Latest news with #privateequity
Bloomberg
6 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Ex-Nielsen Unit Files for US IPO That Could Target Up to $1.25 Billion
NIQ Global Intelligence Plc filed for an initial public offering, earmarking the proceeds to pare its debt load. The private equity-backed former consumer intelligence unit of Nielsen Holdings had a net loss of $73.7 million on revenue of $966 million in the three months ended March 31, compared with a net loss of $174 million on revenue of $962 million in the same period a year earlier, according to its filing Friday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Quintet Private Bank integrates private markets into client portfolios
Luxembourg-based Quintet Private Bank, with operations across Europe and the UK, has integrated private markets exposure into its client portfolios. Clients with relevant portfolios can now access actively managed exposure to alternative assets, including private equity, private credit, and real assets. These are offered through selected evergreen private markets funds, complementing traditional allocations to equities, fixed income, and commodities. This integration was facilitated by a collaboration with BlackRock and the implementation of the European Long-Term Investment Funds (ELTIF 2.0) framework, effective since last year. This framework reduces liquidity and operational constraints, enabling continuous capital raising, reinvestment, and flexible redemptions. This allows investors to access private markets with simplicity and efficiency similar to traditional public markets. Bryan Crawford, group head of investment & client solutions and member of the Authorized Management Committee at Quintet, said: 'Diversification is a cornerstone of portfolio resilience, especially during periods of heightened volatility. 'We are therefore delighted to partner with BlackRock to integrate exposure to private markets in client portfolios, supporting increased diversification and creating new opportunities to access long-term growth themes.' Quintet's private markets offering includes BlackRock's private markets platform, which manages over €600bn in assets pro forma across multi-alternatives and private equity strategies for investors in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. BlackRock EMEA Wealth Alternatives Specialists Team head Fabio Osta said: 'By supporting the integration of private markets into wealth portfolios, we are making investing in alternatives easier and more accessible for a broader range of investors so they can benefit from the typically higher returns and diversification the asset class offers.' This announcement follows Quintet's launch of multi-manager UCITS funds last year, also co-designed with BlackRock. These actively managed, single-asset-class funds, exclusive to Quintet clients, combine third-party managers to enhance diversification and portfolio performance. Earlier this year, Quintet introduced Future+, a sustainable investment mandate developed with BlackRock, adhering to its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. "Quintet Private Bank integrates private markets into client portfolios " was originally created and published by Private Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Morningstar's CEO Kunal Kapoor on Private Assets and ‘Extracting Gold'
Morningstar's CEO Kunal Kapoor has come a long way since he started at the company as a data analyst in 1997, when he compiled data on mutual funds — sometimes with the help of a fax machine. Today, the Chicago-based firm has become one of the premier data providers on the planet and even offers indexed products, technology and robo-advice for retirement savers. 'My job was basically entering data,' he said. 'Believe it or not, at that time, it was like extracting gold.' The problem was a lack of transparency around mutual funds, where even compiling information from public documents, like yields and total net assets from fund companies, was a challenge. 'Today, we sort of take it for granted, which is awesome.' READ ALSO: Succession Planning Vacuum Risks Alienating RIA Clients, Next-Gen Leaders and Family Offices Explore Private Credit as Private Equity Returns Stall Over the past eight years at the helm, Kapoor has helped the company expand its workforce to over 10,000 employees and boost its stock price more than threefold. Next up is tackling the private marketplace and creating a 'common language' for advisors and investors to research both public and private investments using the same yardstick. 'The private equity and private credit industry is not ready for that level of transparency, even as they have an interest in reaching investors' he said. 'Ultimately, they are going to come around to the view that they have to make it simpler.' Kapoor chatted with Advisor Upside during Morningstar's Investment Conference held annually in Chicago. What's your take on the massive public-private market convergence? The public markets will remain the mainstay for most investors. [Private markets] have to adopt a framework that'll allow for easier transactions and for lower costs. Do I think what exists today for advisors is best in class? No. Do I think that because advisors are starting to get more heavily involved in the space, it's going to lead to better products, and lower-cost products, and more transparency? Yes. It's a journey, as with all things. What shouldn't be lost is that there's a really important reason why it's happening: The number of companies that are private has increased. The amount of debt being issued in private markets — outside of the money center banks — is increasing, and so as an investor, you have some clear ability to think about that in terms of how you're building exposure to your portfolio. The truth is more Americans than ever work for companies that are backed by PE. And so, they're partly more familiar, and want to invest in these companies, because they're part of that ecosystem. It used to be that not everybody would get equity and get to participate in its success, but that model has been changing. How should advisors be thinking about deploying these funds in client portfolios? Let's think about it in the context of your 401(k) or mine. Those are elongated assets that are unlikely to get touched for an extended