High-net-worth women in Asia are out-investing men in alternatives: Brookfield survey

A NEW survey by Brookfield, a New York-based global alternative asset manager, has found that high-net-worth (HNW) women in Asia are more likely than men to hold alternative investments: 83 per cent of such women surveyed owned such assets, against 73 per cent of men.

These findings, drawn from a survey of 275 HNW investors from Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan who have at least US$2.5 million in household investable assets each, suggest that women hold stronger convictions about the asset class.

In the survey, alternative investments were defined as private market assets outside traditional publicly traded stocks and bonds – including private equity, private credit, infrastructure, real estate and hedge funds, and a category covering assets such as commodities like gold, collectibles and cryptocurrencies.

Some 86 per cent of women, compared to 78 per cent of men, said they believed an allocation to alternatives would deliver stronger long-term outcomes than the traditional 60/40 portfolio.

This view is reflected in their investment approach. More than nine in 10 women said they focus primarily on long-term investing, and view alternatives as a way to enhance long-term returns.

Jeremy Hall, head of international for Brookfield’s private wealth business, said: “As women continue to play a larger role in shaping wealth outcomes, we are seeing strong interest for alternatives as part of a long-term investment strategy.”

Among women already invested in alternatives, 84 per cent expressed satisfaction with the performance of their alternative investments and were open to investing in more alternative asset classes that they did not already own.

The findings contrast with a 2024 white paper commissioned by Kensington Capital Partners and titled Women and Alts: A Global Perspective, which found that men were allocating twice as much of their assets to alternative investments as women.

That report, based on interviews with 26 women in the global finance industry in 31 cities and 25 countries, identified an opaque, male-centric industry as a key barrier to investing in alternatives. It also cited education, forums, campaigns and accessibility as ways to close the gap.

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