Spotlight: A PEI Podcast

Single-asset continuation funds have surged in popularity in recent years. While the technology isn't new, it took persistence from secondaries market advisers to show both private equity managers and buyers that vehicles associated with the moniker 'zombie funds' could be used to keep hold of star-performing assets. Last year, single-asset continuation fund vehicles took out the largest share of GP-led transactions, accounting for around 39 percent of the $48 billion of volume seen in this part of the market, according to a year-end report from Lazard. There was "some reluctance" from secondaries buyers when conversations around single-asset continuation fund transactions began, Harold Hope, global head of secondaries at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, told Secondaries Investor. "We traditionally bought portfolios. Sometimes they were concentrated portfolios, but they were always portfolios." Today, these vehicles allow Goldman Sachs "to mitigate some of the broader risk that we face when we buy a diversified portfolio," Hope said, adding that the team is "excited about the opportunities" globally. In this third episode of the Decade of Secondaries Investing podcast miniseries to celebrate the 10 years since Secondaries Investor launched, we sit down with Hope and Holcombe Green, global head of Lazard’s private capital advisory business. They discuss how continuation fund technology was developed over time to facilitate single-asset continuation funds, and how large this pocket of the market could become as more capital is allocated to the area. For full coverage of our Decade of Secondaries Investing series, including all podcast episodes and an interactive timeline, click here.

What's in a name? The process of moving an asset or assets from an existing private markets fund into a separate structure has been happening for some time now – some say as early as 2006 and possibly even prior to that. The so-called 'continuation fund' market was worth around $40 billion last year, according to advisory estimates. Yet, this market was not always seen as a positive and constructive tool with which fund sponsors could deliver liquidity, via an option, while retaining their hold over prized assets. In the second episode of the Decade of Secondaries Investing miniseries to celebrate the 10 years since Secondaries Investor launched, we sit down with Nigel Dawn, head of private capital advisory at investment bank Evercore, and Verdun Perry, global head of Blackstone's Strategic Partners group, to discuss the evolution of the continuation fund market over the past decade and what's in store for how this tool will continue to be used. click herehereSingle-asset CVs offer steadier returns than buyout funds – EvercoreHow do continuation funds really perform?More LPs seek to back secondaries funds

This episode is sponsored by Blackstone Private credit has seen significant growth over the past year, with some of the largest asset managers increasing their allocations to the sector. It comes as volatile market conditions and geopolitical tensions have plagued most industries, revealing private debt as a more secure source of capital. So, how are firms looking to take advantage of this uptick in activity? And what areas will they be focusing on going forward? In this episode, we're joined by Blackstone’s Michael Zawadzki and Brad Marshall to explore some of the trends shaping private credit and analyse what the manager’s investment strategy looks like. The podcast comes after Blackstone integrated its corporate credit, asset-based finance, and insurance groups into a single new unit called Blackstone Credit & Insurance (BXCI) in September.

On this episode, François Trausch, CEO and CIO of PIMCO Prime Real Estate, reflects on the behavior of the central banks, refinancing and the demands of decarbonization. Recorded at the PERE Europe conference as part of his keynote address, he speaks with PEI Group’s Jonathan Brasse about the outlook for the market. “I think learning to be a good investor is also learning to do nothing from time to time,” he said. “That doesn't mean [investors are] not busy… There's work to be done, and I think if the bid-ask spread is narrowing, which we're seeing, I think sales will come back and there's lots to be done in putting the same teams on the sales effort and understanding how to use the capital stack, not just you know, to do equity, but to look at more hybrid ways to invest.” Read more of PERE's coverage here

