28 February 2026
Disclaimer: This is a simplified summary of a public company filing. See full disclaimer here.
Acadian Asset Management Inc.
CIK: 1748824•1 Annual Report•Latest: 2026-02-27
10-K / February 27, 2026
Acadian Asset Management Inc.
Core business
- A holding company that operates a systematic investment management business primarily through its majority-owned subsidiary, Acadian Asset Management LLC (Acadian LLC).
- Acadian LLC is a U.S. registered investment adviser that provides investment advisory and sub-advisory services to institutional clients worldwide.
Assets under management and scale
- Total AUM as of December 31, 2025: approximately $177.5 billion (Product section) and approximately $178 billion (Overview).
- Invests across a universe of 65,000+ securities from more than 150 global markets.
- Employs over 100 investment and research professionals and offers a broad range of investment products and strategies.
Investment strategies and product lines
- Key product lines and capabilities:
- Emerging Equity
- Non-U.S. Equity
- Global Equity
- Small Cap Equity
- Enhanced Equity
- Equity Extensions
- Systematic Credit
- Alternatives
- Uses a fundamentally grounded, data-driven, highly structured approach with emphasis on research, signal development, and portfolio construction.
- Offers enhanced strategies aimed at attractive risk-adjusted returns and high-conviction extensions (e.g., 130/30-type constructs).
Revenue model and fee structure
- Revenue is primarily derived from management fees based on AUM and, for some products, performance-based fees.
- Acadian LLC distributes earnings to the holding company; Acadian’s revenue and profitability depend on Acadian LLC’s earnings, cash flows, and distributions.
- The company reports fee pressure and potential changes to fee structures as industry dynamics evolve. A meaningful portion of revenue is concentrated in a limited set of strategies.
Clients, distribution and geography
- Distribution channels:
- Institutional clients account for over 80% of AUM.
- Sub-advisory and wealth/other channels account for the remaining roughly 20% of AUM.
- Client types include pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, and other institutional investors; services are provided directly and through investment consultants/advisors, insurers, OCIOs, and FoFs.
- Clients are domiciled in more than 40 countries as of December 31, 2025.
- Principal operations and offices: Boston (headquarters), with secondary offices in London, Singapore, and Sydney, among others.
- Client concentration:
- Top five client relationships represented about 14% of run-rate gross management fee revenue.
- Top 25 clients represented about 33% of run-rate gross management fee revenue.
Corporate structure and governance
- Parent company: Acadian Asset Management Inc. (formerly BrightSphere Investment Group Inc.; name changed effective January 1, 2025).
- Major operating subsidiary: Acadian LLC (U.S. registered investment adviser).
- Ownership: Paulson & Co. Inc. and related parties held 21.8% of the common stock as of December 31, 2025.
- Paulson has the right to appoint one director so long as it holds at least 7% of outstanding common stock.
- The certificate includes an exclusive forum provision for certain stockholder actions (Delaware Court of Chancery).
Employees and human capital
- As of December 31, 2025, the company had 396 full-time equivalent employees; 20 are at the holding company.
- No employees are represented by a collective bargaining agreement.
- The company emphasizes competitive compensation and benefits, and focuses on pay equity and diversity.
Technology and risk management
- Employs advanced technological capabilities, including AI-assisted investment processes and a fully automated trading and compliance system.
- Maintains comprehensive risk management with a Management Risk Committee (MRC), CTO, CISO, and IT department; performs periodic third-party penetration testing and manages vendor risk.
- Key risks include dependence on Acadian LLC distributions, market and credit risk, concentration across a few strategies and clients, regulatory changes, cyber and data privacy risks, and potential conflicts of interest.
Regulations and compliance
- Acadian LLC is regulated by the U.S. SEC under the Investment Advisers Act and may be subject to the Investment Company Act, CFTC rules, ERISA, FINRA, and relevant non-U.S. regulators (UK FCA, MAS in Singapore, ASIC in Australia, etc.).
- Expanding non-U.S. distribution could require additional regulatory registrations and compliance measures.
Financial history and capital actions
- The company completed substantial share repurchases, repurchasing approximately 58% of outstanding shares from 2020 to 2025.
Key cautions
- Revenue and profitability are dependent on Acadian LLC’s ability to generate earnings and make distributions.
- AUM and fee concentration across a limited set of strategies and clients create exposure to concentration risk.
- The business faces potential regulatory, tax, and geopolitical risks across multiple jurisdictions.
Summary
Acadian operates an institutional, data-driven, systematic investment platform through Acadian LLC, managing roughly $177.5–$178 billion in AUM across equity, credit, and alternatives strategies. The firm serves a global institutional client base, maintains a workforce of nearly 400 employees, emphasizes research-driven investment processes and advanced technology, and derives revenue primarily from asset-based advisory fees and distributions from Acadian LLC.