period. So I would say that you could have a higher exposure in that type of vehicle. That's what all the non-profits and universities and endowments do as well, right? Those are long-dated assets. For shorter-term liquidity needs, let's say our emergency six-month fund, it shouldn't have any assets because you should not have any volatile assets in those. So it's thinking about that scale. The other thing I would just point out is this is new and the lack of liquidity is something that investors have to take into consideration. For investors or advisors who've never been in this space, I do think that inching into it is really important, versus kind of plunging. You really need to understand how your clients are going to react to having something that does not have immediate liquidity available to them. What's one issue that's not getting enough attention? One thing that doesn't get talked about enough is that returns have been incredibly strong for the past two to three decades — and that's led to easier conversations with clients. It's also led to easier prospecting and it's largely led to growth in assets. Our data would suggest, and our forecast suggests, that market returns in most asset classes will moderate in the years ahead. I think that is a real challenge, and it's partly because the belief has been out there for a while, but the reality is, the markets have continued to fight the odds. So it's easy to take it with a grain of salt, I guess. But it's always good to be thoughtful around: What if returns are not what they were, how would you as an advisor run your business, manage your clients and prospect for new clients in that type of environment? We've just had such a big run, but the long and short of it is, if you believe in long-term market averages, the US has been above those averages for so long. And there have been many reasons for that, including a period of extended low interest rates. Growth and profits in some companies have hit extraordinary levels, and I think there's just a question about whether they will kind of normalize to historical levels. It's our belief that they will. This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive financial advisor news, market insights, and practice management essentials, subscribe to our free Advisor Upside newsletter. Sign in to access your portfolio
Globe and Mail
16 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
BLK Seeks to Provide Access to Private Markets to Retirement Savers
BlackRock, Inc. BLK aims to expand private market investments to retirement plans, marking a shift in how retirement products are structured. Great Gray Trust Company, LLC has chosen BlackRock to provide a custom glidepath that allocates across public and private markets for the former's first target date retirement solution that features private equity and private credit exposures. Great Gray, which provides trustee and administrative services to collective investment trusts, has had a commercial relationship with BlackRock since 2013. The firms are at the forefront of expanding access to innovative solutions for retirement professionals and their clients. Rob Barnett, CEO of Great Gray, stated, 'For too long, access to private markets has been limited to institutions, leaving many retirement savers behind as capital markets have evolved. By strategically allocating across public and private markets, BlackRock's glidepath, systems and people are helping modernize the traditional target date solution.' Jaime Magyera, BlackRock's senior retirement sponsor, said, 'BlackRock has been working with institutional investors and financial advisors to help them access private markets for years and we continue to evolve our platform in response to our clients' changing needs. Innovating ways to thoughtfully incorporate private markets exposures into defined contribution plans underscores our commitment to providing them with the choices necessary to meet their investment objectives.' Rationale Behind BlackRock's Move The demand for private assets is on the rise, as they have become an important driver of economic growth and a source of returns for many institutional and high-net-worth investors. BlackRock's decision to include private assets in retirement accounts come as the firm is seeing increased demand for exposure to private assets in defined contribution retirement plans. Per BlackRock, adding private markets exposure to target-dated funds would increase returns by an additional 50 basis points each year. According to a research paper released yesterday, BlackRock's approach will include a 5-20% allocation to private assets in the retirement plans, depending on the investor's age. BLK's Other Efforts to Expand Private Asset Offerings This March, Magyera revealed in an interview with Bloomberg that BlackRock is integrating private equity and credit investments into pre-built portfolios. In a first of its kind in the asset management industry, the firm designed model portfolios that combine publicly traded stocks and bonds alongside more sophisticated private equity and credit funds, with plans to add other alternatives over time. Private markets would contribute roughly 15% to the total investments in the portfolios on average, which will be customizable. The fee to be charged was kept under wraps. BlackRock Forays Deep Into the Private Markets Earlier this month, in its investor presentation, BLK predicted that the private credit market could expand to $4.5 trillion in 2030, and hence, the firm is targeting $400 billion in private markets fundraising by 2030. In fact, over the past year, BlackRock has committed nearly $28 billion to acquiring private asset firms. In October 2024, it acquired Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) for $12.5 billion. In December, it announced an agreement to acquire HPS Investment Partners for $12 billion. In May 2025, BlackRock acquired Preqin, a premier provider of private markets data, for $3.2 billion. BlackRock has also collaborated with Partners Group to combine a varied pool of private assets into a single portfolio of alternatives for retail clients. BLK's inorganic expansion strategy to boost its presence in alternatives and private equity assets, alongside its product diversification efforts, will likely aid top-line and assets under management