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Alternative Investments: What They Are, How to Invest in Them, and Why You Should Consider Them



If you are looking for ways to diversify your portfolio and boost your returns, you might have heard of alternative investments. But what are they exactly, and how can you invest in them? In this post, we will explain what alternative investments are, what types of alternative investments exist, and what are the benefits and risks of investing in them.

What are alternative investments?

Alternative investments are a broad category of assets that do not belong to the traditional financial products, such as stocks, bonds, and cash. Alternative investments usually have different characteristics, risks, and returns than conventional investments, and often require more specialized knowledge and skills to invest in them.

Some examples of alternative investments are:

  • Hedge funds: These are pooled funds that use various strategies to generate returns, such as short selling, leverage, derivatives, arbitrage, and more. Hedge funds aim to achieve positive returns regardless of market conditions, but they also charge high fees and have low liquidity.
  • Private equity: These are funds that invest in private companies that are not listed on public exchanges. Private equity funds typically buy out or provide capital to businesses that have growth potential or need restructuring. Private equity funds hope to profit from improving the performance or selling the companies at a higher valuation later.
  • Venture capital: These are funds that invest in start-ups or early-stage companies that have innovative ideas or technologies. Venture capital funds provide funding and guidance to entrepreneurs in exchange for equity or ownership in the companies. Venture capital funds seek to earn high returns from successful exits or IPOs of the companies they invest in.
  • Commodities: These are physical goods that are traded on markets, such as oil, gold, wheat, coffee, and more. Commodities prices are influenced by supply and demand factors, as well as geopolitical events and economic conditions. Commodities can be used to hedge against inflation or currency fluctuations, but they also have high volatility and storage costs.
  • Real estate: These are properties that are used for residential or commercial purposes, such as houses, apartments, offices, malls, hotels, and more. Real estate can generate income from rents or capital gains from appreciation. Real estate can also provide diversification and inflation protection, but it also requires high initial investment and maintenance costs.
  • Infrastructure: These are assets that provide essential services to society, such as roads, bridges, airports, power plants, water systems, and more. Infrastructure can generate stable and long-term cash flows from fees or contracts. Infrastructure can also benefit from government support and regulation, but it also faces political and environmental risks.
  • Collectibles: These are items that have artistic or historical value, such as paintings, sculptures, coins, stamps, wine, jewelry, and more. Collectibles can appreciate in value over time due to their rarity or popularity. Collectibles can also offer personal enjoyment and satisfaction, but they also have low liquidity and high transaction costs.

What are the benefits of alternative investments?

Alternative investments can offer several benefits to investors who want to diversify their portfolio and enhance their returns. Some of the benefits are:

  • Higher returns: Alternative investments can potentially offer higher returns than traditional investments over the long term. This is because alternative investments can exploit market inefficiencies or opportunities that are not available to conventional investors. For example,
    • hedge funds can use leverage and derivatives to amplify their gains,
    • private equity and venture capital can benefit from the growth or turnaround of private companies,
    • commodities can surge due to supply shocks or demand spikes,
    • real estate can appreciate due to location or development factors,
    • infrastructure can increase its value due to rising demand or inflation,
    • collectibles can become more valuable due to scarcity or popularity.
  • Lower correlation: Alternative investments can have lower correlation with traditional investments. This means that they do not move in the same direction or magnitude as stocks or bonds. This can help reduce the overall risk and volatility of the portfolio by providing diversification benefits. For example,
    • hedge funds can hedge against market downturns or crises,
    • private equity and venture capital can be less affected by public market fluctuations,
    • commodities can act as a hedge against inflation or currency devaluation,
    • real estate can be less sensitive to interest rate changes or economic cycles,
    • infrastructure can be more resilient to recessions or shocks,
    • collectibles can be more driven by personal preferences or tastes.

What are the risks of alternative investments?

