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The appeal of private assets in 2024

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The macro environment in 2024 will likely spur demand for private assets from all types of investors in our view. In this higher-for-longer environment, private assets could continue to be a compelling source of risk-adjusted returns, income and diversification.

Private assets are not traded on public exchanges. They can include debt, equity, real estate, infrastructure, farmland and timberland. While covering a broad range of asset types, private assets share similar investment characteristics in many instances:

  • Stability: Private market pricing helps avoid public market noise, reducing volatility.

  • Return and income potential: Limited liquidity has often been viewed as a limitation, but that same illiquidity creates opportunities. Private markets are perhaps best known for their high return potential compared with similar public assets.

  • Resilience: Long-term cash flows are a feature of many private real assets often with contractual payments that adjust for inflation.

  • Diversification: Private real assets generally have low or negative correlations with listed equity and bonds, and bring additional sources of alpha to a portfolio.

Explore our asset class outlooks for 2024:

Infrastructure
Infrastructure

The AI boom is causing an unprecedented boost in power generation demand. This creates opportunities in clean energy, including solar and wind infrastructure around the world, and we anticipate demand will also grow for nuclear energy, transmission infrastructure to accommodate new development, natural gas- related investments and data centres.

The long-term thesis for infrastructure assets is supported by steady demand for many of the essential services these assets provide. Inelastic demand and often a monopoly-type market position typically mean that infrastructure investments are non-cyclical, thus providing diversification and an ability to reduce overall portfolio volatility. Many also offer income from long-term contractual cash flows that often adjust for inflation or cost of capital.

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Private capital
Private capital

Slower-than-expected U.S. interest rate cuts reflect economic strength, and economic activity bodes well for private capital. GDP growth creates favourable operating conditions for the businesses investors can lend to (private credit) or take ownership positions in (private equity). And even as Europe experiences more tepid growth, the environment remains constructive for private capital.

We expect the investor-friendly private credit terms we have experienced over recent years, namely lower borrower leverage and higher yields, will sustain. Financing costs have reduced and should ease further.

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Real estate
Real estate

We see evidence of a recovery in the real estate market, with interest rates likely to be on a downward trajectory in many markets. Non-office-related private real estate has bottomed, as the capital and financial headwinds facing landlords have faded. Rent and occupancy growth are healthy, and investor demand is returning for most sectors. The improving climate is driving increased competition for real estate deals, an indicator of an impending recovery for the asset class.

These signals should encourage investors who have been fearful of the asset class amid higher rates to take advantage of opportunities that are underpinned by long-term, structural megatrends.

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Natural capital
Natural capital

Investing in sustainable timberland and farmland taps into the growing global population’s demand for resources and supporting environmentally friendly and socially responsible food, fibre and timber production. And against the current backdrop of higher-for-longer interest rates and inflation, natural capital can provide portfolios with a level of inflation protection.

Timberland and farmland investments can also serve sustainability objectives. They have the lowest average carbon intensity (net CO2 emissions per dollar invested) among alternative and traditional asset classes, with the ability to sequester and store carbon and to generate verified carbon credits. As environmental markets for climate and nature benefits continue to develop and grow, we expect to see increasing opportunities for private capital to address global environmental challenges through land-based investments.

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Important information on risk

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investments carry a certain degree of risk, including the possible loss of principal, and there is no assurance that an investment will provide positive performance over any period of time. Certain products and services may not be available to all entities or persons. There is no guarantee that investment objectives will be achieved.


Investors should be aware that alternative investments are speculative, subject to substantial risks including the risks associated with limited liquidity, the potential use of leverage, potential short sales and concentrated investments and may involve complex tax structures and investment strategies. Alternative investments may be illiquid, there may be no liquid secondary market or ready purchasers for such securities, they may not be required to provide periodic pricing or valuation information to investors, there may be delays in distributing tax information to investors, they are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as other types of pooled investment vehicles, and they may be subject to high fees and expenses, which will reduce profits.

As an asset class, real assets are less developed, more illiquid, and less transparent compared to traditional asset classes. Real asset investments will be subject to risks generally associated with the ownership of real estate-related assets and foreign investing, including changes in economic conditions, currency values, environmental risks, the cost of and ability to obtain insurance, and risks related to leasing of properties.

This information does not constitute investment research as defined under MiFID.

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