Cambridge Associates leverages deep research and experience to identify the best ideas and opportunities in alternative assets.
For many institutional investors and private clients, the growing complexity of alternative assets and the importance of access to top-performing managers call for a highly experienced and specialized advisor. Cambridge Associates is a leader in alternative assets with over 35 years experience and a depth of resources that we believe to be unmatched in the independent investment consulting industry.
Nowhere is this experience and knowledge more crucial than in terms of manager selection. The large return differential between median and top-quartile managers in these asset classes makes an intensive due diligence process imperative. Our manager evaluation process is rigorous, with our staff conducting nearly 3,000 meetings or calls on hedge funds and private illiquid partnerships annually from our offices in the United States, Beijing, London, Singapore, and Sydney. Having strategically positioned offices in the leading financial hubs allows us to conduct on-the-ground research and helps our clients gain exposure to the best managers in the world.
We serve our clients in a highly engaged fashion, developing a fully customized alternative asset program to meet the client’s goals and objectives. With a team of more than 200 professionals dedicated to alternative assets, we offer our clients specialized coverage of every conceivable asset class and strategy. Our approach allows clients to achieve a highly customized direct alternative assets program, often at a lower cost and with more control and ownership of the underlying managers than alternative approaches.
Portfolio Restructured to match Museum's Reliance on Endowment
For a well-established Midwestern museum that is heavily reliant on its endowment for
annual revenue, Cambridge Associates works to minimize portfolio volatility without sacrificing returns. In the context of a rapidly shifting economic landscape, Cambridge Associates ran various asset allocation scenario models to determine how the museum’s portfolio would perform in different environments. This analysis led to the rebalancing of the portfolio’s inflation and deflation hedges using alternative investments. The client is considering the development of a direct hedge fund program, which eliminates a layer of fees associated with hedge funds-of-funds.
Independent Foundation Seeking Proactive Advice and Direct Alternative Investments
For a $3 billion leading independent foundation seeking advice on its total
portfolio including direct alternative investments, Cambridge Associates is working closely with the foundation to build and oversee direct hedge fund and private equity programs as well as to consult on traditional asset classes. In addition, with the support and collaboration of the foundation, Cambridge Associates is building deep mission-related investment research and consulting capabilities.