Group 1 - The Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NYSE: NIE) is a multi-asset, closed-end fund aimed at providing capital appreciation and current income to investors [1] - The fund's strategy involves deploying capital across equities, convertible securities, and derivatives to achieve growth and income [1] - The fund pays out a distribution to its investors, although specific payout details are not provided in the text [1] Group 2 - Michael Del Monte is identified as a buy-side equity analyst with over 5 years of industry experience, previously working in professional services across various sectors [1] - Investment recommendations are based on a comprehensive view of the investment ecosystem rather than evaluating companies in isolation [1]

Group 1 - The number of newly registered private equity funds has been declining, with only 54 new registrations in 2023 compared to 448 in 2022 and 312 in 2023 [3] - In April 2024, there were 16 new registrations, with a total of 5 private securities funds and 12 private equity and venture capital funds [3] - The trend shows a significant decrease in new registrations over the past three years, indicating a cooling market for private equity [3] Group 2 - Despite the decline in new registrations, there has been a surge in the registration of private securities products, with 3,491 products registered by April 30, 2024, a 38.81% increase from the previous year [3][4] - Stock strategies remain the dominant approach, accounting for 63.02% of the registered products, while multi-asset and futures strategies are gaining popularity [4] - Quantitative private equity products represent 43.83% of the total registered private securities products, with stock quantitative strategies leading the way [4] Group 3 - Small-scale private equity firms are the main contributors to the registered products, with 1,240 products from firms managing between 0-5 billion and 407 products from those managing between 5-10 billion [4] - The enthusiasm for A500 index enhancement products has increased, with 165 products registered in 2024, primarily driven by large private equity firms managing over 100 billion [4] - The growth of quantitative strategies in the private equity sector is attributed to improved liquidity in the A-share market and a rising demand for stable returns from investors [4]