purposes only. It does not constitute, and must not be construed as, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any interest in any fund or other investment, nor is it investment advice or a recommendation. Any offer or solicitation in respect of interests in the fund will be made only to persons who are professional investors, and only on the basis of the fund’s offering documents, which contain information regarding investment objectives, terms and risk factors.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws. Generally, the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "project," "will," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ significantly from the JCP’s present expectations or projections indicated in any forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, changes in economic and political conditions; regulatory and legal changes; leverage risk; valuation risk; interest rate risk; tax risk; the volume of sales and purchase of shares; the continuation of investment advisory, administration and other service arrangements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. JCP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein. There is no assurance that the JCP’s investment objective will be attained.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260909118015/en/

For inquiries, please contact:

Jonathan Freedman
Head of Marketing and Communications
Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
mediacontact@jefferies.com

Source: Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Key Terms

direct lending financial

Direct lending is when investors or investment funds lend money straight to companies instead of those companies borrowing from traditional banks. It matters to investors because it can offer higher interest income than public bonds or bank deposits, much like lending money to a neighbor for a premium, but it also carries greater credit risk and lower liquidity since the loans are often private and harder to sell.

private credit financial

Private credit is a form of borrowing where companies or organizations obtain loans directly from private lenders rather than traditional banks or financial markets. It often involves customized financing arrangements that are not traded publicly, making it a way for businesses to access funding outside of standard channels. For investors, private credit offers the potential for higher returns, but typically comes with increased risk and less liquidity compared to more conventional investments.

perpetual structure financial

A perpetual structure is a financing arrangement that issues instruments without a fixed maturity date, meaning the issuer has no contractual obligation to repay principal at a set time; periodic payments (coupons or dividends) may be fixed, discretionary, or subject to call provisions. It matters to investors because these instruments behave like very long-term claims whose value depends on interest rates, issuer credit and call risk — like owning a rental that can pay income indefinitely unless the owner stops or sells.

senior secured financial

Senior secured describes a loan or bond that has first claim on a company’s assets and is backed by specific collateral, like a mortgage on property. For investors, that means they are paid before other creditors if the company struggles or is liquidated, reducing the chance of loss compared with unsecured or junior debt. Think of it as a front-of-the-line, collateral-backed claim that typically carries lower interest because of that added protection.

gp-led transactions financial

A GP-led transaction is when a fund’s manager organizes a deal to move some or all of the fund’s investments into a new vehicle, offering existing investors a choice to sell their stake or roll into the new structure. Think of a building owner arranging a buyout that lets tenants either cash out or stay on under new terms; it matters to investors because it creates liquidity, can change fees and incentives, and affects the expected timeline and potential return on their investment.