Many private wealth investors today are looking to augment growth and income in their portfolios while seeking diversification [ 1 ] of the public equities and fixed income they already own. More are examining private markets, understanding that private equity, credit and real estate can be core portfolio building blocks. We are also increasingly being asked by financial advisors to tap into the type of resources that are required to implement a private markets allocation, which Blackstone can help advisors think through. The adoption of private markets into portfolios is a trend we have experienced with institutional investors around the world over nearly four decades.
And it makes sense. Many clients are surprised to learn that nearly 90% of scaled, established businesses and commercial real estate around the globe are privately owned, [ 2 ] a remarkable skew especially when we consider that many end investors use stocks and bonds as the traditional frame of reference. It means that many portfolios today contain an often unintended underweight to privately owned companies and assets. Many portfolios today are also missing out on an important source of diversification. In fact, our recent poll of Blackstone University participants found that portfolio diversification is the number one benefit cited by respondents when explaining private markets to clients who are newcomers. [ 3 ]

Market Views: Opportunity Amid Uncertainty
April 24, 2025