We introduce a methodology to estimate the historical time-series of returns to investment in private equity funds. The approach requires only an unbalanced panel of cash contributions and distributions accruing to limited partners, and is robust to sparse data. We decompose private equity...

We develop a new methodology to estimate abnormal performance and risk exposure of non-traded assets from cashflows. Our methodology extends the standard internal rate of return approach to a dynamic setting. The small-sample properties are validated using a simulation study. We apply the method...

Private equity has traditionally been thought to provide diversification benefits However, these benefits may be lower than anticipated. We find that private equity suffers from significant exposure to the same liquidity risk factor as public equity and other alternative asset classes. The...

Over ten trillion dollars are allocated to private market funds that require outside investors to commit to transferring capital on demand; most of these funds are Private Equity (PE). We show within a novel dynamic portfolio allocation model that ex-ante commitment has large effects on...