R.F. Lafferty brokers $136.9M in private securities deals in Q2 2026

R.F. Lafferty & Co. says it brokered $136.9 million in private securities transactions in the second quarter of 2026, with activity spanning AI, aerospace, defense, robotics and other emerging-tech sectors. The deal mix included SpaceX, xAI and Anthropic, underscoring continued investor demand for late-stage private assets.

Why it matters: - The Q2 total shows continued investor appetite for private-company exposure in sectors tied to artificial intelligence, space, defense and automation. - The transactions highlight ongoing demand for late-stage and pre-IPO opportunities as investors look for potential liquidity events in private markets.

What happened: - R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc. said it brokered $136.9 million in private securities transactions during the second quarter of 2026. - The New York-based broker-dealer and investment bank said the quarter included transactions across artificial intelligence, aerospace, defense, robotics, advanced computing and emerging technology companies. - The Q2 activity included private secondary and structured transactions involving SpaceX, xAI, Anthropic, Anduril Industries, Shield AI, Figure AI, Apptronik, Perplexity AI, Saronic Technologies, CHAOS Industries, Fluidstack, Polymarket and Project Prometheus.

The details: - Bryan Waiksnis, senior vice president on R.F. Lafferty’s secondaries desk, said private market activity accelerated in the second quarter as investors sought exposure to innovative private companies. - Waiksnis said the firm sees sustained demand for high-quality private opportunities. - Waiksnis also said R.F. Lafferty connects institutional and qualified investors with transactions across rapidly evolving sectors. - R.F. Lafferty said it is expanding its private markets platform through market relationships, institutional expertise and disciplined execution. - The firm said that platform gives clients access to late-stage and pre-IPO investment opportunities. - R.F. Lafferty was established in 1946. - The firm has been family owned and operated since 1970. - R.F. Lafferty is a global, full-service broker-dealer headquartered in New York, New York. - The firm offers retail brokerage, wealth management, institutional sales and trading, market making, independent research and investment banking.

Between the lines: - The results suggest private-market trading remains active even as companies stay private longer and institutional demand stays concentrated in a small set of high-profile names. - The inclusion of AI and defense companies points to where capital is still clustering in the private markets. - The company’s forward-looking language signals confidence in continued private-market momentum, but those expectations are not guarantees.

What’s next: - R.F. Lafferty said it will continue building its private markets platform. - The firm also expects technology innovation and future liquidity events to keep investor interest elevated in private markets. - The company’s statement included standard forward-looking risk language tied to market conditions, approvals, product development and other factors.

The bottom line: - R.F. Lafferty’s Q2 tally shows private-market demand remains strong for marquee AI and frontier-tech names, with secondary activity still a major channel for investor access.