Fund Launches Return to Pre-Federal Government Shutdown Levels
as Interval Fund Market Continues to Expand
CHICAGO, July 15, 2026 – XA Investments LLC (“XAI”), an alternative investment management and consulting firm, announced the publication of its latest research report, the XAI Non-Listed Closed-End Fund Second Quarter 2026 Market Update. The non-listed closed-end fund (CEF) market includes all interval and tender offer funds. The report covers market trends and recent developments for the period ended June 30, 2026, with expanded coverage on private equity funds and market-wide redemption analysis.
“The interval and tender offer fund market continues to demonstrate resilience and growth, surpassing $300 billion in total managed assets for the first time this quarter,” stated Kimberly Flynn, the president of XAI. “Despite ongoing market volatility, investors have continued allocating capital to alternative investment strategies, supporting strong asset growth, fund launches, and continued expansion of the marketplace,” she added.
The market update is a comprehensive research report detailing current market trends and industry highlights. This quarter’s report features analysis on the continued growth in private equity funds, increasing investor accessibility, fund launch activity, and regulatory developments impacting the marketplace.
“Our research team has observed several new market trends including funds disclosing bonus share language in their prospectuses, an increased number of funds focusing on strategies with a public / private asset mix, a shift in net flows to venture / private equity funds, and increased shareholder demand for liquidity particularly among credit funds,” Flynn said.
Additionally, XAI is tracking closely the growth of evergreen “specialty structures,” continuously offered evergreen operating companies and registered private funds that offer periodic liquidity and are designed to be sold into the private wealth marketplace. Notably, three new specialty structures by Maquarie, HarbourVest, and Fidelity launched in Q2 2026.
The non-listed CEF market reached a new milestone in Q2 2026 with 335 interval and tender offer funds and $303 billion in total managed assets. The market includes 186 interval funds with $172 billion in total managed assets, representing approximately 57% of total market assets, and 149 tender offer funds with $131 billion in total managed assets, representing the remaining 43%. Market-wide assets increased 4.4% from the prior quarter.
During the quarter, 20 new funds entered the market, with half of them sponsored by firms that are new entrants. After two quarters of slower fund launches, 10 funds in Q4 2025 and 9 funds in Q1 2026, new fund launches are back to pre-federal government shutdown levels. Credit funds continue to be popular, representing half of the new funds launched in Q2 2026.
“The SEC registration pipeline remains active with 54 funds currently in registration,” Flynn noted. “Approximately half of new registrations are from first-time entrants, demonstrating the continued attractiveness of the interval and tender offer fund structure for sponsors seeking access to the private wealth channel. Newly launched non-listed CEFs continue to spend 6-8 months in the SEC registration process, with averages returning to their pre-federal government shutdown levels,” she added.
The market experienced positive net flows of approximately $11.0 billion in Q1 2026, which was a 28% decrease in flows quarter-over-quarter but still reflected continued investor demand for private market exposure. Venture Capital / Private Equity net flows exceeded Credit for the second quarter in a row, totaling $5.4 billion compared to Credit’s $2.2 billion. Direct Lending funds, a sub-category of the Credit category, experienced negative net flows after liquidity concerns dominated headlines in Q1 2026. Despite these developments, the majority of funds continued to meet shareholder liquidity demands without significant disruption.
“Alternative investment managers continue to adapt products to meet both advisor and investor demand for greater access, transparency, and liquidity,” Flynn said. “As the market matures, we expect product structure, distribution strategy, and investor education to become increasingly important differentiators among fund sponsors.”
In the quarterly report, XAI also discusses ongoing industry developments including early capital incentives, SEC approval for monthly repurchases, and an increase of net flows to funds restricted in sale to Qualified Clients. Looking ahead, XAI projects continued market expansion through 2026, supported by increasing advisor adoption, broader platform availability, and sustained interest in alternative investment strategies.
For more information on the interval fund market and to read our full quarterly report on non-listed CEFs, please visit the CEF Market research page linked here and click ‘Subscribe’ for access to XA Investments’ online research portal and pricing information. In addition, please contact info@xainvestments.com or 888-903-3358 with questions.
About XA Investments
XA Investments LLC (“XAI”) is a Chicago-based firm founded by XMS Capital Partners in 2016. XAI serves as the investment adviser for two listed closed-end funds and an interval closed-end fund, respectively the XAI Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust, the XAI Madison Equity Premium Income Fund, and the XAI CLO & Income Opportunities Fund. In addition to investment advisory services, the firm also provides investment fund structuring and consulting services focused on registered closed-end funds to meet institutional client needs. XAI offers custom product build and consulting services, including product development and market research, marketing, and fund management. XAI believes that the investing public can benefit from new vehicles to access a broad range of alternative investment strategies and managers. For more information, please visit www.xainvestments.com.
CONTACT:
Kim Shepherd
kshepherd@xainvestments.com
312-623-5123