Globally, private market investments make up around a quarter (24%) of institutional portfolios, according to the latest edition of BlackRock Global Private Markets Survey. But that number is set to rise. As many as 72% of respondents said they plan to increase their allocations to private equity this year. More than half of respondents said they also plan to increase their allocations to private credit, real estate and multi-alternative solutions. The appeal of private markets has not changed even as the broader economic backdrop has shifted. Private asset opportunities Within private markets, the current environment is opening up a range of opportunities. Institutional investors in private credit see infrastructure or real estate debt (51%), followed by distressed debt (50%) as among the biggest opportunities. For private equity, institutional investors see mature companies as the biggest opportunity (56%). Manager priorities When it comes to choosing a manager, the top response was access to opportunities (45%), followed by investment strategy (42%) and expertise across asset classes (40%).