A decade ago, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, anxiety around unknowns was still rippling through financial markets, including within secondaries. Similarly, there was a great deal of concern around the Volcker Rule that came into effect in 2014, which essentially prohibited banks from investing in private equity with their own funds. In 2013, secondaries volume sat at around $28 billion. The following year, volume leapt to $42 billion. While regulation should not be overplayed, the Volcker Rule and Solvency II – a regulation affecting insurance companies and the percentage of risky assets they can hold on their balance sheets – played a big role in this increase. In 2014, "There was suddenly... a lot more publicity being given to what people had been doing," Katherine Ashton, partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, explained. "With the increased publicity, with the increased knowledge of the market, that fed on itself and led to outdoing some of the predictions [for the growth of the market] because the more people realised that there were willing buyers and sellers, the more it allowed the market to develop." Welcome to the Decade of Secondaries Investing miniseries, where we celebrate 10 years of Secondaries Investor with reflections on key trends that have shaped the market, as well as a glimpse into what likely lies ahead. In this first episode, we sit down with Ashton as well as Michael Granoff, chief executive and founder at Pomona Capital. Each give insight into how the Volcker Rule and other post-GFC legislative frameworks spurred secondaries sales. For full coverage of our Decade of Secondaries Investing series, including all podcast episodes and an interactive timeline, click here.

In this episode, Brian Thies and Christopher Wolfe of Fitch Ratings speak with PERE Americas editor Miriam Hall about the outlook for multifamily real estate in the US and how banks may be exposed. Banks’ multifamily lending has grown 32 percent since the end of 2019, per a Fitch report last month, to hit $613 billion at the end of 2023. That is a complicating factor for some regional banks, especially those with significant exposure to rent-controlled assets or areas facing oversupply. “The performance is still looking good, but that growth is probably masking what's underneath,” Wolfe said on the show. Theis said it is an asset that has “flown under the radar” to a certain extent. “It's a class within CRE that has seen significant growth over the last four years – and as such, most of that was underwritten at extremely low interest rates,” he added. “So now, as a lot of that is coming up for refinance, it's doing so at significantly higher rates.” PERE’s April cover examines outlook for multifamily, which you can read here.

Specialisation in the private equity industry has become part and parcel of its growth, with almost half of the roughly $785 billion raised for private equity strategies last year focused on non-buyout strategies. In this episode, senior editor Adam Le sits down with Richard Anthony, chief executive of investment bank Evercore’s private funds group, to hear his advice for GP clients wanting to launch so-called 'ancillary' strategies. For more, check out privatequityinternational.com.

Across the globe, EVs are seeing an uptick in both usership and government support. They stand to deeply reshape power grids, so the infrastructure supporting them has become top of mind for forward-thinking infrastructure investors. In this episode, we sit down with Benjamin Bygott-Webb, a managing director at EQT, and Gregory Remec, head of North American infrastructure at Fitch Ratings, to explore the investment opportunities – both direct and indirect – and how those investments may impact the already precarious electric grid. To learn more, check out these stories on infrastructureinvestor.com: The key is in the ignition, but will EV charging in the US start up?The EV challengeThe charge towards greener transport

In this episode of Second Thoughts, our bi-monthly take on the biggest trends and developments in secondaries, Secondaries Investor's Madeleine Farman, Adam Le and Hannah Zhang cut through the headline figures in 2023's advisory reports to break down geographic trends and key themes in the market. Total deal volume sat somewhere in the region of $109 billion to $115 billion in 2023 with LP-led volume making up $56 billion to $66 billion. Farman, Le and Zhang delve into topics including APAC secondaries market activity, structured liquidity offerings such as NAV loans, preferred equity and GP commit financing, and the popularity of multi-asset continuation funds as managers seek to find ways to generate DPI for LPs.

It's no secret that raising Asia-Pacific private equity funds has become extremely difficult, with regulatory uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and shifting risk appetites contributing to one of the region's toughest-ever fundraising environments. According to Private Equity International data, funds in the region raised $49.2 billion last year, down substantially from $77.6 billion in 2022 and less than half the $122.9 billion raised in 2021. Only 187 funds held a final close in 2023 – roughly half the 365 closed in 2022 and less than a third of the 637 closed in 2021. With LPs more selective than ever in the region, the onus is on GPs to stand out from the crowd. In this episode, PEI Group Hong Kong bureau chief Alex Lynn sits down with three of the region's most senior fundraisers – Monument Group partner Niklas Amundsson, Atlantic-Pacific Capital partner Vincent Ng and Asante Capital's head of Asia Ricardo Felix – to discuss how shifting LP appetites are reshaping these markets. To read more about what to expect from APAC private equity in 2024, read our story in Private Equity International here.

