February 11, 2021 Cold Cash? How to Redeploy in Hot Markets by Scott Krauthamer Investors have parked record piles of cash on the sidelines amid concerns about valuations and volatility. But short-term safety comes at a price. By defining long-term goals, investors can put idle cash to work despite uncertainty about the path to recovery. Active & Passive , Alternatives, Asset Allocation, Equities, Fixed Income, Low-Yield Environment, Multi-Asset, Volatility Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
February 21, 2020 Making the Most of Merger Arbitrage by Stuart Davies, Scott Schefrin Merger arbitrage can create highly attractive returns. But there’s a big problem: hedge fund managers typically take 30% - 50% in fees. We advocate a smarter way to approach merger arbitrage investing, with much lower fees. Alternatives Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
December 10, 2019 Is Investing in Gold Worth Its Weight? by Vinod Chathlani Few assets have as much polarized debate and disagreement on their role as an investment than gold. “Gold bugs” tout its reliability as a store of value, while skeptics view gold as a “barbarous relic” whose value is driven primarily by sentiment and occasional mania. Alternatives, Asset Allocation, Economics, Inflation Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
December 03, 2019 Four Reasons Investors Shouldn’t Shy Away from Illiquid Alternatives by Brian Resnick Many investors are somewhat skittish about illiquid alternatives because they’re worried about tying up their money for a long time in an investment that they can’t trade or exchange easily. However, illiquidity may actually work to investors’ advantage. Alternatives Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
November 22, 2019 Does the American Shopping Mall Have a Future? Black Friday is around the corner. Will US shoppers head to the mall? Or are malls out of fashion for good? The debate about the retail apocalypse is playing out in a single bond index. Alternatives, Fixed Income Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
October 14, 2019 Illiquid Investments: Getting the Formula Right by Brian Resnick Alternative investments have the potential to enhance portfolio returns and reduce risk, but it isn’t easy to determine which alternative works best—and how much of it to own. To get accurate answers, it’s necessary to look beyond traditional asset-allocation approaches. Alternatives, Asset Allocation Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 21, 2019 US Housing Reform and the Future of CRTs by Michael S. Canter Credit risk-transfer securities have made the US mortgage market safer by shifting default risk from taxpayers to private investors. The latest attempt to overhaul the housing finance system isn’t likely to change that. Alternatives, Fixed Income, Policy & Regulation Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
December 17, 2018 Is the US Housing Market Headed for a Correction? by Michael S. Canter, Monika Carlson The median price of a US single-family home has risen just over 40% since the last housing-market crash. While newspaper headlines may put readers on edge, our analysis indicates a gradual slowdown, not a bursting bubble—in most regions. Alternatives, Fixed Income Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
February 13, 2018 Why the US Government Should Guarantee Your Mortgages by Michael S. Canter Congress may finally be inching toward an overhaul of the US housing finance system. That’s good. But getting reform right is more important than getting it done. To us, that means ensuring the government retains a clearly defined role in the mortgage market. Alternatives, Fixed Income, Policy & Regulation Likes 1 SHARE Bookmarks
January 24, 2018 Private Equity’s Trillion-Dollar Question by Avi Lavi After a record 2017, private equity funds have $1 trillion to deploy. The Financial Times reported this week that the buyout industry is raising more money than it can spend. As new risks surface, we think public equity portfolios with the right strategic mindset can deliver similar benefits to investors. Alternatives, Equities Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
January 17, 2018 Will Tax Reform Derail CRTs? Don’t Bet on It by Michael S. Canter, Monika Carlson Investors seeking floating interest-rate exposure and high yields are increasingly turning to credit risk–transfer securities (CRTs), a fairly new type of mortgage-backed bond. But could US tax-code changes hurt the housing market and, by extension, CRTs? We don’t think so. Alternatives, Fixed Income Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
November 28, 2017 Short-Selling Hope-ium by James Chanos One unwanted offshoot of a long bull market is an increase in dodgy companies indulging in fraud. But what may be unwanted by most investors, makes ripe pickings for short sellers. Alternatives, Equities Likes 1 SHARE Bookmarks
September 07, 2017 Positive Developments for Hedge Funds by Stuart Davies, Vikas Kapoor Widespread criticism of the hedge-fund industry has spurred positive changes, the market environment is improving, and new ways of achieving some return streams have become available. Alternatives Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks