New York City-based CAIS on Thursday announced that it partnered with index provider Solactive to launch the Solactive CAIS Private Credit BDC Index (CAISCRED), saying it is the first of a planned series of indices providing a “transparent, standardized benchmark for private markets.” CAIS and Solactive will partner on those additional indices, a CAIS spokesperson told WSR.
CAISCRED is taking advantage of the increased advisor interest that has been seen in alternative investments, said CAIS, which operates an alts platform for advisors.
Advisors are increasingly embracing alts as a growth engine for clients’ investment portfolios, viewing them now as essential, multi-purpose portfolio components and no longer just part of diversification strategies, according to the findings of iCapital’s recently released “2025 Global Advisor Survey.”
The new index, available through CAIS Advisors, the firm’s RIA, in partnership with Solactive, benchmarks private credit exposure via the performance of business development companies (BDCs), CAIS said.
“Advisor demand for registered products continues to grow, but until now, advisors have often relied on fragmented benchmarking and data analytics when analyzing private market allocations,” according to Neil Blundell, Chief Investment Officer at CAIS Advisors.
CAIS partnered with Solactive because of “our shared vision for solving this gap in the market,” he said. “This index series seeks to deliver transparent, reliable benchmarks that allow advisors to better evaluate, track, and compare private market allocations.”
Solactive calculates CAISCRED by applying what CAIS said is a rules-based index calculation methodology. It is rebalanced each quarter to measure the net performance of 40 perpetual non-traded BDCs, representing $130 billion in private credit net assets and over 8,000 underlying loans, according to CAIS.
“CAISCRED sets a new standard for how private credit exposure is measured,” said Steffen Scheuble, CEO of Solactive. “By combining Solactive’s experience in index construction with CAIS Advisors’ deep understanding of private markets, we’re delivering a benchmark that advisors can fully utilize.”
“We’re proud to be included in this private credit index designed to give independent advisors the same kind of transparent, consistent benchmarks they’ve long relied on in public markets,” said Sean Connor, CEO and President of Global Private Wealth at asset manager Blue Owl. “This is a meaningful step forward for the entire wealth management community.”
In the same announcement, CAIS said its RIA will participate at the 2025 CAIS Alternative Investment Summit, a gathering of independent advisors and alts managers in Beverly Hills, California, on Oct. 13-16.
CAIS serves more than 2,000 wealth management firms supporting over 50,000 advisors who oversee about $6.5 trillion in client assets.
In June, CAIS said it launched new model portfolios developed by BlackRock, Carlyle, Franklin Templeton and KKR on the CAIS Models Marketplace.
In April, CAIS said it launched the CAIS Models Marketplace, which it said was designed to streamline access to alternative investment model portfolios.
Jeff Berman, Contributing Editor and Reporter at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at jeff.berman@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