For more, be sure to also check out PERE's February cover story "Private real estate’s collision course with geopolitics." Geopolitical tensions topped the list of near-term downside risks for businesses in the latest global risk survey by economic forecasting firm Oxford Economics. It is also a risk of particular relevance for the private real estate industry, given how geopolitical conflict stands to have a detrimental effect on property returns on both a macro and micro level. In this episode, PERE editor Evelyn Lee speaks with Abby Rosenbaum, associate director at Oxford Economics, about how geopolitical uncertainty overall contributes to a higher-for-longer interest rate environment, which is considered to be the most damaging risk scenario on real estate performance. At the same time, specific geopolitical conflicts – namely, the escalating war in the Middle East and the looming threat of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait – also have a direct negative impact on real estate returns, but that impact varies by market and sector in less-than-obvious ways.

Endowments and foundations are some of the most consistent investors in private equity, and they often have some the highest allocations to the asset class. But have the challenges private equity has faced over the last 12 months dented their appetite? What are some of these investors thinking when it comes to their private equity portfolios? In this episode of Spotlight, senior editor Adam Le sits down with Jill Shaw, a managing director at global consultancy Cambridge Associates, to find out what advice she is giving her clients when it comes to private markets portfolio construction and which investment strategies are most attractive to them.

Subscribe to the new Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here: https://www.privatedebtinvestor.com/podcast PEI Group publication Private Debt Investor recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and now it's launching its own podcast! To kick it off, PDI is taking a six-part look back with its Decade of Private Debt podcast miniseries, speaking with some of the industry's leading figures about the challenges, triumphs and the evolving dynamics that have defined the world of private credit over the past 10 years. In this sixth and final episode, Akila Grewal, partner in client and product solutions at Apollo, discusses the progression of her firm’s private debt business, as well as her personal growth within the industry. If you haven’t yet, be sure to subscribe to the Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here. There, you’ll continue getting market-leading insight into the world of private credit from some of the industry’s biggest names, as well as PDI’s team of reporters and analysts. And be sure to also check out our Decade of Private Debt special report at privatedebtinvestor.com.

Subscribe to the new Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here: https://www.privatedebtinvestor.com/podcast PEI Group publication Private Debt Investor recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and now it's launching its own podcast! To kick it off, PDI is taking a six-part look back with its Decade of Private Debt podcast miniseries, speaking with some of the industry's leading figures about the challenges, triumphs and the evolving dynamics that have defined the world of private credit over the past 10 years. In this fifth episode, European Leveraged Finance Association CEO Sabrina Fox reflects on the highs and lows of borrower/lender deal negotiations in the industry. To get the entire six-part miniseries right now, and continue getting market-leading insight into the world of private credit afterwards, search and subscribe to the Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here. And be sure to also check out our Decade of Private Debt special report at privatedebtinvestor.com.

Subscribe to the new Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here: https://www.privatedebtinvestor.com/podcast PEI Group publication Private Debt Investor recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and now it's launching its own podcast! To kick it off, PDI is taking a six-part look back with its Decade of Private Debt podcast miniseries, speaking with some of the industry's leading figures about the challenges, triumphs and the evolving dynamics that have defined the world of private credit over the past 10 years. In this fourth episode, cross-published here on Spotlight, Pemberton’s co-founder and managing partner Symon Drake-Brockman discusses how the industry has evolved and recounts the process of shaping Pemberton into the powerhouse it is today. To get the rest of the six-part miniseries right now, and continue getting market-leading insight into the world of private credit afterwards, search and subscribe to the Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here. And be sure to also check out our Decade of Private Debt special report at privatedebtinvestor.com.

