Alternative Investments

Alternatives are the investments that go beyond traditional stocks and bonds. They can open doors to unique opportunities to help grow and protect your wealth, and have long sought to offer enhanced returns, portfolio diversification, lower volatility, as well as potential tax efficiency.

With 45+ years of experience and $180 billion in client assets invested in alternatives,1 Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an industry leader in the asset class. Individuals and institutions can gain access to exclusive offerings, preeminent fund managers and innovative investment opportunities spanning private equity, private credit, real assets, hedge funds and more. 

The Morgan Stanley Advantage

What You Can Expect From Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley’s leadership in alternative investments is built on our team’s expertise and commitment to our clients.

  1. 1
    Exclusive access with personalized guidance

    Discover a robust selection of over 200 alternative funds available through your Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor. Of our new offerings, 75% are first look or exclusive.2 Additionally, we offer customized structures to help meet the needs of individual and institutional clients who require a bespoke solution. Our unparalleled range of products can be integrated into a tailored financial plan that puts you at the center of everything we do. 

  2. 2
    Partner of choice for leading alternative investments managers

    Morgan Stanley's decades of experience and vast global network provide access to investment opportunities from leading managers in the industry. We offer both third-party and proprietary solutions. Our fund selection is powered by our scale, guided by a deliberate and thematic top-down approach lead by our Global Investment Office, and committed to helping you identify the strategy that best aligns with your goals, values and risk tolerance.

  3. 3
    Rigorous investment and operational due diligence

    More than 35 dedicated alternative investment and operational due diligence analysts apply a thorough investment selection process and proprietary methodologies to identify high-quality strategies.3 This highly selective approach includes rigorous quantitative and qualitative analysis, business and operational review, comprehensive governance and oversight, and ongoing monitoring.

  4. 4
    Opportunities to invest directly in private companies

    Morgan Stanley Private Markets offers eligible clients the opportunity to invest in a curated list of high-quality private companies directly or alongside an asset manager.

  5. 5
    Values-based investing

    Align your investments with your values through alternative funds that seek to generate superior risk-adjusted returns alongside environmental sustainability and positive social impact, including global community improvement and driving equity across race, ethnicity, gender and orientation.

Alternative Investment Categories at a Glance

Your Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor can help you determine if any of the following strategies are a fit for your portfolio.

 

Private Equity

Private market investment approaches—such as private company buyouts, growth equity and venture capital—generally seek higher growth and additional diversification relative to traditional equity markets

Private Credit

Private corporate lending and private real estate lending offer the potential for higher income, relative to traditional fixed income markets, while distressed credit investing may serve as an opportunistic means of generating risk-adjusted growth

Real Estate / Real Assets

Assets such as private real estate and infrastructure offer investors the potential for both appreciation growth and tax-advantaged income while helping to mitigate inflation risk over time

Hedge Funds

Hedged strategies can help manage portfolio volatility, while seeking enhanced risk-adjusted returns relative to traditional equity and fixed income markets

Digital Assets

Digital assets, such as cryptocurrencies, offer speculative investors the potential for both growth and inflation-risk mitigation

Tax-Advantaged Strategies

Strategies such as concentrated stock exchange funds, 1031 real estate exchanges, real estate opportunity zones, private placement variable annuity and life insurance structures offer investors a means of additional diversification with the added benefit of reducing or deferring tax liability

Innovative Solutions for Your Wealth

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offers qualified investors a full suite of alternative investments across various asset classes. Work with your Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor to see how an alternative investment strategy can help strengthen your portfolio.

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Insights and Ideas From Morgan Stanley

Learn from our thought leaders about how alternative investments can help you manage your wealth and help meet your personal financial goals.