Revving UK Pension Schemes’ Funding Engines

A number of UK defined benefit pension schemes have experienced significant funding level gains in recent years, driven by sponsor contributions, liability management exercises, and strong equity market returns. However, due to increased volatility in global equity markets, relatively high valuations in many market segments, and the late stages of the economic and credit cycles, optimising the scheme’s growth engine is more challenging than ever. This paper provides a framework for how to achieve that goal.

August 2019

Stress and Losses Among Middle-Market Senior and Unitranche Loans: Introducing Cambridge Associates’ New Database

As part of our ongoing commitment to alternative credit, Cambridge Associates (CA) began compiling a database of credit stress and losses in one of the largest strategies within private credit, senior debt (i.e., direct lending). Our initial outreach in the United States and Europe yielded data from 11 senior debt funds tracking material document modifications (which we use as a proxy for credit stress, greater detail below) and loss rates in bilateral and clubbed middle-market lending.

July 2019

Are Private Equity Mega Funds in a Category by Themselves?

Mega funds are indeed in a category by themselves, namely that of a new public markets proxy.

May 2019

Should Investors Allocate to Public or Private Chinese Investments?

Public and private Chinese equities both present attractive investment opportunities today.

May 2019

Revving Pension Plans’ Funding Engines

Many corporate defined benefit plans experienced significant funded status gains in recent years. Recent capital markets volatility, however, has set many plans a few steps back, re-focusing plan sponsors on both protecting long-term funded status gains and closing the asset-liability deficit. Given increased volatility in global equity markets, relatively high valuations in many market segments, and the late stages of the economic and credit cycles, optimizing the plan’s growth engine is more critical, and challenging, than ever.

April 2019

Ready, Steady, Co-Invest

Co-investments are one of only a handful of control levers within an LP’s toolbox, and we encourage all private market investors, regardless of size, to consciously consider implementing a co-investment program.

March 2019

Should Investors Be Worried About the Private Real Assets Fundraising Frenzy?

Investors navigating the robust fundraising environment should be selective when making commitments in 2019.

March 2019

Private Investing for Private Investors: Life Can Be Better After 40(%)

Families with multigenerational wealth may be particularly well positioned to consider allocating 40% or more of their assets to private investments. Assuming these families have the requisite long-term time horizon, patience, and ability to act quickly, they stand to benefit not only from the potential for higher returns but also from the tax-advantaged nature of private investments. Life could get better after 40%!

February 2019