With a challenging economic outlook, investors need to understand the drivers of portfolio returns and apply the right blend across index and alpha strategies to build resilient portfolios. As a core strategic building block, alternatives can bring diversification and long-term risk adjusted returns to the well-balanced portfolios of the future.
Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.
Key takeaways
01.
Alternative investing
Alternative investments can be private assets such as private equity, private credit, infrastructure and private real estate, often referred to as private markets. Or they can be liquid alternatives such as hedge funds – a high-risk investment that uses complex strategies like short selling (betting against stocks) to maximise potential returns.
02.
Unlocking greater opportunities
Private markets and alternatives can offer access to a growing share of economic activity, potential for enhanced returns and diversification through less liquid, uncorrelated assets, and exposure to global megaforces driving long-term growth, helping to unlock new growth and opportunities.
03.
Innovative products
New vehicles and solutions are helping bring private markets to wealth investors, such as the European Long-Term Investment Fund (ELTIF) 2.0. These vehicles have enhanced the attractiveness of private markets by offering more flexibility and simplified access to investors across Europe.
Diversification and asset allocation may not fully protect you from market risk.
Why BlackRock for alternatives?
- An established player in private markets
As one of the largest alternative asset managers with $631 billion AUM, we offer access to private equity, private credit & real assets via 1,400+ professionals in 50+ countries.1,2
- Trusted partner across the whole portfolio
We have a 35+ year history helping clients navigate opportunities and risks. We utilise public and private markets, technology, and research insights to help clients build more resilient portfolios.
- Innovating to make private markets investing easier
We are leveraging proprietary technology, delivering data powered by Aladdin and Preqin and seeking to bring to market solutions that make private markets more transparent and accessible.
Risk management cannot fully eliminate the risk of investment loss.
There is no guarantee that research capabilities will contribute to a positive investment outcome.
Why investors are looking to private markets
Accessing a deepening and broadening opportunity set
A growing proportion of economic activity is financed by private capital, with more companies staying private for longer.3
Potential for enhanced returns and greater diversification
Adding investments that are illiquid and tend to be uncorrelated with the stocks and bonds that dominate most portfolios can help reduce overall portfolio risk.
Accelerate and benefit from the megaforces
Accelerate and benefit from the megaforces - big structural changes that are reshaping the world, driving investment opportunities and economic growth.4
Diversification and asset allocation may not fully protect you from market risk.
Want to know more?
Discover ELTIF
ELTIFs enable individual and institutional investors alike across the EU to access private market investments.
Explore our main alternative investing strategies
Private equity is an essential element of investors’ portfolios. Our platform takes a holistic approach to investors’ private equity portfolios and is designed to offer strategies and solutions that align with client objectives and could deliver persistent performance.
Hedge Fund Outlook
Amid supply‑driven uncertainty, hedge funds can play a growing role in portfolios. They can help replace traditional ballast, harness market dispersion, and support portfolio construction through macro and event‑driven strategies. Our latest outlook shares BlackRock investors’ views on the evolving hedge fund opportunity set.
Investment insights
Private markets insights
Explore our private markets insights where you'll find the latest from our investment strategies, researchers and portfolio managers.
BlackRock, 7/30/2025 unless otherwise specified.
1Alternatives platform AUM figure includes liquid credit and liquid alternatives. Client assets represent a combination of BlackRock's client assets, GIP Total Assets, and HPS Total AUM. BlackRock defines client assets as Alternative assets across reported Client AUM and non-fee-paying committed capital, co-investments and market related gains on invested assets. GIP Total Assets expand on this total by incorporating the mark-to-market valuation of fund investments and non-fee-paying assets. HPS Total AUM as of 3/31/2025 reported during the BlackRock Investor Day 2025, are estimated and unaudited, based on capital commitments, cost, or NAV (as applicable) across fund types, including leverage where relevant, and may be subject to change.
2Includes employees of affiliates funds managed by HPS, BlackRock Private Debt, Private Equity Partners (“PEP”), and Secondaries and Liquidity Solutions (“SLS”) locations, as of 5/31/2025, and employees of GIP, BlackRock Real Estate Equity, and BlackRock Multi Alternatives as of 3/31/2025.
3Morningstar, Unicorns and the Growth of Private Markets, 21 January 2025.
4Megaforces defined by BlackRock include Digital Disruption and Artificial Intelligence, Future of Finance, Low-Carbon Transition and Demographic Divergence.
BlackRock
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