What is Private Equity (PE) and How Does It Work? Is it Beneficial to Invest in Private Equity and What Are the Benefits of Investing in Private Equity?

So, what is the exact private equity meaning? It is an alternative asset allowing accredited institutional investment companies and investors to diversify portfolios. Further, if you want to know what is private equity, know that it allows investors to take up more risks in exchange for the capacity to garner huge returns on investment than they might have made by investing in the public firms.

Also Read: Best ETFs to Invest in India

Understanding Private Equity Investment

For example, if you invest 1 crore in a private equity firm, your money will be used by the private equity firm in a private equity fund, along with the money it receives from the other investors. Further, the firm will invest this pool of cash in different PE instruments such as venture capital or buyouts.

Invest or Not to Invest in Private Equity

There are large-scale benefits of private equity investments. And that’s the reason why investors make the most out of PE investment opportunities, especially when it comes to diversifying their holdings.

Investing in private equity will be a wide decision for a portfolio company as it will help diversify the portfolio of the company and result in higher returns than investments in the public markets.

However, there’s a crucial distinction you need to consider before making PE investments, and that is, the large market doesn't impact PE valuations. The private firms get more flexibility than the publicly traded organisations that need to adhere to stringent accounting practices brought forth by the Securities and Exchange Commission. So, while the PE funds involve higher risks, they also boast higher returns.

Also Read: Best Rates for Bank Fixed Deposits to Invest in India

Benefits of Investing in Private Equity

Some of the significant benefits of investing in private equity include:

• Investors can make huge profits by investing in unlisted privately owned organisations with good growth potential.
• Organisations managing PE investments are pretty specific about investing in prospective firms and using proper resources for assessing such companies.
• The management teams of the PE-owned firms are held accountable to engaged professional shareholders, who have the right to safeguard their actions and shareholding accordingly.

Ways to Diversify Your Portfolio with Private Equity Funds

Some tips on diversifying your portfolio with private equity funds are as follows:

• Avoid putting all your cash in one equity or one sector.
• Consider bond or index funds.
• Keep building your portfolio consistently.
• Know the right time to stop investing
• Consider the commissions
• Risks Involved in Private Equity Investment
• In private equity investment, there are a few risks, such as:
• risk of misconducts and fraud
• lack of transparency
• 3rd party intermediaries get too much involved
• Risk of leaking personal information
• Any crisis can occur at any time
• Risk of cyber crime from both internal and external sources

Final Thoughts

Investing in private equity funds can be enjoyable. At the same time, it can also be rewarding, informative, and educational. However, when it comes to PE investments, you should always take a methodical approach with diversification as your primary goal.