Debt funds are already driving the use of AI and Big Data in their financial analyses.

The penetration of new technologies in the financial sector is booming, with nearly one in three funds, or 28% of participants, already using Artificial Intelligence (AI) or big data tools to analyze their financing opportunities. This is revealed by the fourth debt fund financing barometer prepared by the services firm BDO.

Furthermore, sustainability has established itself as a key variable in the decision-making processes of alternative debt fund financing committees. Sixty-eight percent of the funds consider ESG (environmental, social, and governance) criteria when granting credit. This reflects a growing trend towards more responsible investments that are conscious of social and environmental impact.

Financing Volume and Economic Expectations

The report also analyzes the average financing volume per transaction. Nearly half of the funds (48%) have conducted transactions between 5 and 10 million euros, while 24% have financed between 10 and 20 million euros, and 12% have conducted transactions between 20 and 50 million euros. A notable 16% of the funds have executed operations exceeding 50 million euros, representing an 8% increase from the previous year. This increase suggests that the average financing volume has significantly risen over the past year.

Macroeconomically, 88% of the surveyed funds have a positive outlook on the evolution of the Spanish economy, with 40% predicting growth above the European average. However, despite these optimistic perspectives, 64% of the funds have detected an increase in 'distress' situations in the companies they analyze, a 13% increase compared to the previous edition. Despite this, the credit quality of loan portfolios remains stable, according to 64% of the barometer participants.

Regarding sectors, healthcare remains the most attractive, with a 76% preference, followed by the tourism and agri-food sectors (both at 60%) and the technology sector (56%). However, there has been a notable decrease in interest in sectors such as industrial, which has reduced its attractiveness from 71% to 48%, and energy and infrastructure, which has dropped from 63% to 36% compared to the previous year.