Astrea Investor Day 2024 offers a platform for Astrea bond investors to delve into the nuances of private equity ("PE") bonds and the performance of Astrea bonds. The event featured a series of presentations that highlighted Azalea’s milestones and market updates, as well as a fireside chat with Christopher Tan, CEO of Providend, on strategies for retirement investing in the current economic environment.

Azalea Overview

The webinar kicked off with an overview by Azalea's Chief Investment Officer, Chue En Yaw, who highlighted the role that Azalea plays in the private markets space. Azalea, which was established by Temasek in 2015, has US$9 billion in assets under management and has completed five transactions on the Astrea Platform. The Altrium Platform, which is a series of private equity fund of funds and a direct co-investment fund, has seen significant growth in assets under management since the first fund launch in 2019.

Key milestones included the successful redemption of Astrea IV PE Bonds in 2023, marking a significant achievement in Azalea's journey towards providing accessible private equity investment solutions. On the Altrium platform, Azalea has successfully held the first closing for Altrium Growth Fund I and Altrium Co-Invest Fund I in December 2023 for a combined US$356 million. Finally, the inaugural sustainability report underscored Azalea's commitment to responsible investing, aligning with global ESG standards.

Market Update

En Yaw shared that economic growth remained resilient in 2023 despite challenges like bank collapses and inflationary pressures. He pointed out the easing of inflation and moderation in interest rates going into 2024, potentially improving the investment climate for PE, which has continued to outperform public markets over the long-term. Elaborating on the PE exit environment, he noted that despite market challenges, PE continues to exhibit resilience with multiple exit channels including trade sales, secondary buyouts, and IPOs. He highlighted the Astrea portfolios’ distributions from successful exits over the past year, including the notable IPO of Birkenstock, the trade sale of VMware, and the secondary buyout of Macrobond.

Astrea Performance Updates

Lim Jun Jie, Director in the Investor Solutions & Marketing team, provided a quick refresher on the Astrea bonds, before diving into a detailed analysis of Astrea bonds' performance, underscoring our structured approach to risk mitigation and consistent cash flow generation.

• The full redemption of Astrea IV bonds was highlighted as a testament to the program's success, with over US$1.2 billion in cash distributions, representing ~108% of the initial portfolio NAV
• Astrea V also showed strong performance with over US$1.4 billion in cash distributions and significant fair value gains
• Astrea VI has generated strong cash distributions totalling US$900 millionrepresenting ~63% of the initial portfolio NAV since its issuance in 2021
• Astrea 7, despite broader market declines, has recovered to produce healthy cash distributions of over US$500 million, ~27% of the initial portfolio NAV, since its launch in 2022

 The multiple rating upgrades received by Astrea bonds over the years reflect the strong credit quality of the bonds, despite market disruptions and the inflationary environment.

Fireside Chat with Christopher Tan

 Azalea’s Managing Director of Investor Solutions & Marketing, Tang Hsiao Ching, hosted a fireside chat with Christopher Tan, CEO of Providend, who offered insights into retirement planning and investment strategies. He highlighted the importance of building a diversified retirement portfolio, tailored to withstand various market conditions. Read the summary of the fireside chat here.

Watch the full replay of the webinar here:  

Disclaimer: Please note that all information shared in this session is intended for your information only and is not an offer, invitation, or recommendation to purchase, hold or sell any securities. If you would like to receive any investment advice or recommendation, please do speak with a qualified financial advisor.