The fundamentals of CLO investing are largely unchanged since the earliest days of the market. Analysts must still make judgments about the three key components of any CLO: portfolio, structure, and manager. Each of these components presents a complex mix of risk and value that must then be evaluated holistically—in aggregate. When investing in CLOs, it is best to follow a rigorous process and framework that allows for consistency while also adapting to different investment strategies and market conditions.
Investment Management
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In order to sustain their businesses for the long term, successful business owners tend to be thoughtful in their investments. They act like chess masters, deciding their next five moves in order to maintain a competitive edge and stay in the game. Yet throughout this business cycle, the RSM US Middle Market Business Index has shown that middle market leaders have been slow to increase capital expenditures, despite incentives provided in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This is concerning in light of today’s rapid pace of business transformation.
With the passage of the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a significant opportunity exists for investors to defer capital gains tax owed via the establishment of the newly created Federal Opportunity Zones (the “O-Zones”). By investing in Qualified Opportunity Funds, investors can defer tax on capital gains that arose in the last 180 days or prospectively in 2018 and future years.
Three converging trends—including a shift from negative to positive screening—are making it easier for investors to implement impact investment programs that deliver competitive returns.
Developing markets face growing risks that present a clear and present danger to middle market firms embedded in those economies. Differentials in rate policy between the U.S. central bank and its foreign counterparts, an appreciating greenback, along with an atypical late business cycle fiscal boost, present the major driving forces in interest rate divergence between the United States and emerging economies. In this issue of The Real Economy, we explore the topic and more, including automakers’ response to tariffs and pricing reform in the pharmaceutical industry.
Market Excesses and Irrational Behavior
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Markets are hitting new highs justified by strong earnings growth and reasonably solid economic performance in this tenth year of the expansion. Absent the traditional economic warning signs, equity markets are exhibiting some unnatural distortions. The stock market is becoming quite concentrated in a select group of growth names, and investors appear overly willing to invest in growth stories across the capitalization spectrum.
Since the end of the Global Financial Crisis, abundant Central Bank liquidity has created a global rising tide for financial assets. Stocks, bonds, and real estate have been locked into a relentless, low volatility “melt-up” in valuation over the past nine years, culminating in the extraordinarily low volatility of 2017. This year has ushered in a new volatility regime as global Central Banks move toward a more restrictive monetary policy framework.
This session will share the perspective of a private equity entrepreneur and a significant institutional investor as he works with his son to develop their family’s long-term investment approach. The family will share how their investment program has evolved from concentrated private equity holdings within their single-family office to a systematic, global, factor-based multi-asset approach for themselves and other families.
Breakout 1 - Opportunities in Private Credit
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In this session, we will discuss where we are in the credit cycle and how to consider opportunities in private credit, focusing on direct lending and distressed debt. Cambridge's Head of Private Credit Research will moderate the discussion and portfolio managers from Angelo, Gordon & Co. and Ares Management will discuss credit strategies broadly, with a focus on their direct lending and distressed strategies, as well as other timely opportunities.
As interest in direct investing among ultra-wealthy families continues to grow, so do the challenges. How do investors maintain the discipline and risk controls of their overall investment program while allowing for the greater flexibility needed to take advantage of the opportunities in this space - while managing the many risks specific to direct investments. In this session, we will explore different structures and approaches used by families to meet these challenges.