LPs
High valuations push Australian LPs up the infrastructure risk curve
Australian institutional investors are responding to rising valuations in the core infrastructure space by moving up the risk curve into more opportunistic assets – and domestic pricing pressure is also expected to lead to higher emerging markets allocations....
GP-LP: Dangerous liaisons
A diverging supply-demand dynamic in private equity fundraising is threatening the GP-LP alignment of interest. Concessions on both sides are needed in the interests of long-term stability
Asia Pacific pension fund assets hit $3.7t
Assets held by the largest pension funds and sovereign wealth funds in Asia Pacific increased 7% year-on-year – outpacing the global growth rate of 6.1% - to $3.7 trillion in 2016 on the back of strong, though volatile, equities markets.
Korean middle market: Up the ladder
Interest from foreign LPs in Korea’s middle-market is rising, but the segment is still dominated by domestic institutional investors. Changes to this dynamic are unlikely to arrive soon
Fundraising: The LP angle
On a recent US trip North American LPs shared their views of the institutional funding zeitgeist
NYSTRS to invest $100m in ADV's second Asia fund
New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS) has disclosed a commitment of $100 million to ADV Partners’ second Asian special situations fund. The PE firm closed its debut vehicle at $545 million in 2015.
PennSERS commits $100m to Asia Alternatives
Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System (PennSERS) has extended its long-standing relationship with Asia Alternatives, allocating $50 million to the firm’s latest fund-of-funds product and a further $50 million to a separate account.
Alternatives: Times of plenty
The Willis Towers Watson global alternatives survey offers few surprises in terms of where investors are putting their capital, but there are some interesting developments in which investors are providing it
LP interview: Allstate Investments
Allstate Investments has gradually increased its exposure to private equity – and Asia specifically – over the last 12 years or so, but the current bullishness around the asset class is cause for concern
Korea's NPS loses CIO
The CIO of South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) has submitted his resignation, seven months before the end of his two-year tenure.
Bank sell-downs drive Asia credit opportunities – AVCJ Forum
As banks look to reduce their exposure to Asian non-performing loans (NPLs), private lenders that can offer more flexibility on terms are seeing increased opportunities for investment, industry professionals told the AVCJ Singapore Forum.
Hamilton Lane opens Australia office
Hamilton Lane has opened an office in Sydney and hired James Martin, who previously spent five years at Partners Group focusing on institutional sales and deal origination, to lead local operations.
Texas County & District backs IDG's latest China VC fund
Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS) has committed $30 million to IDG Capital’s latest China venture capital fund – the first to be raised since the GP acquired the global investment business of International Data Group (IDG).
HarbourVest raises $1.75b for co-investment fund
HarbourVest Partners has closed its fourth global co-investment fund at $1.75 billion, having raised the hard cap from $1.5 billion.
US investors wary of Asia spin-outs - AVCJ Forum
Keeping up with the pace of change in Asian private equity – particularly in terms of people moves – is one of the biggest challenges for institutional investors based outside of the region.
IFC proposes $20m investment in Abraaj credit fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is considering a commitment of up to $20 million in the Abraaj Group’s global credit fund.
Temasek sees portfolio hit record high of $199b
Temasek Holdings saw its portfolio hit a record high of S$275 billion ($199 billion) for the 12 months ended March, but the Singapore government-controlled investment fund warned that the global economy is still plagued by uncertainties.
Frontier markets: Late to the boom
Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are among the last frontier markets in Asia but well positioned to benefit from accelerating interest in the ASEAN region. Private equity success will require a nimble approach
China's CIC ups alternatives exposure, posts positive return
China Investment Corporation (CIC) increased its alternatives exposure by a few percentage points to 37.24% for the year ended December 2016 as its international portfolio rebounded from a loss in 2015 to post an investment return of 6.22%.
GIC posts weakest return in eight years, warns of uncertainty ahead
GIC Private warned of years of uncertainty ahead as the Singapore sovereign wealth fund announced its weakest investment performance since the global financial crisis.
US LPs & co-investment: Risk appetite
There are various practical reasons - concerning legal, oversight and human reasons - why US pension funds are not as aggressive as their Canadian peers in private equity. A change in mindset would also be helpful
US pension funds & PE: Public service remit
US public pension funds are active investors in private equity, but their asset allocation policies are influenced by stakeholders’ input and limited internal resources, as well as the desire for returns
Japanese LPs: Building consensus
Japanese institutional investors are taking their time with decisions about launching alternative investment programs. Strong support from internal stakeholders is a key consideration
LP interview: Verlinvest
Verlinvest has built strong consumer sector presence in Asia through PE fund commitments and direct deals. Nicholas Cator, an executive director at the family office, says the latter are more important than the former