Citigroup announced an evergreen private credit partnership with BlackRock on March 18, 2026, targeting $15 billion in commitments. The vehicle marks the first joint deployment by a bulge-bracket bank and the world's largest asset manager into a structure that allows quarterly redemptions, a departure from the decade-long lockups standard in private credit. Citigroup will originate and underwrite the loans. BlackRock will manage the capital and distribute through its iShares and Aladdin platforms.
The partnership solves two problems. Citigroup has been sitting on $47 billion in held-for-sale corporate loans since regulators forced balance sheet deleveraging in 2024. BlackRock's private markets AUM crossed $500 billion in February 2026, but 68% of that sits in closed-end funds where LPs are now refusing re-ups after the 2025 distribution drought. An evergreen structure with quarterly liquidity windows gives family offices and RIAs an entry point without the commitment-period risk that froze allocations last year. The first close is expected in Q2 2026, with Citigroup committing $3 billion of balance sheet capital as anchor.
The timing matters. Private credit fundraising fell 41% year-over-year in 2025, the steepest drop since 2009, as institutional LPs demanded proof of liquidity before committing to new vehicles. Apollo and Ares both launched semi-liquid interval funds in late 2025, but neither paired with a bank capable of mid-market origination at scale. Citigroup originates $22 billion annually in leveraged loans and has lending relationships with 1,400 middle-market borrowers. BlackRock's distribution network reaches 9,200 RIAs and 340 insurance companies. The combination gives the vehicle access to both deal flow and a buyer base that competitors lack.
The structure also reshapes how banks manage regulatory capital. Under Basel III endgame rules finalized in January 2026, held-for-sale loans carry a 150% risk weight if held longer than 90 days. Citigroup's exposure has been sitting for an average of 340 days, tying up $7.1 billion in excess capital. Moving these loans into a third-party vehicle clears the balance sheet while retaining servicing fees and upside through a 12% equity stake in the GP. The arrangement mirrors what JPMorgan built with Carlyle in 2024, a structure that freed $9 billion in Tier 1 capital within six months.
Allocators should track three developments. First, whether the vehicle's liquidity windows survive a drawdown period, expected to be tested in Q3 2026 when $14 billion in private credit loans reprice. Second, if other bulge-bracket banks replicate the structure, as Goldman's private credit desk is reportedly in talks with KKR for a similar vehicle. Third, pricing spreads on the initial portfolio, which will set the benchmark for whether evergreen vehicles can deliver the SOFR+650 returns that closed-end funds target.
Citigroup's stock moved 2.1% on the announcement. BlackRock's private markets inflows accelerated 18% in the week following. The first loan commitments are due by May 15, 2026.