Amazon. Patent activity tipped off designs on fulfillment and logistics aspirations now closer to reality with the Whole Foods transaction. Elsewhere in Amazon land, the company is becoming a massive lender and most people are walking around with Amazon plastic in their pockets too.

Australian Distress. Anchorage Capital Group is sniffing around Ten Network Holdings.

Energy XXI Gulf Coast Inc. ($EXXI). Fired a bunch of people.

Key Energy Services ($KEG) sold frac stack and well testing assets for $23.7mm. 

Penn Virginia Corp ($PVAC) has hired Jefferies to explore a potential sale one year after emerging from bankruptcy. The current owners (here, Strategic Value Partners LLC, Anchorage Capital Group LLC and Contrarian Capital Management LLC) of all of these restructuring oil and gas players are, seemingly, running for the hills creating a glut of sell-side engagements for bankers.

Private Equity. The House of Representatives just passed legislation that would loosen regulations on the private equity industry - including the need to register with the SEC. Suffice it to say, many large institutional PE investors like CalSTRS expressed opposition to the new legislation. 

THL Credit ($TCRD) has closed its third direct lending vehicle with $511mm of AUM.