Amundi and Preqin share a common vision of providing investors with authoritative data, transparency, and standardization for private markets to support their growth. For the first time, the 2021 report introduces European League Tables, to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of play of private and real asset fund managers in Europe. Amundi is ranket #5 for Real Estate and #10 for Private Debt.
This year, the report highlights the positive and growing role played by private capital in the two defining economic issues of our time: the recovery from COVID-19 and the transition to carbon neutrality. According to the report, private and real assets have bounced back on all metrics across Europe. Transaction levels were high in H1 2021 for both new investments and exits, fundraising is on track for a record, and returns have been given a boost.
Europe-based alternative asset fund managers now hold €2.06tn in assets under management (AUM) as of December 2020, up from €1.81tn a year ago—an increase of over 13%—and are on track to make 2021 a record year for fundraising. AUM had grown by 59% over the five years from December 2016 to December 2020, and Europe now accounts for 24% of the global alternative assets industry.
Fundraising, investment, and performance have accelerated in H1 2021. Fundraising by Europe-based private capital GPs in H1 2021 reached 59% of 2020’s full-year total, which, despite the practical challenges caused by travel and meeting restrictions, was the second-highest on record. Investment teams have been busy, with the value of private capital transactions closed in H1 2021 already at 83% of 2020’s full-year total, with venture capital, infrastructure, and private equity the most active sectors.
Strong equity and debt capital markets since Q2 2020 have translated into a buoyant exit market, not just for IPOs, but also for trade sales and refinancing. While return data in the early years of limited partnership funds is only an indicator of future performance, median net IRRs for 2018 vintage private equity and venture capital (PEVC) funds stand at 22.0%, while vintages 2011-2017 have been lifted to between 14.0% and 19.4%. Those appealing performance prospects should attract even more investor capital into European alternative assets going forward.
