Ryan Robertson, Co-Head of Global Wealth for Future Standard, joined Zoe Hunt, Host of RIA Channel, to discuss the investment opportunities and diversification benefits of the U.S. middle market.
Robertson highlights that Future Standard has specialized in private markets for more than 30 years, focusing on middle-market companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion. While advisors have benefited from strong market performance driven by large-cap technology and AI companies, he notes that many portfolios have become increasingly concentrated in these sectors.
Robertson explains that the U.S. middle market can help close this gap by providing exposure to sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, financials, and agriculture through founder-led and family-owned businesses that form the backbone of the U.S. economy. He emphasizes that incorporating middle-market investments can help advisors build portfolios with greater diversification, lower volatility, and stronger long-term performance. Pointing to historical data, Robertson notes that the U.S. middle market has outperformed large-cap investments by approximately 450 basis points per annum.
WEBCAST – Beyond Beta: Unlocking Growth in the Middle Market
Join Future Standard’s President and Chief Investment Officer, Mike Kelly and Head of Private Equity Solutions, Dan Wilk for a discussion on the forces reshaping private equity today.
Private equity remains an important source of growth and diversification, but access alone no longer differentiates a portfolio. With capital concentrating in the largest funds, rates resetting higher, and AI redefining how value is created, the more consequential question is what segment within private equity an investor actually owns.
Discussion topics:
- The deal, exit and fundraising trends shaping private equity year-to-date
- How capital concentration is remapping the asset class and where opportunities lie
- The impact of elevated rates on how sponsors are driving returns
- Where the AI opportunity set is shifting and how investors can gain exposure
Accepted for 1 CFP / IWI / CFA CE Credit