Why Private Debt will continue to enjoy its moment in the sun
Accessibility
In a Preqin article “Why Private Debt will continue to enjoy its moment in the sun,” Zach Lewy discusses the two main factors that have contributed to the favourable return environment for private debt since 2009.
The first factor is interest rates, which have been beneficial for new lenders through the use of floating-rate facilities. The second factor is the maturing market where private debt fills crucial gaps left by traditional financial institutions. Zach emphasises the importance of identifying niche markets with favourable supply-demand dynamics to achieve high, low-risk returns. Private debt’s appeal to investors lies in its ability to offer attractive returns, especially in sectors like housing, where demand consistently outstrips supply. Furthermore, the recent acquisition of AFE by AGG Capital Management signals potential growth in refinancing opportunities, reflecting the evolving landscape of private debt, which plays a vital role in funding economic growth and innovation across various sectors.
Zach’s keynote interview precedes the Preqin Private Debt H1 Outlook report, “Consistent Performance Reaps Rewards,” which demonstrates investors’ strong preference for private debt over other alternative asset classes. In this report, ninety percent of investors reported that private debt had met or exceeded their expectations, with 92% believing that private debt would perform as well or better than in the previous year. The optimism surrounding private debt is attributed not only to the association between higher rates and stronger performance but also to the lack of significant concerns over impairments and defaults.
Over the longer term, investors have a positive outlook for the asset class, with 55% looking to increase their allocation and 36% maintaining it. This is reflected over the past year in resilient fundraising, which again looks positive for 2024 with 91% of investors considering committing either the same amount or more over the coming year.
Read the full article here.
Read the full report here.
Zach Lewy
CEO, CIO, Fund Principal
Zach has over 25 years’ executive experience in investment management and asset servicing. Zach founded Arrow Global in 2005 and serves as Group CEO and CIO of Arrow.
Zach has supervised over 1000 deals at Arrow and is a lead Principal in Arrow’s fund manager. Prior to joining Arrow, he was an Officer of Sallie Mae, a Director at Vertex (the BPO division of United Utilities), and a Founder and Executive Director of 7C (a U.K. BPO company acquired by Vertex). Zach was previously the Chair of the U.K. Debt Buyers Association and was named an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010.
He graduated from Princeton University with a BA in Economics with Honours and a Certificate in Applied and Computational Mathematics with Honours.