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All the major asset classes have delivered solid returns so far this year, even in the face of intensifying geopolitical tensions and slowing global growth. Looking at the second half of the year, expect the global growth slowdown to persist, with some geographic divergence. A backdrop of lower rates, moderate inflation, and fiscal and mo...

In Part 2 of the conversation on solving world hunger through innovation and strategic investing, we welcome two more entrepreneurs. Ezinne Uzo-Okuro, CEO of Terraformers, is using her background as a NASA scientist to empower people to grow healthy food and create sustainable livelihoods. Manuela Zierau, Global Lead of H2Grow, works with comm...

As startup companies in the cloud, internet, and technology industry grow, they must balance resources between innovating products and services and building their businesses. The BPM Business Ownership Transition sat down with the San Francisco Business Times to discuss the nuts and bolts of value creation for startups. Listen in for more about the...

Solving world hunger—or “food insecurity”—is really hard. The solutions are not particularly sexy, and they require a very long-term outlook. In seeking to learn more about the problem, we reached out to the ones trying to solve it. In part 1 of this conversation, Barron Segar, President and CEO of the World Food Program USA...

Using equities to customize for yield enhancement isn’t a completely new invention. Investors have had access to a variety of dividend-focused strategies for years. For investors who are less familiar with the ways they can tailor their portfolios for yield enhancements, there are two key approaches around factors and options that can be used...

Many trends—including the explosive price changes in a handful of equities driven by a crowdsourced short squeeze—are indicative of an asset bubble. Grizzled market veterans are starting to draw comparisons with the go-go market of the late 1990s that ended with the tech bubble bursting in 2000. That thought leads many to conclude that ...

Inflation is almost always a topic of discussion when thinking about and planning for the future. This paper explores the many factors that affect the inflation rate, whether an uptick in inflation is helpful or harmful, and the cyclical forces that could push toward higher inflation. Despite all the theory and prognostication, no one knows exactly...

Investors look to the municipal market for both quality and diversification. They were rewarded in 2020 when the municipal market proved resilient despite a challenging economic environment. The strength of the municipal credit quality surprised many. And the CARES Act provided much-needed support to a municipal bond market reeling from COVID-...

When an off-the-shelf solution doesn’t cut it, responsible investors can turn to customized separately managed accounts (SMAs) to build portfolios that align with their values, including expressing their individual ESG views. With an SMA, investors can also gain the market exposure they’re seeking through portfolio construction, active ...

Investors shouldn't let taxes prevent them from choosing better investment options. Transitioning to a tax-managed SMA may help minimize upfront tax cost and provide opportunities over time to reduce tracking error against a preferred benchmark. The combination of this tax efficiency, along with ongoing tax management, allows investors with dif...

Although the future is unpredictable, we do know that financial planning can allow families and their advisors to operate from a position of strength and resilience, no matter the changes that lie ahead. In this video, the Baird economic analysts and financial planning specialists look at how the economic landscape impact your finances in 2021 whil...

Few investor concerns are as fundamental as portfolio performance. How to evaluate it is one of the most common questions posed by private wealth clients. It starts with the benchmarking process—the evaluation of investment decisions and their results. But to truly evaluate your portfolio, it pays to drill down deeper and focus on the three s...

COVID-19 is exacerbating ongoing geopolitical and societal challenges, and the existential crisis of climate change looms large. In this 16th edition of the Global Risks Report, it highlights the implications of major risks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and an emerging risk landscape spanning from the digital divide to navigating global fra...

Custom separately managed accounts (SMAs) may seem to many like the newest in the line of innovations in the investment industry. However, the benefits of portfolio customization go far beyond security selection. At its core, it allows an investor’s portfolio to be managed consistent with their specific rules, exclusions, or tax situations. W...

The tech industry was undergoing a period of introspection even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. While the crisis spotlighted the importance of the tech industry and existing technology, the future is still rooted in the core purpose of innovation with intent. The tech industry is poised for growth in 2021, and optimization is the path to realiz...