Investment
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FeaturesUS high yield bonds punch out of a corner
US high yield has come a long way from its murky beginnings with the very high yielding bonds of so called ‘fallen angels’, and Drexel Burnham Lambert’s Michael Milken offering bonds newly issued by corporates with sub-investment grade ratings for the first time in the 1980s, properly introducing the world to high yield bond investing.
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FeaturesFied income, rates, currencies: All eyes are on US elections
With so many important elections taking place this year, politics were likely to have an outsized influence on financial markets.
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FeaturesIPE Quest Expectations Indicator - October 2024
In generic US polls, Democrats beat Republicans, with a small but increasing margin, signalling an opportunity for reforms if Kamala Harris wins and a continuation of a divided and blocked Congress if Donald Trump wins.
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InterviewsSEI Investments seeks new partnership approach
SEI Investments, the Pennsylvania-based technology and investment firm, was a vocal advocate for independent fiduciary management in the UK pension industry.
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FeaturesCan central banks retain their independence?
Over the last few decades, following central bank behaviour has been a rewarding investment strategy. That is why there is now a community of people employed to analyse every word central bank officials utter.
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FeaturesNAV finance takes hold as a niche form of private credit
Private equity investments are by their nature illiquid, which is why PE general partners (GPs) raising a new fund only call on the committed capital when it needs to be deployed in a new investment – and that may be up to a few years after the fund closes.
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FeaturesSecondary markets and innovation boost private equity liquidity
Liquidity has reduced significantly in global private capital markets. Whilst private equity-backed IPOs are up this year, overall exit value is down by 66% and there is currently a large backlog of unsold assets, of which 40% are four years or older. The cumulative sum of unsold assets sits at $3.2trn (€2.9trn), according to Bain. Recent data from Preqin shows that capital called has exceeded capital distributed by $1.57trn since 2018, highlighting the lack of free capital in private markets.
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InterviewsHSBC Asset Management puts team culture at the fore in growth strategy
It’s often said that timing is everything. Nicholas Moreau sees an element of luck in the timing of his appointment to the helm of HSBC Asset Management in September 2019. This gave him a six-month head start in his role as CEO by the time the COVID pandemic arrived in early 2020.
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FeaturesFears grow of US slowdown
US president Joe Biden’s decision to step aside was much murmured about following his disastrous performance in a debate with Donald Trump, but it was still a surprise when he announced his decision. However, market reactions were relatively muted, despite shaking pollsters’ predictions on who might now win the election.
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FeaturesChange is required as populations age
During a recent weekend in the artsy California mountain town of Idyllwild, my wife and I enjoyed a performance of a local band. Seated near us was a gentleman wearing a T-shirt proclaiming, We the People ARE PISSED OFF. The message on this shirt caught my attention.
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FeaturesIPE Quest Expectations Indicator - September 2024
Kamala Harris’ candidacy has turned the political mood in the US. The two candidates are very close together in the polls but while Trump’s score is stable – except for a worsening favourability – Harris’ statistics all show a positive trend.
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FeaturesAnalysts push back on rate cuts
Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell’s June press conference was, like most careful central bank-speak, open to interpretation. It was possibly slightly dovish with a hint of hawk. However, in the aftermath of the press conference, and following a few busy days of US economic data releases, many analysts have pushed back their forecasts for the number of interest rate cuts this year.
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FeaturesIPE Quest Expectations Indicator - July 2024
Both US presidential candidates are slowly losing popularity, while staying very close in the polls. Trump seems to have more trouble than Biden getting through to the undecided. Trump’s legal troubles may yet hinder his candidacy, in particular among independents.
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InterviewsAustralia’s Challenger takes credit and affiliates global
Some 2.5 million Australians are set to retire over the next decade, according to the country’s Treasury. This ageing population has challenged Australia’s A$3.6trn (€2.3trn) superannuation fund sector, and the industry as a whole is pivoting more heavily towards the decumulation phase.
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FeaturesCyber catastrophe bonds make a debut as insurers offload risk
Cyber catastrophe bonds may be the new kid on the insurance-linked securities (ILS) block, but they have been talked about for years. The jury is out, though, as to whether they will follow the same trajectory as their natural cat bond peers. While some analysts believe they have the potential to go mainstream, others cite concerns over modelling and lack of diversification.
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FeaturesIPE Quest Expectations Indicator - August 2024
Joe Biden’s weakness was a lucky stroke for Donald Trump, who has shown similar symptoms for years. It remains to be seen what effect Kamala Harris has on the polls. Trump and his chosen VP are both proponents of weakening the USD.
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FeaturesThe next Magnificent Sevens are hiding in plain sight
Like the so-called FANGs that preceded them, one could argue that the Magnificent Seven group of US tech mega-caps that accounted for a large portion of market performance in 2023 are now a part of Wall Street’s history books. Besides two names that have continued to pull away from the pack, the group is no longer commanding investors’ undivided attention.
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FeaturesCorporate transition plans need to spell out net-zero dependencies
Corporate climate transition plans are gaining momentum globally. Essentially, these are reports about how a company plans to achieve emission reduction targets, but the idea is that the company will have engaged in strategic thinking and planning to produce such a plan, rather than just churn out more disclosures.
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FeaturesT+1 settlement rules pose challenges for fund managers
A global move to compress settlement cycles – that is, the time between when a transaction is agreed and executed and when the transaction is completed and the securities and cash are exchanged – is underway. While the aim is to deliver lowered risk and cost savings, investors and market participants face challenges due to the increasingly interconnected nature of financial markets.
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FeaturesMarket predicts US soft landing - June 2024
A combination of Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell’s press conference and a slightly weaker-than-expected US April non-farm payrolls outcome succeeded in flipping the market back to a soft-landing narrative for the US economy. US Treasury bonds rallied sharply, taking other markets with them, while the yen weakened significantly against the dollar before recovering.