Alternative investments also come with several risks that investors should be aware of before investing in them. Some of the risks are:

  • Higher fees: Alternative investments usually charge higher fees than traditional investments. This is because alternative investments require more expertise and resources to manage them effectively. For example,
    • hedge funds typically charge a 2% management fee and a 20% performance fee,
    • private equity and venture capital usually charge a 2% management fee and a 20% carried interest fee,
    • commodities may incur brokerage fees, storage fees, or transportation fees,
    • real estate may involve property taxes, insurance, or maintenance fees,
    • infrastructure may entail construction costs, operating costs, or regulatory fees,
    • collectibles may require appraisal fees, auction fees, or insurance fees.
  • Lower liquidity: Alternative investments usually have lower liquidity than traditional investments. This means that they are harder to buy or sell quickly or at a fair price. This can limit the flexibility and accessibility of the investors to their funds. For example,
    • hedge funds often have lock-up periods or redemption restrictions,
    • private equity and venture capital typically have long holding periods or exit limitations,
    • commodities may have limited supply or demand or seasonal variations,
    • real estate may have low turnover or marketability or legal issues,
    • infrastructure may have long-term contracts or concessions or public interest considerations,
    • collectibles may have limited buyers or sellers or authenticity issues.
  • Higher complexity: Alternative investments usually have higher complexity than traditional investments. This means that they are harder to understand or evaluate. This can increase the uncertainty and risk of the investors to their investments. For example,
    • hedge funds may use sophisticated or opaque strategies or instruments,
    • private equity and venture capital may rely on subjective or uncertain valuations or projections,
    • commodities may be affected by unpredictable or volatile factors or events,
    • real estate may involve complicated or variable contracts or regulations,
    • infrastructure may depend on intricate or changing technical or environmental aspects,
    • collectibles may be influenced by subjective or emotional factors or trends.

How can you invest in alternative investments?

Alternative investments are not suitable for everyone. They are generally more suitable for sophisticated or accredited investors who have a high net worth, a high income, a high risk tolerance, and a long-term investment horizon. If you are interested in investing in alternative investments, you should do your own research and due diligence, consult a professional advisor, and be prepared to accept the potential losses as well as the potential gains.

There are different ways to invest in alternative investments, depending on the type of asset and the level of involvement. Some of the ways are:

  • Direct investment: This is when you buy or own the alternative asset directly. This gives you full control and ownership of the asset, but it also requires more capital, expertise, and responsibility. For example,
    • you can buy physical commodities such as gold bars or oil barrels,
    • you can buy real estate properties such as houses or apartments,
    • you can buy infrastructure assets such as toll roads or power plants,
    • you can buy collectibles such as paintings or coins.
  • Indirect investment: This is when you buy shares or units of a fund that invests in the alternative asset indirectly. This gives you partial exposure and diversification of the asset, but it also involves fees, intermediaries, and dilution. For example,
    • you can buy shares of a hedge fund that uses various strategies to generate returns,
    • you can buy units of a private equity fund that invests in private companies,
    • you can buy units of a venture capital fund that invests in start-ups,
    • you can buy shares of a commodity ETF that tracks the price of a commodity index,
    • you can buy shares of a REIT that invests in real estate properties,
    • you can buy shares of an infrastructure ETF that invests in infrastructure companies.
  • Hybrid investment: This is when you use a combination of direct and indirect investment methods to invest in the alternative asset. This gives you some control and diversification of the asset, but it also involves trade-offs between fees, liquidity, and returns. For example,
    • you can use futures or options contracts to hedge or speculate on the price movements of commodities,
    • you can use crowdfunding platforms to invest in real estate projects or start-ups,
    • you can use peer-to-peer lending platforms to lend money to businesses or individuals.

Conclusion

Alternative investments are a diverse and dynamic category of assets that can offer attractive opportunities for investors who want to diversify their portfolio and enhance their returns. However, alternative investments also come with significant challenges and risks that require careful consideration and due diligence. Therefore, investors should be well-informed and well-advised before investing in alternative investments.


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