Should Corporate Plan Sponsors Continue to Hedge Liability Interest Rate Risk?

Yes, maintaining a well-hedged pension plan is prudent risk management.

September 2019

Whistling Past the Covenant-Lite Graveyard: A Sanity Check in Practical and Philosophical Terms

The recent shift in common wisdom with respect to covenant-lite loans hearkens the warning to be careful of changing opinions in the face of unchanging facts and steadfast opinions. Many general partners bemoan the incidence of covenant-lite loans, but others do not. Some market participants have come to support covenant-lite loans. Their opinions appear to […]

August 2019

What to Expect From Your Direct Lenders When the Cycle Turns

Direct lending, or senior debt, funds have come to dominate the private credit asset class, capturing significant portfolio allocations and outpacing fundraising of other private credit strategies. However, over the past 18 months, Cambridge Associates has felt enthusiasm for senior debt allocations cool as discussions turn to senior debt funds’ performance through the credit cycle.

July 2019

The US Yield Curve Inverted! Should Investors Underweight Risk?

Although an inverted yield curve is not a sign we welcome, it also is not a clear indicator of an imminent equity market downturn. Instead of underweighting risky assets, we suggest investors take this opportunity to refresh plans to manage through the next bear market.

April 2019

Revving Pension Plans’ Funding Engines

Many corporate defined benefit plans experienced significant funded status gains in recent years. Recent capital markets volatility, however, has set many plans a few steps back, re-focusing plan sponsors on both protecting long-term funded status gains and closing the asset-liability deficit. Given increased volatility in global equity markets, relatively high valuations in many market segments, and the late stages of the economic and credit cycles, optimizing the plan’s growth engine is more critical, and challenging, than ever.

April 2019

Amid Rising Risks, Should Investors Maintain Credit Allocations?

Yes, but investors should be selective in allocating to credit markets at this point in the cycle, and understand that the overvaluation of many credit assets could make attractive returns hard to come by.

August 2018

Should Fixed Income Derivatives Play a Role in Liability Hedging for Pension Plans?

Yes. Since fixed income derivatives are more capital efficient and flexible than physical bonds, they can play a key role in liability hedging for many corporate and other single-employer pension plans.

May 2018

Trade Finance: An Expanding Opportunity for Institutional Investors

While trade finance is among the oldest forms of institutionalized credit, it has only recently become an accessible market for most institutional investors. Providing high liquidity, good return premiums over cash, and a predictable risk profile, it can play a valuable role in portfolio strategy. However, as a fairly new option for most investors, its […]

May 2018