WisdomTree has acquired Ceres Partners, a farmland investment manager with $1.85 billion in AUM across over 500 properties. The deal, valued at $275 million upfront, marks WisdomTree’s first major foray into private markets, with plans to grow its farmland strategy to $750 million by 2030. The acquisition includes performance-linked earn-outs and reflects rising demand from institutional clients for real asset exposure with inflation-linked return profiles.
Why it matters:
The move reflects how real assets like farmland are being institutionalised as part of long-horizon, inflation-sensitive portfolios. WisdomTree’s entry signals growing competition and the need for higher standards in a market that has outgrown its niche status.
