I’ve lost count of the number investors who described themselves as “cautiously optimistic” in 2015, but going into 2016 maybe we should drop the caution entirely (or at least tone it down a bit).
Category: Analysis
Asset managers vs. fund selectors: were their stock market outlooks accurate?
As the year draws to a close, it’s time to scrutinise the forecasting capabilities of asset managers and fund selectors. Did their favourite asset classes at the end of last year indeed deliver the best performance, or did asset allocators fail hopelessly? In the first part of a two-piece series, we look at their equity market outlooks.
Fund buyers crave for Fed rate hike
This Wednesday, investors’ eyes are once again on the Fed, which is widely expected to deliver its first rate hike since 2006. Across Europe, fund selectors have been impatiently waiting for this for months. There is one exception though: investors in Scandinavia prefer the FOMC to defer a first rate hike to next year.
The hidden risk in debt benchmarks
Bond indices were never intended to form a basis for investment, but merely reflect a market. As a consequence they expose investors to unintended risks and are not a rational investment strategy. Indices were never meant to drive investment strategy Bond indices, like all market indices, aim to represent a segment of the investable universe. […]
The October edition of the Expert Investor Europe magazine is out
One of the questions we examine in the October issue of the magazine is whether it makes sense now to allocate substantially to cash.
Rate hike fears – are they warranted?
Thanks to the extensive forward guidance of the world’s major central banks, an interest rate hike by either the Fed or the Bank of England would not take investors by surprise. However, short-term consequences could still be grave, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has reportedly warned.
Risky bonds – firmly back in favour
Emerging market debt and high yield bonds, which have had some pretty high inflow volatility recently, are now firmly back in favour with European investors. By contrast, net inflows into investment grade bonds are slowing down.
Fund buyers take refuge as Grexit edges closer
As Greece is heading for a default, which would significantly increase the possibility for the country to be forced out of the eurozone, markets have plummeted. This is not at all surprising, considering Europe’s fund buyers have consistently been telling us they will decrease their allocations to both bonds and equities if a Grexit appears likely.
Wealth managers underestimating HNWI
Wealth managers are significantly underestimating the propensity of ultra high net worth individuals to make use of automated advice services, the World Wealth Report 2015 shows.
Asset managers struggle to explain investment philosophy
Asset management companies are starting to struggle explaining their investment philosophy to fund selectors according to a survey by research outfit Cerulli. It asked a selection of European asset managers what they find the biggest challenges in promoting their products to fund selectors.
