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The investment world loves its acronyms, even though, as the old gag goes, we should try to avoid TLAs (three-letter acronyms). Here’s a new one: the MAC, which stands for multi-asset credit. It’s a potential new path in the search for yield. A client research note from global manager Eaton Vance Investment Managers – ‘Accessing…

(pictured: Steven Kempler) by David Chaplin Infrastructure is still finding its place in institutional portfolios with a wide disparity in allocations reflecting the novelty of the asset class, a new study has found. Strategic asset allocations vary significantly. According to ‘The Role of Infrastructure in a Portfolio’ research paper published last week by equities specialist Maple-Brown…

(pictured: James McSkimming) James McSkimming, long-standing Russell Investments researcher has left the firm and believed to be headed to a competitor. He was most recently Russell’s head of Australian equities research, a position which chief executive Peter Gunning says will be filled. Before that he was a senior research analyst at the firm, making a total…

(pictured: Jack Inglis and Paul Chadwick)  The annual AIMA Australia Forum, to be held tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney, and the Hedge Funds Rock and Australian Hedge Fund Awards dinner, at Sydney’s Ivy Ballroom this Thursday, both look like setting attendance records. The AIMA Forum is expected to break last year’s record of…

by David Chaplin Vanguard’s mooted ‘cluster-free’ investment product could appeal to both Australian and New Zealand investors, according to the fund manager’s head of market strategy and communications in Australia, Robin Bowerman. Bowerman said last week that Vanguard was working with its NZ KiwiSaver clients to develop an “acceptable” passive global shares solution that excluded…

(pictured: Laurent Bourlard) AXA Investment Managers has signalled its intention to be a part of the search for workable retirement solutions for the members of the not-for-profit super funds. It is looking at ways to incorporate some of the funds’ existing strategies and managers in its own design thinking. Craig Hurt, AXA IM’s director, Australia and…

(pictured: Mike Schneider) A common lament among investors is ‘where to invest’ for growth if equities are fully priced and interest rates are low-to-negative. According to a paper by Artisan Partners, companies which combine technological advances with traditional industrial characteristics of quality are a good place to look. In Australia to speak at a Conexus conference…

(pictured: Chi Lo) Investors need to be patient with their China exposures. There are unlikely to be any new reforms or other positive – or negative – announcements from Beijing until the next parliament in 2018, according to China expert Chi Lo. Chi Lo, the senior economist for Greater China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan) for…

(pictured: Eric Wei) by David Chaplin In a ground-breaking move for the institution globally, the Bank of China (BOC) New Zealand has launched the first of what could be many locally-domiciled funds aimed at meeting the legal obligations of Chinese immigrants seeking residence in New Zealand under investor exemptions. Eric Wei, BOC NZ head of family…

(pictured: Michael Gordon) by Michael Gordon* Much has been written on these pages in recent weeks on the issue of fund manager fees. The argument is not new and is typically partisan. However, in 30 years in the business I’ve never seen fee pressure so extreme. Fees right across the traditional asset management agency chain have…