With equity markets becoming more volatile, many investors are boosting fixed income exposures, long considered a potential refuge when equities sell off. Typically, investors consider Treasuries and perhaps high-quality corporate bonds. Increasingly, however, investors are also turning to private credit, which may offer greater stability and resilience during periods of market stress. In fact, private credit has historically outperformed other fixed income assets across interest rate cycles while also demonstrating lower volatility (see below).

Three key characteristics help explain this dynamic:

Lack of price discovery: Unlike publicly traded fixed income securities, private credit is not priced in the open secondary market. This means that pricing is not subject to daily fluctuations based on market sentiment. This lack of price discovery contributes to private credit’s stability during periods of market stress.

Enhanced structural protections: Private credit typically involves a bilateral agreement with negotiated covenants and other lender protections designed to limit borrower behavior. For example, a lender might restrict the borrower’s ability to take on additional debt or sell assets that serve as key collateral. These features offer stronger risk mitigation than traditional fixed income, where bonds and broadly syndicated loans are often covenant-lite—providing fewer safeguards and leaving investors more exposed to borrower actions, particularly during periods of market volatility.

Low duration risk due to floating-rate nature: Most private loans have floating-rate coupons, meaning their interest payments reset periodically—typically every 30 to 90 days—based on a benchmark rate like SOFR. This structure helps mitigate duration risk, or the sensitivity of a bond’s price to interest rate changes, which can be significant in fixed-rate instruments.

When interest rates rise, floating-rate private loans may generate higher income while maintaining more stable prices than traditional fixed-rate bonds. While the Fed has paused its most recent cycle of rate hikes, the near-term path for interest rates remains uncertain. In this environment, understanding duration risk—and the benefits of low-duration assets—is critical when balancing private and public fixed income allocations (see below).

Summing Up

Few asset classes are as well-suited to volatile markets as private credit. Limited mark-to-market volatility, negotiated protective covenants, and floating-rate income together provide the kind of stability and risk-adjusted return potential that can help strengthen portfolios in uncertain times. For investors looking to navigate today’s challenges with greater confidence, we believe that now may be an ideal time to take a closer look.

Read more in our Alts Quarterly Q2 2025.

A WORD ABOUT RISK
As an asset class, private credit comprises a large variety of different debt instruments. While each has its own risk and return profile, private credit assets generally have increased risk of default, due to their typical opportunistic focus on companies with limited funding options, in comparison with their public equivalents.

Because private credit usually involves lending to below-investment-grade or non-rated issuers, yield on private credit assets is increased in return for taking on increased risk.

Investments in real estate-related instruments may be affected by economic, legal or environmental factors that affect property values, rents or occupancies of real estate. Infrastructure companies may be subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business, including high interest costs, high leverage, regulation costs, economic slowdown, surplus capacity, increased competition, lack of fuel availability and energy conservation policies.

Alternative investments often are speculative and include a high degree of risk. Investors could lose all or a substantial amount of their investment. High-yield bonds are subject to interest rate risk. When interest rates rise, bond prices fall; generally, the longer a bond’s maturity, the more sensitive it is to this risk. Yields are subject to change with economic conditions. Yield is only one factor that should be considered when making an investment decision. 

The information in this publication is not and is not intended as investment advice, an indication of trading intent or holdings, or prediction of investment performance. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss. Views and information expressed herein are subject to change at any time. Brookfield disclaims any responsibility to update such views and/or information. This information is deemed to be from reliable sources; however, Brookfield does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. 

Opinions expressed herein are current opinions of Brookfield, including its subsidiaries and affiliates, and are subject to change without notice. Brookfield, including its subsidiaries and affiliates, assumes no responsibility to update such information or to notify clients of any changes. Any outlooks, forecasts or portfolio weightings presented herein are as of the date appearing on this material only and are also subject to change without notice. Past performance is not indicative of future performance, and the value of investments and the income derived from those investments can fluctuate.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Information herein contains, includes or is based on forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, specifically Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements include all statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address future activities, events or developments, including, without limitation, business or investment strategy or measures to implement strategy, competitive strengths, goals, expansion and growth of our business, plans, prospects and references to our future success. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. 

