Optimizing Investment Portfolio Allocation: Analyzing Trends and Dynamics of Alternative Investments in Estate Planning
Received: 7 November 2024 | Revised: 3 December 2024, 21 December 2024, 27 December 2024, and 30 December 2024 | Accepted: 1 January 2025 | Online: 2 February 2025
Corresponding author: Vijai Pillarsetti
Abstract
Private Equity (PE) plays a unique role in estate planning due to its potential for high returns and complexity. Therefore, understanding its pricing dynamics is essential for effectively incorporating it into an estate plan. The current research examines the complexities of optimizing investment portfolio allocation by analyzing the pricing dynamics of PE funds in secondary markets. The study acknowledges the challenges posed by the inherent risks, illiquidity, and long-term nature of PE investments. It focuses on the impact of PE investments on Limited Partners' (LP) optimal allocations. Typically, LPs commit capital to PE funds, which is gradually called and eventually distributed back to them. The research reveals that the PE investments significantly influence LPs' optimal allocations, with differing strategies being observed among LPs with varying risk aversion levels. The study's findings reveal that PE allocations do not consistently decrease in risk aversion, suggesting the presence of nuanced decision-making processes. Depending on an LP's risk aversion, they adopt one of two distinct investment strategies. A conservative LP, characterized by higher risk aversion, holds relatively more liquid reserves of stocks and bonds compared to illiquid PE investments. This LP tends to be unconstrained and to remain close to an interior optimum, leaving it largely unaffected by the illiquid and long-term nature of PE investments. Moreover, the model extends to incorporate a secondary market for PE partnership interests, allowing an exploration into the implications of trading in this market and the pricing dynamics of the Net Asset Value (NAV) and unfunded liabilities. The proposed analysis provides valuable insights into the intricate interplay between the risk aversion, PE investments, and secondary market dynamics, offering guidance to LPs navigating the complex landscape of alternative investments.
Keywords:
Private Equity (PE), estate planning, limited partners, Net Asset Value (NAV), unfunded liabilities, investmentsDownloads
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