In a report by Moody's Investor Services, the rating agency has downgraded the global asset management industry to negative; factors for the downgrade are focused on active management performance, global regulation and increasing costs; a McKinsey report published last month pointed to the new fiduciary rule, set to be enacted in April 2017, as an industry altering step as advisers will be forced not to consider their self interests with high commissions when servicing their clients; capital has continued to flow from actively managed funds to ETFs with costs being significantly lower. Source
LendingRobot has filed a Form D with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicating its plans for a pooled investment fund; the investing platform currently provides investment accounts that allow customers to invest in marketplace loans from direct lenders through the platform; the new fund provides a pooled fund investment option for investors; the minimum investment is $100,000. Source
The Ranger Direct Lending Fund has reported plans for share issuance totaling 200 million British pounds through 2017; the Fund currently has a 40 million British pound issuance planned for December; it also raised 30 million British pounds in July and 23.2 million British pounds in November of 2016; according to a statement from Ranger Direct Lending, "The company believes that debt instruments originated or issued by direct lending platforms are an attractive and growing asset class that have the potential to provide higher returns for investors than other, more widely available, fixed income products."; growth from the asset class and potential returns are factors driving the new issuances. Source
State Street and the Alternative Investment Management Association have released a report on decreased liquidity in the investment market; approximately half of respondents see less market liquidity as a long-term factor and three-fifths of respondents are considering less trading liquidity in their investment strategies; report cites new market entrants, electronic platforms and peer-to-peer lending as reasons for increased illiquidity in the market overall; report says investors are focusing on three areas to adapt to the shift in market liquidity including rationalizing risk, optimizing for liquidity, and implementing new rules and tools. Source
Fund manager, Ben Conway of Hawksmoor, promotes alternative credit as a risk averse investment in the current market; with cash levels reaching 15 year highs according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch, many investment managers have significantly increased their low risk fixed income allocations; Hawksmoor says the growing number of alternative credit investments are providing a good area of value across all markets and a strong fixed income alternative. Source
Victory Park Capital (VPC) Investments says it is shifting investments from peer-to-peer loans to balance sheet investments after losses in October triggered significant writedowns and caused a revenue return of -1.25%; in October the return was primarily caused by a substantial capital loss of -203 basis points from "certain marketplace loans" which it did not disclose and also from losses in a securitized portfolio of Avant loans; according to Cormac Leech, "the marketplace lending portfolio is not quite seasoned, while the balance sheet side of investments is doing really well"; this performance has caused the change in focus to balance sheet investments. Source
First Trust has filed a Form D with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a pooled fund that will include marketplace lending securities under the name First Trust Marketplace Lending Partners, L.P.; minimum investment in the fund is $50,000; firm offers a range of investment funds including many funds with an income focused investment strategy. Source
Maples Fund Services has announced it will extend its fund administration services to include marketplace lending; seeks to capitalize on the growing number of funds emerging in the space; firm has made significant investment in technology to provide a leading market service which will include reconciliation, loan-level record keeping, third-party valuations, and risk and performance reports. Source
Prospect Marketplace Lending Corp. has filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a fund investing in marketplace loans; the firm has filed an N-8A and an N-2 indicating its investment company status and plans for managing a closed-end fund; the closed-end fund will invest 80% of its assets in marketplace lending investments. Source
The Wall Street Journal reports on publicly listed funds that will purchase marketplace lending loans; the new funds are setup as interval funds and will open access to investors who might not otherwise consider investing in loans made by marketplace lenders; article highlights fees and minimums of offerings by RiverNorth and Stone Ridge. Source