Mortgage defaults and the ongoing credit crunch are a challenge, but they have created opportunity for investors in distressed debt. Indeed, 51 percent of the investors surveyed by Debtwire for Bracewell & Giuliani report that say they see bargains in distressed debt.
While frontier markets have yet to be recognized as emerging economies, these countries often are emerging rather than stagnating and can provide diversification for global portfolios. This report from Frontier Market Asset Management examines the current state, potential and challenges of frontier markets ranging from Estonia to Zimbabwe.
A volatile financial market draws different responses from wealthy investors. While some increase their cash and property holdings, others switch financial advisors or become overly preoccupied with the performance of individual investments, which leads to over-trading. This report from Barclays Wealth explores how personality traits and cognitive biases can influence those decisions.
Integrating the EU and U.S. financial securities markets could reduce transaction costs in securities trading, increase annual transaction volumes and strengthen the European and U.S. positions in the international financial market. In this report, Deutsche Bank examines the progress of integration and suggests a pragmatic, principles-based approach.
Merrill Lynch and Capgemini's 12th Annual World Wealth Report is, as always, full of fresh insights and meaningful information. Some of the trends spotted include the growth of emerging economies, explosive market capitalization growth in emerging markets, a record wave of IPOs, a slowdown in mature economies, a shift to safer investments and an increase in green investing.
This latest report in the Barclays Wealth Insights series, 'Evolving Fortunes', builds on the findings of earlier research with an in-depth analysis of how the global distribution of household wealth is likely to change during the next decade.
Emerging market equities have become a dedicated asset class, and developing countries are now key contributors to world economic growth. This paper from Parametric explores some portfolio construction concepts that can help investors take advantage of emerging market opportunities to achieve superior long-term returns.
Last year's credit crunch evolved into a financial crisis that has investors searching for the right strategy to weather the storm. But rather than simply staying the course, Greycourt recommends in this paper that investors with well-balanced portfolios take advantage of the opportunities that a bull market offers.
To manage wealth well requires understanding and responding wisely to risk. This white paper seeks to help readers gain insight into the heart of risk. It focuses not on technical measures of risk (beta, volatility, variance, and the like) but rather how successful individuals tolerate and manage risk day-to-day.
The first quarter was an exhausting one for investors, with many left with little appetite for risk and retreating to positions of relative safety. But the turning point may be at hand, according to a quarterly investment strategy report from Barclays Wealth. The writers reassess asset allocation and bridge the gap between tactical and strategic views.