Intermediate Capital Group posts record fundraising year

LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - Intermediate Capital Group plc said on Tuesday it had raised a record amount of moneyacross its products to boost third party assets under managementby 8 percent to 10.7 billion euros ($14.68 billion).

The company, a specialist asset manager that providesmezzanine finance, private debt, leveraged credit and minorityequity, said a record period of realisations during the periodhad left total assets under management flat at 13.0 billioneuros.

Pretax profit in the year to end-March 2014, meanwhile, wasup 11 percent to 158.7 million pounds from 142.6 million pounds.

ICG said in a statement that it would pay a final dividendof 14.4 pence per share to bring its total dividend for the yearto 21.0 pence, a rise of 5 percent. It also announced a sharebuyback of up to 100 million pounds.

"There is no doubt that investor interest in creditstrategies is increasing," said ICG's chief executive,Christophe Evain, in a statement.

"This is due to more positive economic sentiment around theworld combined with the need to diversify sources of yield inportfolios and the demand for alternative sources of finance inthe new lending landscape. In light of this market we see themomentum in growing our business continuing".($1 = 0.7289 Euros) (Reporting by Simon Jessop, editing by Pamela Barbaglia)