This article discusses the outlook for Iran's economyand the implications for equities, fixed income and currencies and oil, following the US, UK, Germany and the UN Security Council's agreement with Iran that the country will freeze its nuclear arms program in return for sanctions relief. Some highlights include:There will ...
Two years ago, India was an unhappy member of Morgan Stanley’s “Fragile Five,” a handful of emerging economies judged most vulnerable to tighter Federal Reserve policy and rising global bond yields. Since then, India’s oil bill has dropped, inflation has eased, gold imports have been curtailed, the trade deficit has narro...
This strategic article forecasts what the global economy will look like in the next 12 months. Key market drivers include an expected disruption of official rates and the very first interest-rate hike by the Federal Reserve.
This white paper explores key themes that are expected to influence M&A activity in 2015 across global banking and capital markets, insurance and wealth and asset management. Some themes include:Demand in the US for income generation and real asset strategiesAccess to non-domestic markets and new investors in the USWealth management continues t...
Greece has entered the second episode in its fiscal tragedy. As of July 6th., tensions mounted as Eurozone members debated what to do with the country and its expiring debt. This news comes just a day after the Greeks voted “no” in a bizarre referendum to a bailout that was in fact no longer available to them. This means that such a vot...
The imposition of capital controls in Greece follows yet another failure to reach a compromise with the IMF, the ECB and the European Union. Eurozone finance ministers refused to let Greece extend the bailout program and as a result the ECB has halted its emergency loan program for Greece.This commentary discusses the impact a negative vote may hav...
The confluence of favorable market dynamics, including high corporate cash balances, low interest rates and cooperative capital markets, has created an environment in which corporate management teams and boards of directors can take action to increase value for equity owners.Engagement by shareholders, both private and public, is on the rise and ha...
Significant noise has surrounded the dissolution of California Redevelopment Agencies for the past three years. Numerous headlines trumpeted debt service disruptions, lawsuits, cleanup legislation and potential hiccups related to the flow of funds for California Redevelopment debt.Over time, it has become clearer that the potential for credit impro...
The July, 2014 Global Economic Update from Asset Consulting Group includes the following:Year-to-date asset class returns for global equities, global fixed income and global real assetsA US and non-US economic overview and forecastReview of current issues and questions that clients are askingReview of current investment opportunities and investment...
In this news alert, the author, Perkins Coie, highlights that the SEC is expected to allow two separate exemptive orders being sought from the Family Office Rule with respect to distaff members of a family under the Investment Advisors Act.Because the distaff issue has the potential to affect so many single-family offices, the author believes this ...
On June 5, 2014, the European Central Bank crossed an important symbolic line by announcing plans to reduce the policy interest rate into negative territory. Included in this announcement was a host of complementary but nontraditional policy measures, completing the picture of a committee stretching for greater impact.The author believes that:Aggre...
Today’s broad stock market is not a bubble. However, by virtue of its duration and current valuations, equities are in the mature phase of a bull market. That means a more sober pace of advance, with a lot riding on the economy and monetary policy.The author, Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management, examines several crosscurrents that are bo...
Plante Moran provides an in-depth look at password security and sheds light on some of the hacking tools out there. These tools are far better at guessing than you may imagine and, at rates of up to billions of guesses per second, much more persistent.So, what are our options? How can we combat this rising issue?No password is uncrackable. Given en...
Research on income equality and social mobility yields compelling conclusions in support of both sides of the debate. For now, regardless of how the research evolves, it is safe to expect the U.S. will enter an environment of higher personal tax rates with further redistribution in the cards, something investors need to consider when weig...
Headlines about the financial stress on municipalities — combined with high profile downgrades, defaults and even bankruptcies — have led many to believe that high yield issuers must be in financial distress. The author, Nuveen Asset Management, believes that is generally not the case and explains why in this paper.Nuveen believes that ...