Ares Management Corp. closed its latest European direct lending fund at €11 billion ($13.2 billion), exceeding its target and reaching its hard cap.
Ares Capital Europe V is the largest European direct lending fund raised to date and the biggest institutional fund raised by Ares Management, the firm said in a news release Thursday.
The original target was €9 billion, and the fund launched eight months ago. Including anticipated leverage, ACE V will have a total about €15 billion available to deploy, the news release said.
The fund is already being deployed by the European direct lending team, predominantly to middle-market companies. Eleven investments have been committed so far, totaling €1.7 billion. The deployment backdrop is constructive, Michael Dennis, partner and co-head of European credit, said in the release.
"ACE V will also seek to have a positive social impact as part of our broader firmwide focus on ESG," said Blair Jacobson, partner and co-head of European credit, in the release.
Among investors are the $460.8 billion California Public Employees' Retirement System, Sacramento, which committed $1.1 billion; and Maine Public Employees Retirement System, Augusta, which committed up to €100 million to the fund. MainePERS had $16.5 billion in assets as of Dec. 31.
The predecessor fund, Ares Capital Europe IV, closed in July 2018 at its €6.5 billion hard cap. A spokesman declined to comment on the any plans to launch a further fund.
Ares had $197 billion of assets under management as of Dec. 31.
