What do ESG investing and the Ford Model T have in common? A hint: it’s about process. There was once the notion that returns from impact or ESG investing were concessionary, that these returns must come with a premium, and that it was a more “expensive” investment. This is rapidly becoming an antiquated myth. The …
Read MoreThere used to be a logic and a predictability to housing in our country. That young families start by renting an apartment, move to the suburbs and buy a home, and then downsize in retirement, either to senior living or back to an apartment. The Great Recession has turned many of these assumptions sideways. Housing …
Read MoreThere is a prevailing feeling among investors that we are late in the cycle, with overpricing a worry across markets, whether in public/private equity, or in real estate. Following a historically long bull market, people are also worried about market corrections and rising interest rates, among other concerns.
However, there are ample pockets of opportunity for those who are willing to look off the beaten path, all which can offer unique alpha to a portfolio.
Read MoreImpact. Responsible investing. ESG. SRI. UNPRI. There’s been a flock to impact/ESG (environmental, social, governance focused) investing and a flurry of acronyms in the investment landscape of late, and perhaps even a misappropriation and overuse of impact nomenclature (after all, traditional private equity and hedge funds can be impactful). Impact investing is getting top billing …
Read MoreThere is more and more evidence, given wage growth and other indicators, that an inflationary uptick of some kind is afoot. Before analyzing its ramifications, or worrying about a $25 loaf of bread, looking at the past can help us understand how this might play out. The last significant inflation surge that the US and …
Read MoreThe tumultuous times of 2017 are just about in the rearview mirror, but what surprises lie ahead? In no particular order, we share predictions for 2018 based upon what we see developing in markets, governments and the asset management business (spoiler alert: no Bitcoin projections here). In short, the news is mixed for investors and …
Read MoreBig data is here to stay. In case there was any doubt, the Equifax fiasco painfully exposed how much data can rule—and ruin—the day. The most recent issue of The Family Office Alpha Report addressed big data’s transformation of the investment world, especially as the fuel for quantitative/algorithmic strategies. But while data has provided an …
Read MoreIf IBM’s Watson can consume one million books per second, does that make it smarter than you? Is the possession of more data and information always an advantage? Big data and algorithms are transforming business and the world as we know it, including investing. Data is the lifeblood of quantitative trading strategies, which in recent …
Read More“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s statement on the human propensity to look back and be confined by the past, the last line in The Great Gatsby, has meaning in many different contexts—including institutional investors’ allocation strategies. Investors seem to be constantly battling against …
Read MoreThis thought piece is brought to you by the letter “O,” which has become popular of late. With the increasingly complex, fragmented, and costly investment landscape facing investors and asset managers, outsourcing has becoming an attractive option for firms of all types and sizes. The result is a proliferation of “O’s” preceding the familiar C-suite …
Read More