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When the Tide Turns, Credit Quality Tells the Truth: Discipline, Differentiation and Opportunity in a More Selective Market

May 21st 2026 | Chicago, IL

Private credit is no longer defined by growth alone. As capital becomes more discerning and market conditions more uneven, the asset class is entering a phase where outcomes will be driven by judgment, structure, and selectivity rather than access or scale.

Rising refinancing needs, tighter underwriting scrutiny, and growing dispersion across strategies are forcing investors to look deeper — beyond headline yields — to understand where risk is truly being rewarded. At the same time, new opportunity sets are emerging across sector-focused lending, niche and asset-backed strategies, and opportunistic and distressed situations, creating both complexity and differentiation within private credit portfolios.

Institutional Investor's Private Credit Forum convenes leading allocators and asset managers for a candid, market-driven discussion on how private credit is being repositioned for this next phase. The program explores where investors are finding differentiated opportunities, how managers are sourcing and underwriting risk in crowded markets, and how portfolios are being prepared for a more selective and consequential credit environment.

Please reach out to Bhuvna Doshi at bdoshi@institutionalinvestor.com for more details.