IFM Private Markets 700 Report 2026 (IFM Investors)

Summary

• The survey covers 700 senior investment professionals from pension funds, insurers, wealth managers and consultancies.p.6
• Only one in five (21%) say their portfolio can perform consistently well across economic conditions.p.8
• 71% believe investing in megatrends will be essential to achieving their return objectives.p.5
• 26% say they lack internal expertise to scale private markets investments, while 44% say scaling investments is difficult.p.5
• 63% of investors want to add to their infrastructure equity allocation.p.5
• 72% agree that the energy transition offers long-term private market opportunities.p.5

Key insights

1. Inflation (55%) and geopolitical instability (54%) are the biggest portfolio risks cited by investors.p.8
2. Interest rate volatility is cited as a top risk by 39% of investors.p.8
3. 45% see private markets as helping them gain exposure to structural growth opportunities such as AI.p.5
4. Investors in EMEA tend to be home-focused and prioritise sustainability.p.5
5. Infrastructure equity is the most appealing private market asset class, narrowly ahead of private equity.p.5
6. The IMF has forecast global GDP growth of 3% in 2026, down from 3.5% in 2025.p.8