Insights

Protecting Pension Plans’ Hard-Won Gains: Could Hedge Funds Play a Role?

In the November 2018 issue of Benefits Magazine, covering pension plan issues affecting multiemployer, single employer and public plan representatives, Investment Managing Director in Cambridge Associates’ Pension Practice, Joe Marenda, contributed an article discussing how hedge funds may play a role in protecting pension plans’ funded status in the event of a recession or stock […]

November 2018

Are US Quality Stocks Still Defensive?

Yes, if you control for tech overweights. Quality has historically been quite defensive relative to the broad market. Today, it is sensible to question quality’s defensive characteristics, as the factor is concentrated in tech stocks and has become quite expensive.

October 2018

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