https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/partners-caps-evergreen-fund-redemptions-as-requests-rise/91517861
The share price falls by double digits following a Bloomberg report. That's what's behind it:
- The trigger ("gating"): Partners Group $PGHN (-16%) is now limiting withdrawals from its USD 8.6 billion Global Value SICAV Fund. Quarterly redemptions will be capped at 5% of the fund volume.
- Why? The "flight" of investors was simply too great. In Q2, investors (especially nervous private wealth clients) wanted to withdraw a whopping 9.8% of their capital. Since private equity invests in illiquid companies, you can't simply conjure up the money overnight and pay it out.
- Short sellers in the right? As recently as April, the short seller Grizzly Research accused Partners Group of overstating the valuations in precisely these funds by up to 40%. The fact that liquidity is now drying up is naturally giving the short-seller story a massive boost on Wall Street.
Conclusion: Partners Group is of course not fundamentally broke (15% cash ratio + credit lines available). But in asset management, trust is the only hard currency. If the doors are closed, it will be a psychological disaster. This will set back growth and performance fees for the time being.
Is this a good opportunity to buy a highly profitable asset manager or is this just the beginning?
