After a 32% Rout, Partners Group's Founder Admits Communication Failures — and Opens His Wallet

Fredy Gantner concedes communication failures as stock drops 32% in a year; management buys over CHF 20M in shares and targets record inflows by 2026.

Co?founder Fredy Gantner has come out swinging after a brutal stretch for Partners Group shares, calling the sell?off a “massive overreaction” in his first public admission that the firm dropped the ball on transparency. The stock has shed roughly 32% over the past twelve months and at one point lost half its value, wiping more than one billion Swiss francs from Gantner’s own paper wealth.

In unprecedented mea culpa interviews with the SonntagsZeitung and Tages?Anzeiger on June 6, Gantner conceded that Partners Group needed to communicate better about its business. The shift in tone comes after a week that saw the stock tumble 13.5% — including a Friday bounce of just 0.57% that left the shares at €783.00, barely 7% above the 52?week low of €733.00 set only three days earlier.

To underscore his confidence, Gantner revealed that management has bought more than 20 million Swiss francs’ worth of stock in recent days. He also reaffirmed that he has no intention of reducing his own large holding. The purchases send a clear signal that the C?suite views the current price as deeply undervalued, especially given the prospective dividend yield of roughly 7%.

Operationally, Gantner pointed to a potential record year. Partners Group is targeting gross new money inflows of $26 billion to $32 billion in 2026, a range that would top previous highs if achieved. He again dismissed the allegations of short?seller Grizzly Research as “completely unfounded” and said the firm has already filed a criminal complaint.

Yet the broader environment remains hostile. Market observers estimate that the capital?intensive artificial?intelligence boom is tying up some $4 trillion in liquidity, starving the financial system of the flexibility that private?equity giants like Partners Group and Blackstone rely on. To protect their portfolios, both firms have had to cap redemptions in open?ended retail funds — a move that historically spooks investors. An additional $80 trillion in debt that needs refinancing over the next 12 to 18 months only compounds the pressure.

Technically, the stock is still licking its wounds. The relative strength index sits at 27.7, deep in oversold territory, while the share price is nearly 25% below the 200?day moving average. The 52?week high of €1,213.50 — a level that looked achievable a year ago — now seems distant. Gantner also cited geopolitical headwinds, including the Iran conflict, as contributing to the sector’s pain.

Whether the founder’s charm offensive will be enough to turn sentiment depends on hard data. The promised 2026 target must be backed by concrete inflows in the current quarter. Without visible improvement in the redemption queues and fund flows, the fat dividend yield may be the only argument left for a stock still trading far from its former heights.