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Alternatives

Interval funds swim in less liquid waters

Design image of waves and color gradient

Alternative investments provide yield and total return potential, often by investing in less liquid assets. However, interval funds are considered alternative not because of their investments, but because of their tailored strategy to offer investors an illiquidity premium. And these strategies are catching on.

What are interval funds and how do they work?

An interval fund is a continuously offered closed-end fund that provides periodic liquidity through share repurchases. One main difference from other closed-end funds is that interval funds are typically not listed on an exchange. Interval funds are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Investors can access less liquid investment strategies in a registered product and enter or exit their investment at net asset value. 

Who might consider interval funds?

Interval funds may interest investors seeking:

What are the potential benefits?

Enhanced yield and return potential 

Interval funds seek to put cash to work in public and/or private investments designed to pay a dividend and appreciate in value. Through active management, the investment teams carefully research each holding, evaluate the risk/reward payoff and manage the use of portfolio leverage (as applicable based on fund guidelines).

Market and portfolio liquidity

During times of market uncertainty and volatility, liquidity in the market comes under pressure as investors move to the sidelines. Funds can experience sharp declines in value, which may be magnified if the portfolio management team is not able to buy securities at attractive prices or sell securities that are not as marketable.

Greater flexibility

Interval funds do not need to manage daily inflows and outflows from investors buying and selling shares. Funds can remain fully invested because they do not need to hold cash to meet redemptions. Portfolio managers have flexibility to invest in less liquid securities that may have longer holding periods. Portfolios can reflect a longer-term view and may employ leverage1 to boost income. 

Timing of redemptions

Interval fund shareholders who want to redeem their investments need to initiate a request during the period specified by the fund, usually quarterly. Since funds make available a certain percentage of outstanding shares, shareholders may not be able to exit their positions in full during a particular repurchase offer period. 

Chart: Flexibility to hold less liquid securities
In this issue
Real Estate CityWatch: Charlotte
Charlotte, the queen city. Charlotte shows resilience and a dynamic market for business.
Alternatives Diving into private markets
Shedding light on alternatives. We address investor concerns and questions.
Real Estate The remote work revolution has changed office space
Sizing up the state of office space. Trends are transforming offices around the globe.

Endnotes

Sources

1 Leverage is created whenever a fund has investment exposure (both reward and/or risk) equivalent to more than 100% of the investment capital. Leverage involves the risk that a fund could lose more than its original investment and also increases the fund’s exposure to volatility, interest rate risk and credit risk.

The views and opinions expressed are for informational and educational purposes only as of the date of production/writing and may change without notice at any time based on numerous factors, such as market or other conditions, legal and regulatory developments, additional risks and uncertainties and may not come to pass. This material may contain “forward-looking” information that is not purely historical in nature.

Such information may include, among other things, projections, forecasts, estimates of market returns, and proposed or expected portfolio composition. Any changes to assumptions that may have been made in preparing this material could have a material impact on the information presented herein by way of example. Performance data shown represents past performance and does not predict or guarantee future results. Investing involves risk; principal loss is possible.

All information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such. For term definitions and index descriptions, please access the glossary on nuveen.com. Please note, it is not possible to invest directly in an index.

Important information on risk

All investments carry a certain degree of risk and there is no assurance that an investment will provide positive performance over any period of time. Equity investing involves risk. Investments are also subject to political, currency and regulatory risks. Diversification is a technique to help reduce risk. There is no guarantee that diversification will protect against a loss of income. Debt or fixed income securities are subject to market risk, credit risk, interest rate risk, call risk, derivatives risk, dollar roll transaction risk, and income risk. As interest rates rise, bond prices fall. Foreign investments involve additional risks, including currency fluctuation, political and economic instability, lack of liquidity, and differing legal and accounting standards. These risks are magnified in emerging markets.

As an asset class, real assets are less developed, more illiquid, and less transparent compared to traditional asset classes. Investments will be subject to risks generally associated with the ownership of real estate-related assets and foreign investing, including changes in economic conditions, currency values, environmental risks, the cost of and ability to obtain insurance, and risks related to leasing of properties. Real estate investments are subject to various risks, including fluctuations in property values, higher expenses or lower income than expected, and potential environmental problems and liability. Please consider all risks carefully prior to investing in any particular strategy. A portfolio’s concentration in the real estate sector makes it subject to greater risk and volatility than other portfolios that are more diversified and its value may be substantially affected by economic events in the real estate industry. International investing involves risks, including risks related to foreign currency, limited liquidity particularly where the underlying asset comprises real estate, less government regulation in some jurisdictions, and the possibility of substantial volatility due to adverse political, economic or other developments. As an asset class, agricultural investments are less developed, more illiquid, and less transparent compared to traditional asset classes. Agricultural investments will be subject to risks generally associated with the ownership of real estate-related assets, including changes in economic conditions, environmental risks, the cost of and ability to obtain insurance, and risks related to leasing of properties.

Investors should be aware that alternative investments including private equity and private debt are speculative, subject to substantial risks including the risks associated with limited liquidity, the use of leverage, short sales and concentrated investments and may involve complex tax structures and investment strategies. Alternative investments may be illiquid, there may be no liquid secondary market or ready purchasers for such securities, they may not be required to provide periodic pricing or valuation information to investors, there may be delays in distributing tax information to investors, they are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as other types of pooled investment vehicles, and they may be subject to high fees and expenses, which will reduce profits. Alternative investments are not appropriate for all investors and should not constitute an entire investment program. Investors may lose all or substantially all of the capital invested. The historical returns achieved by alternative asset vehicles is not a prediction of future performance or a guarantee of future results, and there can be no assurance that comparable returns will be achieved by any strategy.

Responsible investing incorporates Environmental Social Governance (ESG) factors that may affect exposure to issuers, sectors, industries, limiting the type and number of investment opportunities available, which could result in excluding investments that perform well. ESG integration incorporates financially relevant ESG factors into investment research in support of portfolio management for actively managed strategies. Financial relevancy of ESG factors varies by asset class and investment strategy. Applicability of ESG factors may differ across investment strategies. ESG factors are among many factors considered in evaluating an investment decision, and unless otherwise stated in the relevant offering memorandum or prospectus, do not alter the investment guidelines, strategy or objectives.

Nuveen, LLC provides investment services through its investment specialists.

This information does not constitute investment research as defined under MiFID.

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