It has launched the Ares Private Markets Fund, an Australian-domiciled unit trust expanding access to Ares Private Markets Fund (APMF), its existing US-registered management investment vehicle.
Launched in 2022, APMF invests in a diversified portfolio of private equity fund stakes backed by leading private equity sponsors in primarily North America and Europe. It holds some $3 billion of assets under management as of 30 September 2024.
According to Ares, expanding the offering to the Australian market comes in response to growing demand from investors for private market solutions.
“Over the last several years, we have seen increasing demand from wealth investors in Australia and New Zealand for greater access to the private markets as they continue to seek to diversify their portfolios,” said Teiki Benveniste, managing director and head of Ares Wealth Management Solutions, Australia and New Zealand.
“To that end, Ares has been focused on delivering a comprehensive suite of institutional-quality solutions to individuals around the world, and we’re excited to introduce a differentiated private equity secondaries product to this market that builds on our complementary credit solutions available today.”
Ares previously launched the Ares Global Credit Income Fund and Ares Diversified Credit Fund in the market, offering exposure to its leading credit strategies.
The firm said these products have garnered “significant interest” to date from wealth investors in Australia and New Zealand, raising more than $1.5 billion since its launch in the region in 2020.
Barry Miller, chief executive of APMF, noted Ares has been a leader in sourcing and managing secondaries investments for more than three decades.
“Since launching APMF, we have seen continued enthusiasm from the wealth channel, and we are thrilled to introduce access to APMF in Australia as we seek to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns on behalf of our investors,” Miller stated.
NYSE-listed Ares Management Corporation has some US$464 billion of assets under management, operating across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
