For the past decade, some pension schemes have based their entire risk management strategy on equally dubious long-term market forecasts – with catastrophic consequences, writes Redington’s Dawid Konotey-Ahulu for Pensions Expert. Unsurprisingly, like those who attempt to predict the actual weather two years in advance, investment consultants playing this game of ‘And Now For The Weather!’ tend not to be particularly accurate. Continue reading “And now for the weather…”

After a relatively benign three years, volatility returned with a bang in August. If these are tough calls for seasoned fund managers, how can pension schemes hope to effectively adapt their investment strategy in response? Redington’s Alex Lindenberg suggests seven key principles to help pension scheme trustees and their corporate sponsors sleep more soundly in volatile markets. Continue reading “Concerned by volatility? Keep calm and carry on”

A number of headwinds have hit emerging market debt recently, writes T. Rowe Price’s Emerging Markets Portfolio manager Mike Conelius in Portfolio Adviser: however, while there may be more weakness to come in the short term, the asset class’s long-term positive secular trends remain intact. Continue reading “Using volatility to extract alpha in unloved EM debt”

For millennia, humans have felt the agony of defeat more than the euphoria of victory, writes Evenlode’s Ben Peters for Money Observer. In the modern world it has become a cognitive or perception bias that clouds our judgement and leads to irrational decision making – and perhaps nowhere is this phenomenon more amplified than in volatile stock markets. Continue reading “How to escape the loss aversion trap in volatile markets”

Neuberger Berman has launched a corporate hybrid bond fund. The Neuberger Berman Corporate Hybrid fund, which has a Ucits structure, launched today and was seeded with $21m. Investment grade credit portfolio managers Julian Marks and David Brown are running the portfolio. Continue reading “Neuberger Berman unveils hybrid bond fund”

Times have been tough for investors seeking regular income payments – but fund managers are still scouring the market for sources of income. City A.M. reports some are coming up with contrarian ideas for investments, with Hermes’ Fraser Lundie making a case for energy and resources, while T. Rowe Price’s Stephane Fertat sees an opportunity in Cyprus government bonds. Continue reading “Seeking income: Three contrarian ideas for hunters, from Cyprus government bonds to energy companies”

As Investors Chronicle looks at which shares UK fund managers love and which are dividing opinion, Evenlode’s Hugh Yarrow discusses his current favourite stock and explains why the fund seeks businesses selling something mission-critical. Continue reading “The UK shares fund managers love and loathe”

Platforms are being urged by advisers and providers to increase access to exchange traded funds and reduce trading costs, but are firms willing to make the technology investments necessary to accommodate the products?Winterflood Business Services head Alex Kerry speaks to Money Marketing about the gap in the platform market. Continue reading “Will platforms invest to boost ETF take-up?”

Neuberger Berman has launched a Ucits-compliant strategy focused on the fast-evolving non-financial corporate hybrid debt asset class, Citywire Global reveals. Initially financed with seed capital of $21 million, the fund will be managed by investment grade credit specialists Julian Marks and David Brown. Continue reading “Neuberger Berman unveils corporate hybrids fund”

ETF providers need to make their education efforts less technical and focus on the real issues that matter to advisers to boost uptake, say a panel of experts. Fund Strategy reports more work is needed to provide the technology to trade on platforms – and according to Alex Kerry, head of Winterflood Business Services, advisers need to be more engaged with the ETF space to drive that change. Continue reading “ETF providers need to improve adviser education”