254: Alternative Investing: Finding Diversification in Volatile AI-driven Markets

254: Alternative Investing: Finding Diversification in Volatile AI-driven Markets

From The Bid by BlackRock

March 20, 2026 · 21 min · Episode 254

About this episode

The episode explores the growing importance of alternative investing in volatile markets and how it reshapes portfolio construction.

Alternative investing is moving from a niche allocation to a core portfolio conversation. As volatility returns, interest rates reset higher, AI accelerates capital spending, and fiscal deficits expand, investors are reassessing what diversification really means. In a world where stocks and bonds can move together and macro forces dominate markets, traditional portfolio frameworks are under pressure. In this episode of The Bid , host Oscar Pulido revisits conversations with investors and strategists across BlackRock to explore why alternative investing is gaining renewed attention. From private equity, private credit, and infrastructure to hedge fund strategies, gold, and digital assets, the episode examines how alternatives are being used to broaden return drivers and navigate today’s regime shift in capital markets. The discussion highlights how structural megaforces — including AI buildout, geopolitical fragmentation, and fiscal expansion — are reshaping opportunity sets. Private markets offer exposure to long-duration capital themes and potential illiquidity premia, though with liquidity tradeoffs and manager dispersion. Hedge fund strategies aim to capture rising market…

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