Glossary & framework library

Preferred return (pref)

Investment

Reference

A minimum annual return — commonly 6–8% in Gulf and African deals — that LPs must earn on their capital before the sponsor shares in profits; can be cumulative and compounding.

Related terms

  • Profit on cost

    Development profit expressed as a percentage of total project cost; a headline appraisal metric developers in Egypt and the Gulf use to test a scheme's viabili…

  • Promote / carried interest

    The sponsor's outsized share of profits above the hurdle (often 20%), earned for generating returns rather than for contributing capital; the GP's main upside.

  • Recycling of capital

    A fund provision allowing proceeds from early exits to be reinvested rather than distributed, increasing the capital effectively put to work during the investm…

  • REIT

    Real Estate Investment Trust - a vehicle that owns income property and distributes most profits.

  • Reversionary yield

    The yield an asset would produce once rents revert to current market levels.

  • Risk-adjusted return

    A return measure that accounts for the amount of risk taken to achieve it.

  • Rule of 72

    A shortcut for estimating how long an investment takes to double: divide 72 by the annual return rate — an 8% return roughly doubles capital in nine years.

  • Scenario analysis

    Modelling distinct combinations of assumptions (base, upside, downside) rather than a single line.