Global Alternatives Survey 2011

Including the Top 100 Asset Managers

The Global Alternatives Survey aims to track the movements of alternative assets managed on behalf of pension funds by the world’s largest alternative investment managers and to produce authoritative rankings. Now in its eighth year and run in conjunction with the Financial Times, the survey includes 271 investment manager entries (up from 224 in 2009) comprising: 71 in real estate, 70 in fund of hedge funds, 59 in private equity fund of funds, 27 in commodities and 44 (25 in 2009) in infrastructure.

Alternative assets managed on behalf of pension funds by the world’s largest managers grew 16% in 2010 to US$952 billion (from US$817 billion in 2009). At the same time total assets under management for these managers increased by 12% to US$1,904 billion; and the research shows that half of their assets are now pension fund assets.

The Global Alternatives Survey covers five alternatives asset classes: real estate; private equity fund of funds; fund of hedge funds; infrastructure and commodities and includes rankings of the top managers in each area. In the private equity and hedge fund area, this ranking is focused purely on fund of funds which have traditionally been of most interest to pension funds. For real estate, commodities and infrastructure, direct managers are included.