New VanEck ETF Offers Exposure to Private Market Leaders

Investors looking to benefit from the growth of private market giants like Blackstone, Brookfield, KKR and Apollo may be interested in VanEck’s latest exchange-traded fund: the VanEck Alternative Asset Manager ETF (GPZ).

Launched on Thursday, the fund provides targeted exposure to alternative asset managers, including leaders in private equity, venture capital, private credit, private infrastructure and private real estate, according to the firm’s press release. 

GPZ Brings Access to Big Names in Alternatives 

GPZ is designed to track the performance of the MarketVector Alternative Asset Managers Index. The index includes equity securities of publicly traded U.S., Canadian and developed European alternative asset management companies that are “ultra-pure play,” meaning at least 75% of their revenues come from private market activities.

The aforementioned Blackstone, Brookfield, KKR and Apollo are currently the top holdings in the fund. Company weightings are capped at 12%.

“This is really pure growth exposure to the asset class,” Brandon Rakszawski, director of product management with VanEck, told etf.com. He added that while there are legacy offerings that provide exposures to the market, what sets this fund apart is “dedicated exposure to the managers as opposed to strategies that may have launched a decade ago.”

For instance, instead of offering exposure to the private credit market, GBZ offers exposure to the managers of those assets: “It’s more of an investment for investors who are looking for exposure to growth of the segment.” 

The Growing Popularity of Private Market Strategies

Private assets are one of the fastest-growing markets due to their potential for significant returns, high yields and diversification.

Traditionally, only available to institutional investors and the wealthy, more asset managers are looking for ways to offer retail investors exposure to these opaque investments. Industry estimates project private markets growing from $13 trillion in 2025 to more than $20 trillion by 2030, according to a recent report from BlackRock.

Rakszawski said GPZ came about as a result of immense client demand.