Words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe” and other similar words are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Many such factors will be important in determining our actual future results or outcomes. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Our actual results or outcomes may vary materially. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. It is not intended to provide an overview of the terms applicable to any products sponsored by Brookfield Corporation and its affiliates (together, “Brookfield”). Information and views are subject to change without notice. Some of the information provided herein has been prepared based on Brookfield’s internal research, and certain information is based on various assumptions made by Brookfield, any of which may prove to be incorrect. Brookfield may not have verified (and disclaims any obligation to verify) the accuracy or completeness of any information included herein, including information that has been provided by third parties, and you cannot rely on Brookfield as having verified any of the information. 

The information provided herein reflects Brookfield’s perspectives and beliefs as of the date of this commentary. 

INDEX PROVIDER DISCLAIMER
The quoted indexes within this publication are unmanaged and cannot be purchased directly by investors. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only and does not predict or depict the performance of any investment. There may be material factors relevant to any such comparison, such as differences in volatility and also regulatory and legal restrictions between the indexes shown and any investment in a Brookfield strategy, composite or fund. 

Brookfield obtained all index data from third-party index sponsors and believes the data to be accurate; however, Brookfield makes no representation regarding its accuracy. Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be purchased directly by investors. Brookfield does not own or participate in the construction or day-to-day management of the indexes referenced in this document. The index information provided is for your information only and does not imply or predict that a Brookfield product will achieve similar results. This information is subject to change without notice. The indexes referenced in this document do not reflect any fees, expenses, sales charges or taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. The index sponsors permit use of their indexes and related data on an “as is” basis, make no warranties regarding the same, do not guarantee the suitability, quality, accuracy, timeliness and/or completeness of their index or any data included in, related to or derived therefrom, and assume no liability in connection with the use of the foregoing. The index sponsors have no liability for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, punitive, consequential or other damages (including loss of profits). The index sponsors do not sponsor, endorse or recommend Brookfield or any of its products or services. Unless otherwise noted, all indexes are total-return indexes.

INDEX DEFINITIONS
Cliffwater Direct Lending Index (CDLI) seeks to measure the unlevered, gross-of-fee performance of U.S. middle-market corporate loans, as represented by the asset-weighted performance of the underlying assets of business development companies (BDCs), including both exchange-traded and unlisted BDCs, subject
to certain eligibility requirements.

EURO STOXX 50 Index, Europe’s leading blue-chip index for the eurozone, provides a blue-chip representation of super sector leaders in the region.

FTSE EPRA Nareit Developed Real Estate Index is an unmanaged market capitalization- weighted total-return index that consists of publicly traded equity REITs and listed property companies from developed markets. 

FTSE Global Core Infrastructure 50/50 Index gives participants an industry-defined interpretation of infrastructure and adjusts the exposure to certain infrastructure subsectors. The constituent weights are adjusted as part of the semi-annual review according to three broad industry sectors: 50% Utilities; 30% Transportation, including capping of 7.5% for railroads/railways; and a 20% mix of other sectors including pipelines, satellites and telecommunication towers. Company weights within each group are adjusted in proportion to their investable market capitalization. 

ICE BofA U.S. High Yield Index tracks the performance of U.S.-dollar-denominated below-investment-grade corporate debt publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market. 

The ICE BofA Merrill Lynch Global High Yield European Issuers Non-Financial 3% Constrained Ex Russia Index is a sub-index that contains all securities in the broader index except those from financial issuers or with Russia as their country of risk but caps issuer exposure at 3%. The index is rebalanced monthly. The index is USD hedged. 

Morningstar LSTA U.S. Leveraged Loan Index is a market-value-weighted index designed to measure the performance of the U.S. leveraged loan market. 

MSCI World Index is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets. 

Nasdaq Index is a market-cap-weighted index tracking companies traded on the Nasdaq stock market. Preqin Infrastructure Index captures in an index the return earned by investors on average in their private infrastructure portfolios, based on the actual amount of money invested in private capital partnerships. Each data point is individually calculated from the pool of closed-end funds for which comprehensive performance data is held, as of both the start and end of the quarter. 

Preqin Private Equity Index captures in an index the return earned by investors on average in their private equity portfolios, based on the actual amount of money invested in private capital partnerships. Each data point is individually calculated from the pool of closed-end funds for which comprehensive performance data is held, as of both the start and end of the quarter.

Preqin Real Estate Index captures in an index the return earned by investors on average in their private real estate portfolios, based on the actual amount of money invested in private capital partnerships. Each data point is individually calculated from the pool of closed-end funds for which comprehensive performance data is held, as of both the start and end of the quarter. 

S&P 500 Index is a market-cap-weighted equity index of 500 widely held, large-capitalization U.S. companies.