CAIS, the alternative investment platform for independent financial advisors, announced that Graham Capital Management, L.P., a global alternative investment firm with approximately $17.9 billion in assets under management that specializes in providing quantitative and discretionary macro strategies, is partnering with CAIS “to add select alternative investment funds on the CAIS Marketplace.”
The announcement “coincides with positive performance across macro strategies over the last year, with assets under management in this asset class reaching an estimated $890 billion in 2022.”
The Graham fund currently listed by CAIS “has undergone a third-party due diligence process conducted by Mercer and will be made available to thousands of RIAs and independent broker-dealers (IBDs) who oversee more than $3 trillion in assets.”
These independent advisors are “provided with leading technology through the CAIS Platform that seeks to enable a more efficient pre-trade, trade, and post-trade experience.”
In addition, Graham will “receive access to CAIS’ Asset Manager Experience, a data-rich dashboard, which provides product interest and investor pipeline from advisors using the CAIS Marketplace.”
Brian Douglas, Chief Executive Officer of Graham, said:
“2022 was a strong year for macro and a reminder of the importance of portfolio diversification. We are optimistic that the opportunity set for our strategies will continue to be strong, so we are particularly excited about the timing of our partnership with CAIS. Over time, macro has low correlation to equities, bonds and other alternatives and we believe that it can therefore be a valuable portfolio construction tool. While no single strategy performs well at every discrete point in time, we believe that holding a diversified alternative like this fund as a long-term, strategic allocation in a broad investment portfolio offers the potential for significant benefits over time for all investors, including RIAs and independent broker-dealers and their underlying clients.”
The private wealth channel “has historically been under-allocated to alternatives compared to institutional investors, which often allocate between 30% and 50%.”
A recent CAIS-Mercer survey found “that nearly 88% of financial advisors intend to increase their allocations to alternatives over the next two years, signaling a rising demand for alternatives asset classes amid a backdrop of one of the lowest annual performances of the 60/40 portfolio over the last two decades.”
Brad Walker, Chief Client & Product Development Officer at CAIS, said:
“The correlation between equities and bonds rose to a 27-year high in 2022. As investors seek out uncorrelated returns, portfolio diversification and a hedge against inflation, the modern three-dimensional portfolio – a 50/30/20 mix of stocks, bonds and alternatives – may be emerging as the new norm for independent advisors and their clients. Our partnership with Graham reflects CAIS’ commitment to providing the private wealth channel with quality alternative strategies and a more efficient means of accessing and managing these products.”
As noted in the update, CAIS claims it is “the leading alternative investment platform for financial advisors who seek improved access to, and education about, alternative investment funds and products.”
CAIS provides financial advisors “with a broad selection of alternative investment strategies, including hedge funds, private equity, private credit, real estate, digital assets, and structured notes, allowing them to capitalize on opportunities and/or withstand ever-changing markets.”
CAIS also “offers custom solutions for advisors seeking to create custom fund vehicles around ideas they source.”
CAIS also “provides an industry-leading learning system, CAIS IQ, to help advisors learn faster, remember longer, and improve client outcomes.”
All funds listed on CAIS “undergo Mercer’s independent due diligence and ongoing monitoring.”
Mercer diligence reports and fund ratings “are available to advisors on the CAIS password-protected platform. CAIS streamlines the end-to-end transaction process through digital subscriptions and integrated reporting with Fidelity, Schwab, and Pershing, which make investing in alternatives simple.”
Founded in 2009, CAIS, a fintech leader, is “empowering over 8,300 unique advisor firms/teams who oversee more than $3T in network assets.”