Insights

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

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

Are Emerging Markets Equities Vulnerable to a Rising US Dollar?

Solid fundamentals in most countries should limit the damage. The largest markets are not particularly exposed to the risk of a classic balance-of-payments crisis (like the ones occurring today in a handful of smaller markets, including Turkey and Argentina).

July 2018

VantagePoint: Third Quarter 2018

Climbing the wall of worries is getting tougher. There is room for markets to progress, but caution is required at this stage in the cycle. Markets must overcome four main forces: monetary policy tightening, US dollar strength, a China growth slowdown, and trade friction.

July 2018

Should Investors Boost Their Exposure to US Small Caps, in Light of Recent Economic Policy and Geopolitical Developments?

We don’t believe so. US small caps have benefited from cyclical tailwinds this year, including strengthening US growth and their more domestic orientation (helpful as the dollar strengthens and trade frictions increase), with small-cap earnings estimated to grow twice as fast as large-cap earnings in 2018.

July 2018

Social Equity Investing: Righting Institutional Wrongs

There is perhaps no better time for social equity investing. Many institutional investors have long sought to promote social equity through grant making and other philanthropic endeavors. With the field of impact investing maturing, these institutions are now increasingly seeking investment solutions to accomplish the same goal.

July 2018

Should You Avoid Commitment (Facilities)?

In short, no—their use isn’t going away any time soon. Rather than avoid them, incorporate new elements to more clearly assess the manager’s true investment skill.

June 2018