Is private equity really as good as its reputation? This week on Bull, Bear, & Brief, Joe Quartucci and Arpit Sharma break down another eventful week for investors, starting with the Federal Reserve’s latest rate hike and what higher rates could mean for stocks, bonds, businesses, and consumers. They also cover the surprising rally in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, continued uncertainty around oil and the conflict in the Middle East, rising Treasury yields, and why cybersecurity could become the next major opportunity within the AI trade. Then, Joe and Arpit take a deeper look at private equity. What exactly is private equity? Why have institutional investors poured so much money into it? And are the returns really as strong as they appear? They unpack how private equity returns are calculated, why IRR can tell a different story than total return, the impact of leverage and illiquidity, how private companies are valued, and whether increasingly expensive deals could create challenges for investors down the road. In this episode: • What the Fed’s latest rate hike means for markets • Why Bitcoin and crypto rallied despite higher rates • What rising Treasury yields mean for investors • Oil, inflation, and continued geopolitical uncertainty • Why cybersecurity could become the next phase of the AI trade • Private equity explained in plain English • The myths surrounding private equity returns • IRR vs. total return and why the difference matters • Liquidity, leverage, valuations, and the risks investors should understand • Different ways investors can gain exposure to private businesses 🎙️ Subscribe and follow Bull, Bear, & Brief on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts for weekly conversations on markets, investing, and the stories shaping the financial world. This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. 🎧 Subscribe to Bull, Bear, & Brief on your favorite platform 📱 Follow us for weekly insights and clips LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/e3-wealth/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e3wealth/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/e3wealthHQ/🌐 Learn more or connect with our team: https://e3wealth.com/contact-us/ Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Transce3nd, LLC (Te3) a registered investment advisor. e3 Wealth, LLC, MAS and Te3 are not affiliated entities.