Resource Search

Structuring and strategically managing an investment portfolio is not easy in any environment. Until recently, the task was made easier with expected average returns that were at levels that would normally meet expectations to fund pension benefits, endowment distributions and lifestyle needs. However, today’s environment is drastically different. What can investors do to increase the probability that their average portfolio returns are higher across a broad spectrum of asset classes?

While hedge fund performance can be cyclical, as it is with equity and fixed income markets, an allocation to hedge funds can provide compelling attributes in an investment portfolio over the long run. At a closer look, hedge funds have been accretive to portfolios over the last 15 years, and in each of three 5 year segments. From a historical perspective across different market cycles, a case can be made that now is good time to allocate to hedge funds.

The surprise result of the British referendum to leave the European Union this June sent shockwaves through the markets and some investors expected additional fallout down the road. It seems the opposite has been happening. Recent data from the U.K. Office for National Statistics showed the British economy grew by 0.7 percent in the second quarter and just above consensus expectations.

Maintaining a financial and moral investment perspective appeals to both individual and institutional investors, who have been turning to sustainable, responsible, and impact investing (SRI). In fact, SRI assets grew from $3.74 trillion in 2012 to $6.57 trillion or more in 2014, according to The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. In its broadest sense, SRI refers to an investment discipline that strives for strong financial performance while also seeking to create positive change in the world. Who are the SRI investors and how are they making SRI work for them?

As we shepherd your assets through life cycles, business transitions, and beyond, there are both obstacles and opportunities when taking a decade-long perspective. Three key themes emerge and are shaping the market landscape: (1) the near-term economic leadership of the United States that will later decelerate; (2) interest and dividends becoming larger part of total return; and (3) the reemerging world of emerging markets and the corporate transformation that has already begun to take place.

The United States presidential election season has certainly been emotionally charged and, in many ways, unlike any we’ve seen in recent history. For many, Hillary Clinton represents the continuation of Democratic policies currently in place under the Obama administration. Donald Trump, on the other hand, represents the potential for a shift in policy. Both now turn their attention to a series of debates, where each candidate will provide voters with more detail about key elements of their plan.

As has been the case for several years, the actions of central banks dominate the investment landscape. In the years following the financial crisis, extraordinary monetary policies from central banks around the world, including our own Federal Reserve (Fed), have had an outsized impact on most asset classes. And now, as we say farewell to another summer, we see that the situation has not changed. There is increasing anxiety about prospective interest rate hikes and the possible impacts on equity and fixed income markets.

Performance results over the past ten years make a strong case for higher allocations to private investments. Investors concerned with earning a return on their portfolios that will support their spending needs should look closely at the results and investment policies of this group and consider crossing the “15% frontier” in their own portfolios. Families in particular, are well positioned to take advantage of private investments.

Families pursue impact investing for a variety of reasons, including as a way to engage younger family members in the broader philanthropic and investment activities of a family to foster continuity in the stewardship of assets across generations. Before incorporating impact investments into their portfolios, families should define the overall contextual framework for their impact investments that focus on purpose, priorities, and principles.