About This Fund
The Ares Asia Direct Lending fund targets investments in Australia and New Zealand, focusing on providing first lien, senior secured loans to high-yield borrowers. The fund has deployed over A$1.04 billion in loans for leveraged buyouts, with recipients including companies like InvoCare Ltd., Gull New Zealand, and Pushpay. Given the lack of an institutional capital market for high-yield borrowers in these regions, the fund aims to capitalize on the opportunities created by banks dialing back on leveraged loans. Investors in the fund include two Asia Pacific sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurance companies, family offices, and high net worth individuals. The fund has also secured loans from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Citigroup Inc. The target sectors for investment include businesses involved in leveraged buyouts and high-yield borrowing, with a focus on borrowers, financial sponsors, and corporates in Australia and New Zealand.