Analysis

Institutional investors expect to allocate more to their various alternatives strategies in the next 12 months, on average, in every asset class except hedge funds, according to latest survey by the global alternatives research firm Prequin. But most have lowered their sights on expected returns. Infrastructure will get the biggest increase, with 43 per cent…

Super funds are participating in the global share market rally, with big gains from US and European markets providing a promising start to the 2018-19 financial year, according to the latest numbers from SuperRatings. The median balanced option grew at an estimated 1.1 per cent in July, while the median growth option delivered 1.3 per…

The nascent world of impact investing, whereby funds management enjoins with philanthropy and governments in specific projects and/or strategies, is about to get much more professional. A new academic study shows what needs to be done to give the recent growth trend a kick along. Michael van Niekerk, the author of “Scaling Impact Investment and…

The private debt market is taking off as an asset class for big internationally orientated pension funds. According to bfinance, the global mandate search specialist and advisor, more than 40 private debt searches have been undertaken in the past two years, two of which were for Australian super funds. Niels Bodenheim, a London-based senior director…

The avalanche of new regulations over all aspects of financial services in Europe – and we’re not talking about financial advisors here, we’re talking about the engine room of the financial system – is having increasingly global ramifications. A new study by DTCC attests to the latest imposts. The paper highlights the impact of securities…

by David Chaplin and Greg Bright Two stories in recent weeks from New Zealand may cast a light over the future direction for funds management and ‘product’ fees, such as those charged by super funds, in Australia and elsewhere. Because of its unique nature in the financial services world, New Zealand is becoming an interesting…

ESG investing, one of the major thematics of the last few years and, no doubt, the next many years, is not just about equity investing. Fixed income is becoming increasingly ESG focused. Insight Investment tells how it is going about the new wave of ESG oversight. Bruce Murphy, director, Australia and New Zealand, at Insight…

The Alternative Investment Management Association has published a paper that presents a future outlook of the role, value and sustainability of hedge funds in Australia through the eyes of institutional investors. The AIMA paper, ‘VISION 2025: Perspectives of Leading Australian Investors in Hedge Funds’ contains the views of some of Australia’s major investors in alternatives. They…

An under-researched element in the professional investment process is portfolio construction. Yet, according to a joint research effort by implementation specialist manager Parametric and the Sydney-based Australian Catholic Superannuation and Retirement Fund, the rewards can be very significant. The research report, ‘Optimality Is in the Eye of the Beholder: The Science and Art of Equity…

By Greg Bright APRA has picked a sore which has troubled the industry for years: ‘who is making what out of cash?’. And it’s a good thing to raise the question, but APRA perhaps should look a little deeper with its investigations. Perhaps bigger issues are not what the definition of cash should be, but…

DWS, formerly known as Deutsche Asset Management, has extended marketing of its Multi Asset Solutions unit’s range of strategies in Australia and New Zealand, following rapid success in Asia over the past couple of years. One of the unique tools used is called ‘group risk in portfolios’ (GRIP). On his first visit to Australia, Nicolas…

Asset class performance, like fund manager performance, can fluctuate wildly from year to year. The annual Russell Investments/ASX study of markets and accompanying analysis provides a reflective view on the lack of persistence in market segment returns on a year-by-year basis. The 20th edition of the report was published late last week and will probably provide…