In the world of investing, the choice between private and public markets stands as a pivotal decision for investors seeking an optimal allocation of capital. While public markets have long been the traditional avenue for investments, private markets have been gaining traction over the years revealing a host of advantages which are reshaping the investment landscape.

One of the main advantages of private markets is the potential for higher returns. Investments in private markets typically involve illiquid assets, meaning they cannot be quickly converted to cash. However, this illiquidity often comes with a substantial premium. For example, regarding the public/private debt: the public debt, typically government-issued bonds, is known for its credit stability and predictable returns. However, private debt markets, generally loans originated by non-banking institutions, introduce an element of credit and liquidity risk translating into significantly higher potential returns. When allocating to this asset class, the critical decision for investors remains striking the right balance between risk and reward.

Recently, public listed fixed income investments had been subject to the whims of market sentiment, which have experienced abrupt and volatile price fluctuations on the back of a changing monetary and macroeconomic landscape. Under these erratic conditions, private markets have revealed an unexpected comparative investment advantage to traditional bonds. As these private instruments were not subject to the same short-term volatile market valuation fluctuations, they turned out to be relatively shielded from this daily erratic volatility, offering by the same a more predictable and comforting visibility on the value of the underlying investment.

Furthermore, private markets offer diversification benefits. Investing in a diverse range of private assets, such as real estate, private lending, private equity, or venture capital, allows investors to spread their risk across different alternative sectors and instruments, thereby diversifying the overall risk of a classic portfolio weighted on public assets only.

In conclusion, the choice between public and private markets is not binary. ‘Smart money’ investors often create diversified portfolios incorporating elements of both. This approach allows them to capitalize on the liquidity of public markets while leveraging up the potential for higher returns through private sector investments.