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SmartWealth Asset Management CEO Miro Mitev stated that recent volatility in the private markets space has once again exposed a fundamental weakness in human decision-making.
"What we have learned again in recent months is that humans do not manage risk particularly well at pace," Mitev said, pointing to mounting liquidity pressures in private equity markets.
"Markets move quickly, but human behaviour often swings between panic and delay, particularly during periods of geopolitical stress, such as the recent tensions surrounding Iran and renewed concerns over global supply chains," Mitev added.
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SmartWealth, which specializes in both liquid securities (equities, bones, currencies, crypto-assets, ETFs) and non-liquid private assets (private equity, real estate, art collections and other luxury goods) has been leaning into artificial intelligence to counter those behavioral shortcomings. According to Mitev, the firm's AI-driven strategy has recently outperformed its benchmark relative to peers.
"Our AI model remained objective throughout the quarter. As uncertainty around semiconductors and technology valuations increased, it reduced technology exposure from approximately 45% to 28%, before rebuilding positions as conditions normalised," he said.
The backdrop has been a challenging one for private equity. The market is facing a prolonged liquidity crunch, as slower exit activity continues to delay distributions back to investors — largely due to elevated interest rates, stalled buyouts and persistent economic uncertainty.
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Data from S&P Global Market Intelligence underscores the trend: global private equity exit volume fell 6.25% in the first quarter, with 720 transactions recorded, down from 768 in the first quarter of 2025.
During peak volatility, SmartWealth's AI model also shifted defensively, increasing cash exposure for several trading days to preserve flexibility and limit downside risk. The result was a +1.46% return for the first quarter, outperforming many comparable strategies and broader equity markets, which posted losses over the same period.
Mitev argues that this kind of consistency is difficult to replicate with traditional investment committees.
"AI-led discipline is often more pragmatic than fragmented human decision-making, where too many voices are pulling levers without real consistency," he said.
Photo provided by Smartwealth Asset Management
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