Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have been around for decades, but in the spring of 2020, they became an extremely popular alternative route for private companies to go public. The subsequent record-breaking surge in SPAC issuance and merger activity that followed was astounding by all measures and led 2020 to be widely dubbed, “the year of the SPAC.
September 22—When the Colonial Pipeline was hacked last spring, it forced the company’s only complete operational shutdown in 57 years, ceasing its normal daily transport of 2.5 million barrels of fuel for five days. This is just one instance of widespread cybercrime in the past 12 months. Online attackers are getting increasingly sophisticated, finding new ways to outsmart our defenses.
Private markets. Sounds like a secret club. And in many ways, it is—but today we are going to lift the veil of secrecy and let light in upon the mystery. To help break down this complex topic, we have Senior Portfolio Manager Jordan Strauss and Senior Research Analyst Julian Freeman. Let’s first lay out the basics. Julian, what exactly is meant by private markets investing—and how does it differ from public markets?Private markets (PM) fits within the alternatives asset class.
