The prudent investor will seek to capture as many of the opportunities as might be available but will be particularly careful to define his or her real risk tolerance and need for higher returns, hopefully through a cautious evaluation of his or her individual goals and the size of the assets needed to defease them. The spectrum of possible investm...
Earnings growth in 2Q for the vast majority of companies will likely be far below last year’s year-over-year gains. Slowdowns in both Europe and China have resulted in lower demand, to an extent, while comparisons to strong 2Q 2011 earnings results will depress year-over-year measures. We are hopeful that more meaningful earnings gains will resume ...
With growth slowly returning to the First World but decelerating in several emerging countries, macroeconomic managers now face different local imperatives, and a divergence in policy response is emerging. The seeming lack of policy coordination sometimes looks disconcerting. However, we are inclined to believe the various financial policy settings...
This paper addresses how inefficiencies may be exploited to help generate alpha. This viewpoint is developed from our assertion that outperformance requires strong fundamental research and insight by skilled managers, and looks at the methods by which alpha may be extracted under the umbrella topics of Concentration, Opacity (or lack of public inf...
Heritage Finance & Trust Company, Geneva, Switzerland, was founded in 1986 in Switzerland as a single family office providing financial advisory and portfolio management services. Over time, Heritage has evolved into a multifamily, multi-client office as it has seen demand for its services increase from an extended circle of family members and thei...
Investing is challenging, even for the most seasoned investors, given the underlying emotions and mental biases inherent in human decision making. To help minimize the challenges around investing, successful investors have explicit investment processes and practices that are clearly outlined and consistently implemented. To ensure you are set up fo...
Amid an increasingly volatile macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape, the private equity (PE) sector faces mounting challenges across the deal lifecycle—from fundraising to deal execution and exits. In turn, PE sponsors are seeking strategies to extract increased value from portfolio companies beyond the traditional cost cutting exercises. One un...
Fundamental equity long/short (ELS) strategies have faced challenges since the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, but the tide may be turning. The recent increase in cash yields and higher equity dispersion create a more favorable environment for the short book and will offer opportunities for managers to distinguish themselves. Moreover, with equity...
2025 stands at a crossroads. In the prior year, nearly half of the world’s population across more than 70 countries participated in national elections, artificial intelligence gained considerable traction in the marketplace, and several banks initiated a synchronized interest rate-cutting cycle. Each of these developments alone creates a complex la...
Conventional investing is all about diversification and maximizing returns. While both of these are still fundamental, some investors also want to use their economic influence to drive meaningful change. As these investors make financial decisions informed by both heart and mind, traditional barriers between making money and making a difference are...
Invoking emergency powers due to the stated “threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs,” President Trump implemented a 10% tariff on imports from China, a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico, and—perhaps most surprisingly—a 25% tariff on imports from Canada (except for Canadian energy imports that receive a 10% tariff). These tariffs are sending shock...
The expectations of an economic soft landing and favorable equity market in both 2023 and 2024 were possible due to the positive underpinnings of a healthy labor market, falling inflation, and a Fed pivot to rate cutting. In 2025, however, expectations are higher, policy shifts are underway, and several new factors that include tariffs, trade wars,...
The private equity market is navigating through a period of volatility, driven by inflationary pressures, rising interest rates, and geopolitical uncertainties. While some regions, such as North America and Asia-Pacific, remain confident in the face of these challenges, others, particularly in Europe, are more cautious. Despite these regional diffe...
With the return of the Trump administration, observers expect meaningful changes in political direction and economic and tax policy, but specifics and timing are unknown. Given the degree of uncertainty, investors should remain diversified and focus on both risk and liquidity management. Within private equity, deals that emphasize operational impro...
Slowing population growth is a global phenomenon. From this research report, learn how to establish a framework by which to understand the dynamics between demographics and economics, along with the likely effect on economic growth and financial markets in the coming decades.