Standard Chartered Launches Investment Grade CLO Strategy with Barings 

Standard Chartered has launched an investment grade CLO strategy under its Variable Capital Company platform, in a partnership with asset manager Barings, as the firm looks to expand its private wealth solutions. 

The collaboration between the two entities has launched the Signature Select Quality Credit Income fund, which is a new sub-fund focused on providing investors with “income‑oriented” exposure to investment‑grade CLO through an actively managed portfolio. 

As part of the partnership, Barings has been appointed as sub‑investment manager and marks the sixth addition to Standard Chartered’s VCC lineup, which initially launched in June 2024, the bank said. 

The Signature Select Quality Credit Income fund is accessible for investors within Standard Chartered’s private, priority private, and priority client segments, who qualify as accredited or professional investors, Standard Chartered said. 

The fund is currently available in key markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, and the bank plans to expand its rollout to additional regions in the coming months. 

The CLO launch comes after Standard Chartered partnered with Apollo to accelerate financing for infrastructure, clean transition, and renewable energy globally. The partnership includes a planned contribution of up to $3 billion in clean energy and transition financing across various sectors.  

Under the agreement, Standard Chartered will acquire a minority stake in Apterra, an Apollo-owned platform focused on infrastructure debt origination, for an undisclosed amount. 

Barings, a subsidiary of MassMutual, has over $470 billion in assets under management as of September 2025, the firm said.