Ninety-four per cent of the UK-based wealth managers and IFAs who are responsible for assets under management of £332.7 billion ($441.8 billion) surveyed agree that for the sophisticated retail investor, relying solely on a conventional listed equity portfolio risks missing out on the primary wealth-generation engines of the modern economy. That includes nearly a third who agree that clients need exposure to private markets to access a broader range of growth opportunities while 63 per cent slightly agree. 

The study evaluates the explicit benefits that private markets provide over traditional 60/40 portfolios and cites several institutional-grade advantages, with 72 per cent of advisors highlighting the enhanced long-term capital growth benefits. This is followed by inflation protection (48 per cent) and access to unique, non-public market sectors (47 per cent). A third (35 per cent) of respondents point to the benefit of reduced portfolio volatility and a quarter (26 per cent) cite lower correlation with public markets.

The research comes after Wealth Club announced a period of expansion for its private markets platform, with more funds and managers.

When questioned about the tactical importance of private market access in capturing the high-performing growth phase of a company’s lifecycle, 89 per cent of wealth managers and IFAs surveyed deem it critical, with 30 per cent categorising it as “essential” and 59 per cent “very important.”

This trend is not a transient reaction to short-term market cycles, but a long-term view. More than nine out of 10 respondents anticipate the need for retail and HNW investors to be exposed to private markets in order to access a broader range of growth opportunities, which will only accelerate over the next five years. 

"These findings suggest private markets are approaching a tipping point among individual investors in the UK,” Alex Davies, founder and CEO of Wealth Club, said. “For decades, pension funds, insurers and endowments have used private equity and private credit as important components of their portfolios. Increasingly, wealth managers and IFAs believe suitable investors should also have the opportunity to access these strategies.”

"Private markets are moving from being a niche allocation to becoming an increasingly important part of a well-diversified long-term portfolio. Investors who ignore them risk missing an increasingly important source of long-term growth," he continued.

Wealth Club, which launched the UK's first Private Funds Supermarket in November 2024, is growing as interest in private markets among sophisticated and high net worth investors continues to increase. The platform now offers 22 funds from 18 leading private markets managers; earlier this year it launched the UK's first dedicated Private Markets SIPP, marking another step in broadening access to private markets.

This growth, which is being created by rising interest from both investors and fund managers, reflects the growing demand for private market investments and the increasing popularity of semi-liquid fund structures.

A recent survey by alternative assets firm Blackstone covering more than 200 financial advisors across the US, EMEA and APAC also shows that 90 per cent of surveyed advisors are either increasing or maintaining their private equity allocations. The resilience suggests continued interest in diversifying portfolios with private assets that can offer differentiated return potential and long-term growth that may be less tied to short-term public market volatility. California-headquartered investment manager Franklin Templeton also sees attractive opportunities globally within private markets in 2026.