KKR's Chief Financial Officer Robert Lewin stated that the company's publicly listed private credit funds are currently facing pressure on returns, mainly due to market concerns over credit risk and exposure in the software industry.
The private debt funds, known as Business Development Companies (BDCs), have been performing weakly in the public market. Among them, FS KKR Capital Corp's stock has dropped approximately 29% this year.
Lewin said that around $17 billion of KKR's direct lending assets are allocated through the BDC structure, with about $14 billion concentrated in FSK, which has been a drag on short-term investment returns.
He also noted that the company sees greater growth opportunities in non-listed private credit instruments.