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Kimberly Flynn and John Cole Scott on Interval Funds and BDCs

On March 14, 2024, Kimberly Flynn from XA Investments discussed rising interest in semi-liquid funds and increasing demand for alternative investments for a CAIA Association webcast. The webcast, which also featured John Cole Scott from Closed-End Fund Advisors, provided expert insights and data on interval / tender offer funds and business development companies (BDCs).

The discussion focused on semi-liquid funds, answering questions on the following topics:

  • Fund Structure Characteristics
  • Approaches to Management
  • Underlying Asset Classes
  • Market Growth and Emerging Trends

Interval / Tender Offer Funds

Flynn presented on the growth of the interval and tender offer marketplace. Interval funds are a type of SEC-registered, closed-end fund that expands investor access to alternative investment strategies, which are less liquid than traditional stock and bond investments. Interval funds offer low investment minimums, frequent valuations, and 1099 tax forms.

Tender offer funds, which are similar to interval funds, have more discretion when it comes to liquidity. Interval funds have a fundamental policy to offer liquidity at set intervals, while tender offer funds provide liquidity at the discretion of the fund’s board of trustees. Additionally, while both structures continually offer shares at NAV, interval funds typically on a daily or weekly basis, while tender offer funds typically do so on a monthly or quarterly basis.

The current interval and tender offer fund marketplace of 200+ funds is led by boutique alternative asset managers. Despite many fund sponsors being new to the retail marketplace, the market leaders “are intent upon building a platform … they are investing time, and they are building teams of people to support these businesses,” said Flynn.

Credit funds currently lead the market in assets and number of interval funds, but there have been emerging categories of funds such as infrastructure-focused and secondaries-focused funds coming to market. “Anything fits in a tender or interval fund structure,” Flynn added, noting how the interval and tender offer fund market is not limited in investment strategies, unlike BDCs and non-traded REITs, which have regulations specifying which strategies they can pursue.

Business Development Companies (BDCs)

Scott provided background and a market update on the BDC market. BDCs are closed-end funds that provide small, growing companies access to capital. Scott described how the BDC marketplace has grown since banks moved away from corporate lending, leading BDCs to fill the gap and offer financing to many smaller companies with favorable terms for investors. Scott described the particularly positive performance of BDCs since the COVID-19 pandemic. He also discussed the different sectors and types of loans BDCs invest in, and the potential diversification benefits they offer within a portfolio.

For more information or to listen to the Semi-liquid Funds Webcast, visit CAIA.org or click HERE.

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