Insights

VantagePoint: Fourth Quarter 2018

Because the US economy has entered the late stage of the economic cycle, investors should consider the prospect of a bear market recession, even though one does not seem imminent. We have been evaluating the appeal of different asset classes through a late-cycle lens. In this edition of VantagePoint, we evaluate several potentially defensive equity strategies to see whether they are attractive today.

October 2018

Should Investors Fear $100 Oil?

Although crude oil prices above $100 a barrel will pinch consumer pockets, investor anxiety on this topic is both premature and exaggerated.

October 2018

Alternative Risk Premia Funds: An Attractive Diversifier? (Sterling Edition)

Elevated equity market valuations and potentially rising bond yields suggest the return environment for traditional risk assets could be difficult. Faced with this challenge, institutional investors are seeking alternative sources of return. Alternative risk premia (ARP) strategies – which harvest well-established risk premia and market anomalies across asset classes – may fit the bill. ARP […]

October 2018

Gender Lens Investing: Impact Opportunities Through Gender Equity

With a gender lens framework, investors can positively impact gender imbalances via their portfolio management choices; this paper provides tangible investment themes and implementable strategies.

September 2018

Infrastructure Debt: Understanding the Opportunity

With underlying assets that provide essential services, infrastructure debt can play a key role in institutional investor portfolios. The asset class offers the possibility of delivering attractive returns, matching long-term liabilities, and diversifying traditional business cycle-sensitive investment holdings. Within infrastructure debt, private debt has been of particular institutional interest, as it offers increased return potential in […]

September 2018

Rising from the Ashes: Key Developments Since the Global Financial Crisis

In this report, we briefly highlight five key post-GFC developments and discuss how investors might adapt their portfolios to these changes.

September 2018

In Light of Ongoing “Brexit” Uncertainty, Should Investors Reduce Exposure to UK Equities?

No, investors should consider staying the course. Though developments and headlines associated with the United Kingdom’s Article 50 negotiations with the European Union have been and likely will remain fitful, they reflect more the political nature of the process and less the underlying fundamentals of the economy and its listed equities.

August 2018

Time for a Reset? Rethinking Contributions Policy

It is well known that corporate plan sponsors have until mid-September to make deductible contributions under the more favorable 35% corporate tax rate. This is an attractive proposition and one that many corporations are looking to leverage, if they haven’t already. But, with the boost in funded status from these voluntary contributions, perhaps less obvious […]

August 2018