Alternative Asset Management & Sustainability Insights

Private equity had a bumper year last year. Although official data will not be available for a few months, there are already reports that 2021 was a record year for fundraising, investments and exits. That – together with data (and anecdotes) that continue to suggest that private markets are generating outsized returns – means that there are both more opportunities for asset allocators to access the asset class, and more incentives for them to do so. Reports that large institutional investors are

Last year, many alternative asset managers worked harder than ever to ensure that their investment approach was equipped to meet one of the defining challenges of our time. Sustainability – although not a new theme for most firms – was close to the top of the agenda. While legal and compliance teams struggled to keep up with new and emerging sustainability regulation, senior-decision makers re-focused on the opportunity. Increasing investor demand for investment funds that are part of the solution

For many private fund managers – especially a new firm, a spin out from a larger business, or a firm that manages a relatively small pool of capital – the UK regulatory requirements can be daunting. Getting the necessary regulatory permissions is an expensive and time-consuming business, especially if there is no certainty that the fundraise will be successful, or if the fee structure leaves little headroom for advisory costs or compliance staff. The barriers to entry may even be so high that they

A regular audio briefing for the alternative asset management industry.In the event, of course, the third country passport wasn't activated in 2015, and still hasn't been – perhaps in part because the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016, and UK-regulated firms could have used the passport to gain access to the single market. Meanwhile, the AIFMD review was duly launched in 2017, when KPMG was commissioned to prepare areport, but it was only last week thatconcrete reform proposalswere issued by the

Glasgow's climate summit was both an important step forward and a missed opportunity to go further. One important step forward was undoubtedly COP 26's unprecedented focus on the role of finance in tackling the climate emergency, which catalysed huge commitments from the private sector. The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) now speaks for over USD130 trillion of capital that is committed to transforming the economy. 450 firms from 45 countries – including several leading alternative

Last week's Autumn Budget confirmed the UK government's determination to use regulatory change as a key driver of economic growth and recovery. This ambition – which includes important changes to existing rules, as well as entirely new ones – has been evident for some time now. In part linked to Brexit, the government believes there is an opportunity for tax and legal rule-changes to help deliver important policy goals, and has been working hard to draft legislation and regulations that will support