We've reached that time of the year again, when prognosticators are producing all manner of publications centering on how the 2019 investment landscape will likely take shape. Robeco issued a white paper in October, 'Turbulence Ahead: Investment Outlook 2019,' in which they state '... next year we expect the markets to have two faces. The bright economic picture is expected to be overshadowed by concerns that this long bull market will soon end; think rising interest rates, protectionism, Italy, Brexit. Investors would be well-advised to prepare for these concerns becoming reality. '

On one hand, investors are energized by the stock market's strong moves over 2018, but concerned over the growing likelihood of higher interest rates, tariff impacts, and other hallmarks of a busier market scene. In alternatives, 2019 is likely to provide opportunities to reinforce the value add of the sector during a more volatile market. Preqin's October 2018 survey report, 'A Portfolio of the Future' compiled data which suggests that 84% of investors plan to increase their allocation to alternatives over the next five years. Their chart below illustrates just where investors are most interested in allocating their alternatives choices in the coming years: namely into private equity, private debt, real estate, and infrastructure.

As investors plan to ramp up their overall commitment to alternative investments in the coming years, several segments or themes appear to take prominence in their view. The private equity and debt, hedge funds and infrastructure seem to be of most interest to investors for a variety of reasons centered primarily on the twin tenants of diversification and non correlated return characteristics. While overall, alternatives are destined to garner more attention from investors as a whole in 2019 and beyond, let's take a closer look at some alternative themes that seem likely to play a greater-or lesser-role in......................

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This article was published in Opalesque's New Managers a top-down monthly analysis, news and research publication on the global emerging manager space.