The stage was set; through the first three quarters of the year, 2018 fundraising volume was setting a torrid pace, only slightly trailing the pace set in 2008 when fund sponsors raised a record $134.9 billion. The nine-month total for 2018 stood at $99.2 billion, slightly behind the 2008 nine-month total of $118.8 billion. But it wasn’t meant to be. Only 23 funds — the lowest number since second quarter 2012 (21) — announced final closings during the fourth-quarter, raising an aggregate $13.1 billion of equity. The fourth quarter figure was the lowest dollar volume since first quarter 2013 ($8.1 billion).

A total of 42 new investment funds were launched during fourth quarter 2018, bringing the year-end total to 147 new funds launched in 2018. This number is down from 2017, which introduced 176 new funds. This is the largest number of funds launched in 2018 despite fourth quarter year-end closed funds being the lowest it has been since 2008. The new funds launched during fourth quarter are seeking an aggregate fundraising target of $56.4 billion, up from fourth quarter 2017’s total of the same amount of funds launched seeking $27.3 billion.