Subscribe to the new Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here: https://www.privatedebtinvestor.com/podcast PEI Group publication Private Debt Investor recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and now it's launching its own podcast! To kick it off, PDI is taking a six-part look back with its Decade of Private Debt podcast miniseries, speaking with some of the industry's leading figures about the challenges, triumphs and the evolving dynamics that have defined the world of private credit over the past 10 years. In the third episode, cross-published here on Spotlight, Kartesia’s head of France Julien Rigon reflects on the past 10 years from an ESG perspective and looks at how the industry might evolve considering today’s sustainability agenda. To get the rest of the six-part miniseries right now, and continue getting market-leading insight into the world of private credit afterwards, search and subscribe to the Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here. And be sure to also check out our Decade of Private Debt special report at privatedebtinvestor.com.

Subscribe to the new Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here: https://www.privatedebtinvestor.com/podcast PEI Group publication Private Debt Investor recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and now it's launching its own podcast! To kick it off, PDI is taking a six-part look back with its Decade of Private Debt podcast miniseries, speaking with some of the industry's leading figures about the challenges, triumphs and the evolving dynamics that have defined the world of private credit over the past 10 years. In the second episode, cross-published here on Spotlight, LCM CEO Paul Burdell discusses the evolution of private debt and banking oversight over the past 10 years, the impact of regulations, as well as LCM’s unique position in the industry. To get the rest of the six-part miniseries right now, and continue getting market-leading insight into the world of private credit afterwards, search and subscribe to the Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here. And be sure to also check out our Decade of Private Debt special report at privatedebtinvestor.com.

Subscribe to the new Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here: https://www.privatedebtinvestor.com/podcast PEI Group publication Private Debt Investor recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and now it's launching its own podcast! To kick it off, PDI is taking a six-part look back with its Decade of Private Debt podcast miniseries, speaking with some of the industry's leading figures about the challenges, triumphs and the evolving dynamics that have defined the world of private credit over the past 10 years. In the first episode, cross-published here on Spotlight, Ares CEO Mike Arougheti looks back at a decade of strategic growth in private credit, emphasising the importance of enduring relationships and the misunderstood, yet resilient nature of the market. To get the rest of the six-part miniseries right now, and continue getting market-leading insight into the world of private credit afterwards, search and subscribe to the Private Debt Investor Podcast wherever you like to listen, or click here. And be sure to also check out our Decade of Private Debt special report at privatedebtinvestor.com.

This episode is sponsored by Arcus Infrastructure Partners and Meridiam That the world is on the path to climate catastrophe, and that urgent action is needed to reverse it, is widely agreed upon. Yet, a sudden weakening of resolve at the political level has been evident in 2023, with some European governments delaying or diluting their previous climate policy commitments amid challenges like the cost-of-living crisis and geopolitical tensions. In the United States, ESG has even become part of the ideological battle between Republicans and Democrats. In this episode of Spotlight, Neil Krawitz, partner and head of ESG and asset management at Arcus Infrastructure Partners, and Matthieu Muzumdar, partner and deputy chief executive officer at Meridiam, tell Infrastructure Investor’s Helen Lewer that despite this challenging backdrop, infrastructure capital remains steadfast in its commitment to investing sustainably. They share their thoughts on where the opportunities are for the sector to play its part in creating a greener and more socially equitable future.

This episode is sponsored by Withum Artificial intelligence has become far more than just a buzzword in the realm of finance and accounting. In this episode of Spotlight, we explore the latest advancements and challenges that AI brings to the sector, as well as how fund managers and service providers are leveraging it to push boundaries while staying mindful of the risks. Joining us is Colleen Fay, a seasoned tax partner at Withum with over two decades of experience in accounting and a keen focus on the alternative investment industry. She shares her views on how AI is reshaping productivity, accuracy and strategic decision-making in finance, while also addressing critical concerns around regulatory compliance and cybersecurity risks.