Vilda, a cross-asset reporter at Bloomberg News, dives into the exciting world of blending illiquid private credit into liquid ETFs. She discusses the recent partnership between State Street and Apollo and its potential to democratize private investment access. The conversation touches on regulatory challenges, liquidity concerns, and how this move could reshape the investment landscape. Vilda also shares insights into the innovative strategies behind ETF tickers, adding a fun twist to the serious financial discussions.
The introduction of Apollo and State Street's ETF aims to democratize access to private credit for retail investors, challenging existing market structures.
The proposed ETF's liquidity backstop is a crucial innovation that could enhance investor confidence during market volatility and regulatory hurdles.
Deep dives
Growth of Private Credit and Its Market Dynamics
Private credit has emerged as a significant financial sector, particularly following the financial crisis. This market includes many non-bank institutions that are now worth trillions, primarily catering to large entities such as pensions and hedge funds. The podcast delves into the ongoing efforts to democratize access to private credit through innovative structures like ETFs, enabling retail investors to tap into this previously exclusive space. This transition presents a competitive landscape where firms are striving to successfully bridge the gap between illiquid private assets and liquid investment vehicles.
Recent Innovations in ETF Structures
The discussion highlights a recent groundbreaking filing by Apollo and State Street, aimed at introducing a new ETF structure that directly includes private credit. Unlike previous offerings that were indirect, the proposed ETF intends to provide actual access to private assets while ensuring compliance with SEC liquidity requirements. The introduction of a liquidity backstop by Apollo is noted as a crucial factor that could enhance investor confidence during market sell-offs. This innovative approach has generated significant interest within the industry, akin to the previous excitement surrounding the Bitcoin ETF filings.
Challenges and Considerations for Regulatory Approval
The conversation also emphasizes the regulatory challenges associated with launching private credit ETFs, particularly around the SEC's liquidity thresholds. While the SEC stipulates that illiquid investments must be capped at a certain percentage, the involvement of established firms like Apollo may allow the ETF to navigate around these constraints. Industry analysts speculate on the necessity and implications of the liquidity backstop, raising questions about how this would function if faced with large-scale sell-offs. As this market evolves, the outcomes of these regulatory discussions and the actual structuring of such ETFs will likely set precedents for future innovations in financial products.
A new competition has begun to see who can successfully solve an investing paradox: how to package illiquid, private assets into liquid, public exchange-traded funds. State Street, in partnership with Apollo, officially kicked off this race with a recent filing. If approved, their offering would make one of Wall Street's fastest-growing corners—private credit—open to a much wider world than just institutional investors.
On this episode of Trillions, Eric Balchunas and Joel Weber speak with Vildana Hajric, a cross-asset reporter at Bloomberg News, about the details of the filing, why more filings are expected, what to know about Apollo’s “liquidity backstop” and why all of this is such a potential game-changer.