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Driven by events no one could have foreseen, leaders in recent years have pushed their companies and themselves beyond their comfort zone: out of the office to remote workplaces; into the cloud; along chains of supply that are almost completely digital. And with each new venture, there are new cyber risks.

Over the last few decades, the lackluster performance of traditional active managers has fueled the rise of “closet indexing.” For some, this trend, and the related systemic underperformance of the active management industry, have renewed interest in concentrated investing in pursuit of improved investment performance. This paper leverages empirical evidence and expert insights to outline the merits of concentrated investing as an alternative or complement to more diversified solutions.

We’ve all heard the terms “quiet quitting,” “quiet firing,” and the “great resignation” that point to the need for better employee engagement, which is a state of mind in which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organization, and want to put discretionary effort into their work. In this webcast, Cheryl Kuch at Rehmann shares actionable insights and data, checklists, tools, and guidance for managers who are the answer to increasing employee engagement.

With depression affecting as many as one in three adults, greater attention has been given to mental health in the workplace—including the impact poor mental health has on workplace morale, culture, and healthcare costs. Workplace culture initiatives that address and support employee mental health needs boost employee engagement, productivity, and retention. By following this checklist of six best practices, organizations can help build a strong framework for mental wellness both at home and in the workplace.

As auction sales level off in 2023 from the highs reached a year ago, the art market recalibrates with more conservative pricing, risk management, and an unquenching demand for A+ works. Heading into the fall season, art prices are expected to continue stabilizing. And while some collectors operate more conservatively, others will see opportunities in acquiring fresh work by mid-career artists. In addition, there is strong momentum and innovation in the broader art ecosystem, such as mergers and acquisitions, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and an evolving museum landscape.

The global economy faced a high degree of difficulty in 2023, but it earned high marks with continued growth, labor markets remaining strong, and declining inflation amid the ongoing expansion. The soft-landing narrative has considerable allure, but the three-year-old expansion is vulnerable. Higher interest rates are exacting an increasing toll, and the cycle has been challenged by an unsettling series of unfortunate events. In this special report, the Northern Trust Economics team shares its outlook for growth, inflation, employment, and interest rates in the year ahead.

Several trends are influencing the property market, including the high costs of reinsurance, which primary insurers typically pass along to policyholders; strong demand for limited capacity; ongoing losses; and inflation of property values. These conditions are expected to persist in a challenging insurance market that is driving companies to explore and use captive insurance arrangements that allow for flexibility and risk-financing options.

Several years on from the pandemic, the global economy is still wrestling with the repercussions. While investors will hope for the best in 2024, macro analyst Richard de Chazal examines the resiliency of the markets against a crowded backdrop of Fed policy uncertainty, inflation, bond market and economic dynamics, and other factors each of which will test the limits of the market’s endurance.

Rising global rates, a strong U.S. dollar, and tightening liquidity conditions have weighed on sentiment in emerging markets (EMs). But EMs may be regaining their footing as easier monetary conditions could drive growth in 2024 for both equities and debt alike. Any recovery, however, is unlikely to be uniform. As a new cycle unfolds, we expect the heterogeneous dynamics and secular trends that drove performance in 2023 to continue to shape market terrain in 2024.

Transformation is not a new idea in the world of family businesses, but it has taken on a new meaning in the post-pandemic environment that has challenged the old way of thinking. Recognizing the need to transform, family businesses are keeping their minds open and turning emerging trends into the drivers of their future growth and success.