Brookfield Puts Part of Its $119B War Chest to Work as Markets Get Shaky

Money managers are circling like sharks when there’s blood in the water. Brookfield Asset ManagementBAM

is tapping into some of its $119B pool of uncalled capital, positioning itself to snatch premium assets amid recent market volatility. The move comes as market chaos creates buying opportunities in both traditional acquisitions and the rapidly expanding private credit space, where demand for liquidity is rising fast.

• First-quarter distributable earnings jumped 20% to $654M compared to the same period last year, while fee-bearing capital surged 20%, matching analyst expectations.
• Brookfield raised $25B in fresh capital during Q1 alone, including $14B through its credit funds and $5.9B for its fifth real estate flagship fund.

Infrastructure’s appeal grows: As endowments and institutional investors potentially pull back from private equity commitments, firms like Brookfield are increasingly eyeing retail investors to fill the gap. CEO Bruce Flatt and President Connor Teskey emphasized their readiness to “capitalize opportunistically on market dislocations,” especially in infrastructure — where essential assets offering stable, inflation-protected income remain attractive across cycles. Brookfield also grew its stake in Oaktree Capital to 74% and took majority control of Angel Oak Cos., deepening its push into private credit and alternative lending. Through these moves, the asset manager is diversifying its capabilities while hunting for bargains in a turbulent market.