Sponsored feature: Trending alternative asset classes & what this means for service providers

Managers are increasingly looking to their service provider, especially the fund administrator, to offer value-add services, says Kavitha Ramachandran of Maitland.

Allocations to alternative asset classes have been on the rise. This trend began in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and has also been driven by investors’ need to diversify and seek alpha. In recent times, investors have been increasingly nervous about the course of equity markets and constantly evaluating their asset allocation strategies as a result.

Those increasing their allocation to alternative asset classes include institutional investors, especially pension funds, as well as family offices and “qualified investors”.

So, which asset classes are affected?

Private equity and real estate have traditionally topped alternative asset class allocations. However, the past few years have seen the emergence of private debt as a popular asset class with a significant increase in the number of debt-focused funds. A recent study undertaken by KPMG on behalf of ALFI, the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry, reveals that as at mid-2018, assets under management of Luxembourg loan funds had increased by 23.5% on the mid-2017 figure.

This is a significant increase year on year considering that the increase in this asset class matched increases in private equity and real estate and in a relatively short time.

The pace of increase has been set by initiatives like the EU’s Capital Markets Union, strengthening the case for alternative lending strategies, SME lending and the emergence of alternate financing. The popularity of non-performing loans (NPLs) in fund portfolios and securitised vehicles adds flavour to the asset class. Additionally, regulators have worked hard in streamlining NPLs.

Following in the footsteps of debt fund strategies, the increase in popularity of another asset class in fund structures is trade finance and supply chain finance with more managers setting up fund structures to provide access to institutional and high-net-worth investors.

The impact on service providers
As the market drives managers to refine investing in existing and new asset classes, such as the trend towards debt funds, this has an impact on service providers like management companies and administrators. These asset classes give rise to a new dynamic of services like loan servicing, loan administration, trade finance and supply chain activities. Whilst the trend so far has been for fund managers to provide these services themselves, there is an increasing trend of managers looking to their service provider, especially the fund administrator, to provide such services so that they can concentrate on their core activity of asset selection. For service providers, this brings both opportunities and challenges, for example in ensuring that they have the necessary skillset and resources.

The opportunities – and challenges – are only increasing with growing pressures from regulatory changes and political uncertainties like Brexit. In keeping up with the trends in asset allocation and associated services, service providers need to continue reinventing themselves as they look to distinguish themselves and support managers by way of upskilling, providing value-add services and investing in automation and digitalisation.

Kavitha Ramachandran is senior manager, business development & client management, at global advisory, administration and family office firm Maitland

Maitland is licenced as required for the services it offers. For further information on the licence permissions applicable to your jurisdiction please visit our website at www.maitlandgroup.com. The information and opinions herein are for information purposes only. They are not intended to constitute legal, financial or other professional advice, and should not be relied upon as such or treated as a substitute for specific advice relevant to particular circumstances. Maitland as a group or any of its member firms or affiliated entities accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or misleading statements in this publication, or for any loss which might arise from reliance on the material. No mention of any organisation, company or individual, whether on these pages or not, shall imply any approval or warranty as to the standing and capability of any such organisations, companies or individuals on the part of Maitland. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your finances or your business, you should consult a qualified professional adviser.

©2019 funds europe

HAVE YOU READ?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

The tension between urgency and inaction will continue to influence sustainability discussions in 2024, as reflected in the trends report from S&P Global.
FIND OUT MORE
This white paper outlines key challenges impeding the growth of private markets and explores how technological innovation can provide solutions to unlock access to private market funds for a growing…
DOWNLOAD NOW

CLOUD DATA PLATFORMS

Luxembourg is one of the world’s premiere centres for cross-border distribution of investment funds. Read our special regional coverage, coinciding with the annual ALFI European Asset Management Conference.
READ MORE

PRIVATE MARKETS FUND ADMIN REPORT

Private_Markets_Fund_Admin_Report

LATEST PODCAST