Insights

Endowment Radar Study 2020: The Endowment as Ballast

While colleges and universities have faced several financial fissures due to the disruptions of COVID-19, their endowments have been a source of financial stability. Four key financial indicators tell this story: operating margins were compressed, tuition discounts grew, institutions borrowed more debt, and endowment spending was consistent. In this note, we review these financial pressures and the endowment implications that emerged in Cambridge Associates’ second annual Endowment Radar Study of private college and university finances.

April 2021

Is It Now Growth at Any Price?

In private investing, it appears that way, but a deeper look suggests there could be a method to the valuation madness.

March 2021

Case Study: Furthering a family’s ESG mission in a private investments portfolio

For generations, the Liu family has sought to make the world a better, more sustainable place. The patriarch of the family built the Liu’s wealth through a two-tiered approach: first, an investment in a manufacturing venture, and second, investing the proceeds of that venture into building an operating business with an environmental mission. CLIENT BRIEF […]

February 2021

Brexit Update

The historic milestone reached when the white smoke emerged from Brussels and London on 24 December 2020 represents the end of the beginning in the establishment of the new relationship between the UK and EU, rather than an end in itself. Nonetheless, with the lingering threat of a tumultuous no-deal exit now removed, the headwind that this represented to the performance of UK assets has now subsided.

February 2021

Are Hedge Funds at Risk from Retail-Driven Disorder in Equity Markets?

No, we do not believe that is generally the case. While the recent wild ride of a few companies’ share prices was novel in that it was coordinated by retail investors on the social media platform Reddit, the short coverings that contributed to the price spikes were all too familiar to long-time investors.

February 2021

Sustainable and Impact Investing 2020: Insights and Perspectives

The 2020 biannual Sustainable and Impact Investing (SII) survey highlights the growth of the space over the last two years. Of the 202 survey respondents, 61% reported engaging in sustainable, ESG, and impact investing compared to 36% in 2018. Respondents use a variety of tools to implement SII in portfolios, the most popular are ESG integration and impact investing in social equity and resource efficiency & climate change.

February 2021

Should Investors Be Concerned About the Degree of Concentration in US Equity Markets?

Yes, because rising concentration reflects rising valuations for the largest stocks, which are likely to serve as a headwind to index returns. Further, the growing market share of these companies increases the potential for rising regulatory oversight.

February 2021

Playing Defense in a Low-Rate Environment

Investors have predominantly relied on developed markets sovereign bonds for defense in balanced portfolios, but low rates have diminished their diversification characteristics.

January 2021