growth. BLK's Price Performance & Zacks Rank Over the past year, BLK shares have gained 30.9%, outperforming the industry 's 17.6% growth. Currently, BlackRock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Like BLK, Other Firms Expanding in the Private Credit Market This February, JPMorgan JPM announced an additional $50 billion allocation toward direct lending, solidifying its presence in the credit market. The move, unveiled at its 30th annual Global Leveraged Finance Conference, signals the company's intent to become a dominant force in private credit. Since 2021, JPMorgan has deployed more than $10 billion across 100+ private credit transactions, leveraging its extensive client base and vast origination platform. The bank's partnerships with multiple co-lenders have further strengthened its position, bringing in an additional $15 billion in capital. In 2024, Citigroup C inked a deal with Apollo for its subsidiary and certain affiliates of Apollo to establish a revolutionary $25-billion private credit, direct lending program. Both Citigroup and Apollo expect the program to finance approximately $25 billion of debt opportunities over the next several years, including corporate and financial sponsor transactions. Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double" Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%. See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >> JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM): Free Stock Analysis Report BlackRock (BLK): Free Stock Analysis Report
Forbes
17 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Private Equity In Your 401(k)? Trump May Reshape Retirement Investing
Could private equity be making its way into the retirement plan sphere? getty President Donald Trump's administration is reportedly considering an executive order to open the $9 trillion U.S. retirement market to private equity and alternative investments, a transformative shift for 401(k) plans. This directive would task the Department of Labor, Treasury, and Securities and Exchange Commission with exploring ways to integrate private funds into retirement plans, as reported by Pensions & Investments , benefiting firms like Blackstone and Apollo Global Management. Empower, the nation's second-largest retirement plan provider, has already partnered with Apollo, Franklin Templeton, Goldman Sachs, Neuberger Berman, PIMCO, Partners Group and Sagard to offer private market investments via collective investment trusts (CITs). In a press release, Empower President and CEO Edmund F. Murphy III said, 'Empower is making a profound move on behalf of American retirement investors who should have the ability to invest in an asset class that has the potential to diversify their portfolios and offer opportunities for returns in new ways.' The potential executive order from the White House has sparked debate. Proponents say it democratizes access to high-return assets, while critics, including many Registered Investment Advisors, warn of risks and fiduciary challenges under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. private equity carries risks—often in the form of higher fees and less transparency. getty For Empower's 19 million participants and others in 401(k) plans, private equity offers diversification beyond stocks and bonds. Private markets traditionally have low correlation with public markets, potentially reducing volatility through diversification. CITs address liquidity issues by pooling investments, bypassing the $5 million minimums typical of private funds. However, private equity carries risks—often in the form of higher fees and less transparency. Many 401(k) participants lack the guidance and expertise to evaluate these complex investments, risking unsuitable choices, especially for those nearing retirement and needing liquidity. Robust education is critical to prevent costly errors. Challenges For Plan Sponsors Plan sponsors—employers offering 401(k) plans—face heightened fiduciary risks under ERISA, which mandates prudent decision-making. Private equity's complexity, illiquidity, and lack of daily pricing complicate fair valuations and performance monitoring. Losses could trigger a swarm of lawsuits in the already highly litigious arena. While the 2020 DOL guidance under Trump permitted private equity in managed portfolios, Biden's DOL urged caution in a 2021 news release, leaving uncertainty. Apollo CEO Marc Rowan has advocated for 'litigation relief' to protect sponsors, as reported by Business Insider . Safe harbors defining diversification, transparency, and education requirements could help, but sponsors may need fiduciary liability insurance until regulations clarify. Opportunities And Risks For Advisors Plan advisors can differentiate by guiding sponsors through private equity's complexities. However, ERISA demands rigorous vetting of funds for quality and suitability. Private equity's opacity and high fees complicate this duty, and advisors must educate participants on risks like illiquidity. Without clear guidelines, advisors risk a whirlwind of compliance issues. Using CITs or third-party managers can mitigate risks, but diligence remains essential. ERISA demands rigorous vetting of funds for quality and suitability. Private equity's opacity and ... More high fees complicate this duty, and advisors must educate participants on risks like illiquidity. getty Regulatory clarity is paramount here. The DOL's 2020 guidance was limited, so a prudent executive order should spur comprehensive safe harbors, including diversification standards, transparency requirements, and education mandates. Without these, fiduciary risks likely outweigh benefits. Private equity in 401(k)s, a hot 401(k) industry topic following Empower's initiative and a potential executive order, could have a sizable impact on retirement investing. With that said, regulators must balance innovation with prudence to protect stakeholders. Until clear guidelines emerge, private equity in retirement plans remains a high-stakes venture. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC, (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC, (Kestra AS) an affiliate of Kestra IS. Beacon Financial Services is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. Beacon Financial Services does not provide legal or tax advice.
