Private equity alpha is hidden in plain sight

Opportunities for alpha in PE sit outside the spotlight, in the U.S. middle market.
Headlines tell you where the crowd is—not where it’s going. Today’s news cycle is dominated by mega‑cap technology companies powering the AI buildout—names that also dominate public indices and large‑cap private funds alike, amplifying concentration and valuation risk for investors. The irony is that the largest growth opportunity sits outside the spotlight, in the middle market—where most U.S. companies operate, most private market deal flow occurs and value creation is driven by fundamentals, not themes.
expand your access
finding opportunity

Middle market outperforms

Unlock opportunity in the middle market

Middle market private equity buyout funds have outperformed other private market strategies, including buyout megafunds, which have attracted large inflows despite underperforming the broader market in recent years.

The middle market offers a broader, less crowded opportunity set with differentiated growth and value creation drivers that megafunds can’t match.
Learn how the U.S. middle market drives growth through true value creation initiatives—and why your client’s portfolio may be missing it.
Hypothetical Growth of $100,000 invested in Q1 2007
As of 3/31/2025
Stacked area chart showing growth of different investment categories from 2007 to 2025, with labels for Middle market buyout, Mega cap buyout, VC, Private debt, Growth equity, Secondaries, S&P 500, and Russell 2000 along the bottom.

Past performance is not indicative of future results. Source: Pitchbook Q3 2025 Quant Research US Market Insights, Bloomberg as of March 31, 2025.

Middle market buyout, Mega cap buyout, VC, Private debt, Growth equity and Secondaries are all represented by the respective Pitchbook Private Capital Index. S&P 500 is represented by the S&P 500 Index and the Russell 2000 is represented by the Russell 2000 Index.

Your edge starts here

Allocate where growth lives

Our chartbook highlights how the middle market has consistently outperformed, why experienced partners are essential to accessing it and how to implement it within a traditional portfolio.
Read our chartbook, “The Case for the Middle Market in Modern Portfolios,” to learn how a targeted exposure to this segment can help build more resilient portfolios.
portfolio implementation

Access diversified growth opportunities

Many large‑cap private equity investors are unintentionally increasing technology concentration—and valuation risk—already embedded in their public equity allocations. Finding diversified growth in the private markets requires a more selective approach.

The U.S. middle market more closely mirrors the real economy, offering more complementary sector exposure than large‑cap private equity.

Explore ways to implement a middle market PE allocation with our chartbook, “The Case for the Middle Market in Modern Portfolios.”
Sector composition comparison between U.S. economy and market type
As of 3/31/2025
Bar chart comparing sector distribution percentages across S&P 500, U.S. middle market, U.S. large-cap private equity, and U.S. private GDP in materials, tech, healthcare, financials, energy/utilities, consumer, industrials (B2B), real estate, and other sectors.

Source: U.S. BEA, Bloomberg Finance, L.P., Pitchbook, as of Q1 2025.

finding opportunity
expand your access

Unlock opportunity in the middle market

Middle market outperforms

Learn how the U.S. middle market drives growth through true value creation initiatives—and why your client’s portfolio may be missing it.
Middle market private equity buyout funds have outperformed other private market strategies, including buyout megafunds, which have attracted large inflows despite underperforming the broader market in recent years.

The middle market offers a broader, less crowded opportunity set with differentiated growth and value creation drivers that megafunds can’t match.
Hypothetical Growth of $100,000 invested in Q1 2007
As of 3/31/2025
Stacked area chart showing growth in private equity investments by category from 2005 to 2024, with categories including Middle market buyout, Mega cap buyout, VC, Private debt, Growth equity, Secondaries, S&P 500, and Russell 2000.


Past performance is not indicative of future results. Source: Pitchbook Q3 2025 Quant Research US Market Insights, Bloomberg as of March 31, 2025.

Middle market buyout, Mega cap buyout, VC, Private debt, Growth equity and Secondaries are all represented by the respective Pitchbook Private Capital Index. S&P 500 is represented by the S&P 500 Index and the Russell 2000 is represented by the Russell 2000 Index.

Allocate where growth lives

Your edge starts here

Read our chartbook, “The Case for the Middle Market in Modern Portfolios,” to learn how a targeted exposure to this segment can help build more resilient portfolios.
Our chartbook highlights how the middle market has consistently outperformed, why experienced partners are essential to accessing it and how to implement it within a traditional portfolio.
disclosures

This information is educational in nature and does not constitute a financial promotion, investment advice or an inducement or incitement to participate in any product, offering or investment. Future Standard is not adopting, making a recommendation for or endorsing any investment strategy or particular security. All views, opinions and positions expressed herein are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Future Standard. All opinions are subject to change without notice, and you should always obtain current information and perform due diligence before participating in any investment. Future Standard does not provide legal or tax advice and the information herein should not be considered legal or tax advice. Tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, which can materially impact any investment result. Future Standard cannot guarantee that the information herein is accurate, complete, or timely. Future Standard makes no warranties with regard to such information or results obtained by its use, and disclaims any liability arising out of your use of, or any tax position taken in reliance on, such information.

Any projections, forecasts and estimates contained herein are based upon certain assumptions that the author considers reasonable. Projections are necessarily speculative in nature, and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions underlying the projections will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results. The inclusion of projections herein should not be regarded as a representation or guarantee regarding the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, and neither Future Standard nor the author are under any obligation to update or keep current such information.

All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.