Blackstone(US:BX) Hua Er Jie Jian Wen·2025-09-22 08:40Core Viewpoint - The private credit market is experiencing significant yield advantages, prompting global investors to shift from public markets to private market allocations [1][2]. Group 1: Yield Advantage - Private credit offers a yield premium of 150-200 basis points over high-yield and investment-grade bonds, making it an attractive investment opportunity for global clients [2][3]. - The spread on corporate bonds has narrowed to its lowest level since the late 1990s, providing a clear relative value advantage for private markets [1][2]. Group 2: Institutional Investment Trends - U.S. insurance companies allocate 35%-40% of their balance sheets to private credit, while Asian insurance companies only allocate about 5%, indicating substantial growth potential in the latter market [1][2]. - The next wave of incremental funding in private credit is expected to come from large institutional investors such as pension funds and sovereign wealth funds, which have a natural demand for high-yield, low-volatility private credit assets [2][3]. Group 3: AI Infrastructure Demand - The demand for AI infrastructure is a key driver of growth in the private credit market, with significant financing needs projected for data centers and other hard assets [3][4]. - JPMorgan estimates that approximately $150 billion in permanent financing will be required for U.S. data center construction between 2026 and 2027, creating substantial opportunities for private lenders [4]. Group 4: M&A Activity and Market Dynamics - The revival of M&A activity is expected to create further opportunities for private lending institutions, with predictions of active deal-making in the fourth quarter [5]. - Despite concerns about sustainability in the private credit market, the overall default rate among non-investment-grade borrowers remains low, indicating strong underlying fundamentals [5].