Real Assets

Real Asset Dynamics: May 2017

Private equity energy fund raising is likely to hit an all-time high in 2017. In this edition of Real Asset Dynamics, we examine the trends in fund raising, commitments, and investments in energy and their implications.

US Manager Universe Statistics: First Quarter 2017

This chart book presents representative long-only and hedge fund manager performance for first quarter 2017. The median Emerging and Frontier Markets Equity manager posted the highest return for the quarter (11.9%), while the median US Small-Cap Value manager posted the highest return for the trailing one-year period (23.7%). The median Cash Management manager posted the lowest return for the quarter (0.3%); for the trailing one year, the median manager in only one strategy, Global ex US Bonds, posted a negative return (-1.3%).

The Financial Performance of Real Assets Impact Investments: Introducing the Timber, Real Estate, and Infrastructure Impact Benchmarks

Within impact investing, real assets investments constitute one of the largest opportunity sets. This report presents findings from our analysis of the financial performance of 55 private real assets impact investing funds across three sectors: timber, real estate, and infrastructure. We find that risk-adjusted market rates of return are achievable in impact investing, but note that as with conventional funds, manager selection is key to success.

US Manager Universe Statistics: Fourth Quarter 2016

This chart book presents representative long-only and hedge fund manager performance for fourth quarter 2016. The median US Small-Cap Value manager posted the highest median return for fourth quarter 2016 (10.7%) and the year (24.2%). The median Global ex US Bonds manager posted the lowest median return for fourth quarter 2016 (-6.9%), while the Global Growth Equity ex US median return was lowest for the year (-1.1%).

Investment Publications Highlights: December 2016

December’s publication summarizes three articles on inflation. The first highlights three common misconceptions about commodity futures, including that commodity spot prices provide an inflation hedge; the second reviews the inflation-protection properties of cash, bonds, equities, and real estate; and the third argues that the reflationary pressures that were building prior to the US election are likely to continue.

Real Asset Dynamics: December 2016

In this edition of Real Asset Dynamics, we analyze the returns of Cambridge Associates’ indexes of private real estate funds over various time horizons and offer our views on what investors can expect in private real estate going forward. Global private equity real estate continues to generate decent returns, earning 1.5% in second quarter 2016…

Outlook 2017: A Break in the Clouds

Change is in the air and the prospect for a bit of sunshine to break through the overhang of slow growth and lower-for-longer yields is palpable. Of course, the sun doesn’t shine forever, and overall our views are little changed. The things we have been worried about for some time—high valuations for certain risk assets, record-low interest rates, slow economic growth—have not gone away. The surest call to make for 2017 is that higher growth expectations will be paired with the distinct possibility of negative outcomes, putting a premium on diversification and liquidity management.