Private Assets Articles

For decades, the 60/40 portfolio—60% equities and 40% bonds—was the cornerstone of traditional asset allocation strategies. However, recent years have exposed the vulnerabilities of this approach. Private credit has emerged as a compelling solution

The rise of private market investing is continuing unabated with more and more individual investors allocating up to 20-25%+ of their portfolios to the asset class. This trend appears set to continue with a growing number of investors who don’t currently have private markets exposure actively considering whether it’s aligned with their investment plan and goals.

Recent private equity return data from Preqin reveals that growing divergence of private equity returns is the name of the game. That’s both good news and bad news for investors. It means having the right private equity exposure is likely to remain fruitful, but ensuring you have the right exposure may take more due diligence than in the past. In other words, being informed as a private equity investor is more important than ever.

Private credit is having a 'Goldilocks' moment, with higher-for-longer interest rates driving double-digit returns. Once an overlooked investment class, Australia’s private credit market has exploded in recent years and is on track to reach $200 billion of assets under management, growing at a compound growth rate of 23% p.a.

There’s a concerning trend at play on the ASX: the number of listed stocks is shrinking year in, year out. This is the opposite of most investors want, which is access to a large and diverse range of listed businesses with high disclosure standards. We investigate the mysterious case of the shrinking ASX below.

In recent years, the private equity sector has increasingly cast its fund raising net to include individual investors who are aiming to generate strong risk-adjusted returns over the long term. With more investors considering the private equity opportunities on offer, it’s worthwhile delving into this opaque sector’s unique benefits and challenges.

You may have noticed you’re hearing more about private debt (also known as private credit) as an asset class these days. You’re not imagining it. Private debt is booming as an asset class. Preqin estimates the sector’s assets under management will grow from US$1.5 trillion in 2022 to US$2.8 trillion by 2028, reflecting growing awareness of the sector’s solid income generation credentials.

Among the attractions of an investment in an unlisted private credit fund is avoiding the volatility associated with the public markets. There is a downside to not marking-to-market, as it risks a fund holding assets at a Book Value well in excess of Fair Value.

Wholesale private credit products offer investors access to unique and attractive investment opportunities not usually available to the retail investor market. Because wholesale products don’t provide investors with the same consumer protection as retail funds, it’s important to review the offer document in full and seek advice if required.