Overview
Private credit is booming with estimates suggesting the market is now worth more than US$1 trillion. Having moved from the margins to the mainstream, this previously niche asset class is proving a real disruptor in debt capital markets, as investors seek out steady and healthy returns, and borrowers opt for new non-bank sources of finance.
The potential for this market is enormous, but there are risks. For LPs, non-bank credit offers diversification uncorrelated with traditional investments; for borrowers, it promises quicker decisions on loans, better tenors and tailored covenants. Yet, despite ample capital, caution remains a watchword as the global credit cycle turns and the pandemic continues to influence the prospects for business and finance. Moreover, with growing calls for greater transparency and tighter regulation in private credit, is now the right time to join this market? Do the benefits outweigh the risks of this dynamic new asset class?
Key Discussion Topics:
How does this shadow banking market compare to other private asset classes in terms of returns and ease of access? To what extent has it matured to meet the risk and return profile of an increasingly sophisticated pool of global investors? Can current rates of return be sustained in developed markets, against a fast changing and uncertain macro-economic and geo-political background? To what extent will Asia follow a similar growth path? As demand for direct lending, distressed debt, structured credit and leverage finance increases, where will new avenues for growth emerge? How concerned should investors be about warnings around systemic risks, market opacity, standards and illiquidity issues? Is it time to step up the regulation of private credit?
The FT’s Global Alternative Credit Summit will tackle these and other major questions. Held in partnership with Reorg, and bringing together leading investors, borrowers, lenders, regulators and advisers from the US, EMEA and Asia, our agenda will look at how private credit is evolving and shaking up debt markets, assessing the key drivers behind its current rate of growth, and where the industry will go from here.
NYFWA members should use code NYALT for a 20% discount.
Register here: https://on.ft.com/3JwINJb