No. While the Federal Reserve’s discussion of tapering asset purchases signals a shift toward tighter monetary policy, both the Fed and markets learned valuable lessons from the 2013 Taper Tantrum; the impact on bond yields should be limited.
June 2021
Implementing sustainable and impact investing (SII) themes in investment portfolios can seem complex, leaving many investors new to SII wondering how to begin. This paper provides insight into building resilient portfolios that will contribute to and thrive in a more sustainable and equitable future.
May 2021
Diversity is not just about gender or ethnicity—it is about having different perspectives, different points of reference, and different experiences. Homogeneous investment teams are more susceptible to groupthink, missing out on unknown opportunities, and being blind to some risks. Investors should consider diversity in the investment decision-making process, as we expect a diversity of thought and talent will lead to better investment outcomes than a process that ignores this important issue.
May 2021
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law on March 11, 2021, and included a variety of plan sponsor–friendly changes to single-employer and multiemployer pension plans, but no real help for public sector plans. ARPA may change the future landscape of US pension plans, which may prompt plan sponsors to modify their investment strategies to achieve plan objectives. Its impact will vary greatly, both by plan type and individual plan circumstances.
May 2021
Today, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly inflation report for April, which highlighted that prices paid by urban consumers for a basket of goods and services increased by 4.2% relative to the same month last year.
May 2021
In this edition of VantagePoint, we review the drivers of inflation globally and conclude that widespread inflation concerns are likely overdone. For investors concerned about the risks of inflation, we refresh our analysis on the complex relationship between asset classes and inflation and dig deeper into the implications of higher inflation on equities.
April 2021
During the past decade, nonprofit healthcare providers have undergone a wave of accelerating consolidation. When systems combine, the new entity created will have new financial health metrics. A fresh review of how a transaction will impact the newly combined long-term investment pool (LTIP) is crucial. This paper examines key variables to assess and specific examples of how a LTIP might restructure post-merger.
April 2021
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