Russell opens private markets for retail investors

Binaya Dahal

Journalist

27 March 2026

Russell Investments has unveiled a new managed portfolio that gives retail investors exposure to private markets and aims to lower barriers through platform access, and simplified implementation.

The portfolio allows advised clients to invest from A$25,000 in a diversified mix of private equity, private credit, and real assets, and will be available via AMP’s North platform.

The launch comes at a time when private markets account for an increasing share of global economic value. The firm noted that investors who rely solely on public markets risk missing part of that opportunity set.

Russell’s Head of Distribution for Australia and New Zealand, Neil Rogan, said advisers have wanted to incorporate private markets into portfolios for some time, but implementation had been the challenge.

“Bringing this onto platform with a lower minimum investment makes it far more practical to use in everyday client portfolios,” Rogan said.

He added the portfolio will invest across three to 15 underlying strategies, combining evergreen, open-ended private market funds with more liquid exposures such as ETFs to help support portfolio management and provide staged access to capital over time.

“Manager selection is critical in private markets, where outcomes can vary widely,” Rogan said. “Our global scale and research capability allows us to identify high-quality opportunities from leading managers, making them accessible in a format that can be more easily implemented in client portfolios.”

The structure also incorporates so-called evergreen strategies, which have no fixed end date, alongside periodic pricing and consolidated reporting through the platform.

AMP’s General Manager of Managed Portfolios and Investments, David Hutchison, said this offering will democratise private markets for advised retail investors.

“We’re seeing strong demand from advisers to incorporate private markets into diversified portfolios, but access and implementation have been key constraints,” Hutchinson said.

“Expanding our investment menu with the addition of Russell Investments’ Private Markets Managed Portfolio on North helps address those barriers in a way that is practical for advisers and their clients, providing true diversification through a well-governed menu.”