Institutional Family Offices: Key Investment Trends and Themes

Institutional family offices have emerged as significant forces in public and private markets. As they have grown in size, sophistication, and influence, their needs are global, complex, and multifaceted. In other words, as a front-runner to a line of investment trends, family offices look to experienced advisors to develop unique investment offerings, curated content, and peer networking.

The Goldman Sachs Apex Family Office Symposium

The Apex Family Office Symposium, is hosted every year by Goldman Sachs, uniting 170 Family Office Investors Across 15 Countries Worldwide. This symposium represents a forum, discussing macroeconomic environments and the opportunities found within public and private markets, political landscapes, M&A and capital markets, multi-generational family office formation, and thematic investing, among other things.

Alternative Investments and Asset Class Outperformance

Family offices will continue to direct their investments toward alternative assets, especially private equity and private credit. These have demonstrated a continued ability to outperform global public markets over the long term, according to Cambridge Associates.

Focus on Artificial Intelligence and Private Real Estate

The major investment themes for 2024, remain artificial intelligence and private real estate. Family offices are exploring opportunities within AI sector and shifting the focus to “second-order beneficiaries” of AI technology. Private real estate remains high on the list, with many family offices finding market potential despite the current high interest rate environment challenges.

Ecosystem of Sports and Energy Transition

Family offices are warming toward the sports ecosystem and the energy transition. Significant sports team valuations are on the upswing, while there are global investment opportunities, from green hydrogen to electric vehicles, within the energy transition.

Future Investment Trends

Family offices are most ideally suited for patient long-term capital, which shows continued trends of sourcing investment opportunities as new sectors and companies mature. Observation of family office moves gives foresight into upcoming megatrends in the investment community.