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Hammond Associates puts empirical studies of asset allocation in perspective, starting with the 1988 study by Brinson, Hood and Beebower and working through subsequent research efforts. The author believes these often quoted and sometimes misinterpreted studies are limited in scope and the types of assets they explore and, thus, do not provide usef...

When implemented responsibly, a successful foreign exchange hedging strategy can go beyond mitigating foreign exchange risk to actually improving the bottom line of a global business, according to a paper from SVB Capital. The author addresses the impact of currency exchange rates as well as best practices for implementing a hedging strategy.

Babson Capital explores distressed debt investing, describing the bankruptcy process, the role of debtor-in-possession facilities and the importance of valuation in understanding the investment opportunity. The report also outlines three distressed debt investment strategies based on the level of involvement: discount value, activist and control. W...

Coller Capital's annual survey tracks private equity trends in emerging markets and investors' plans related to those markets. Among this year's findings: Investors expect their new commitment to emerging market private equity to accelerate over the next two years, and most of these investors expect this sector to outperform private equity as a who...

We believe the reason many bond investors are maintaining high balances in low-yielding money markets right now is because they've been scared into thinking the value of their investment will decline sharply if interest rates rise. They may well be right. They may be wrong. We do not know with certainty. However, we do know with certainty that appr...

With market turbulence and a down economy, investors may be searching for safe-harbor assets. The Artist Rare Instrument Fund makes the case for considering antique Italian violins and cellos as assets with steady, long-term capital appreciation. The article offers suggestions for moving into the market as a private investor or someone who buys int...

A new report from Origami Capital Partners makes the case for purchasing hedge fund interests on a secondary basis. The author not only explains how the hedge fund secondary market works but also examines the benefits and challenges of investing in that market.

Monitoring hedge fund performance day to day is next to impossible when funds disclose returns monthly or even less frequently. Markov Processes International makes the case for a computer modeling solution that uses low-frequency data, such as observed monthly fund returns, to infer and forecast daily returns. This replication strategy can provide...

New research from Frontier Market Asset Management finds frontier markets are much more likely to be influenced by local politics and economic conditions than by the prices of three major commodities (oil, copper and gold). To the report's author, this means frontier markets offer useful diversification for global portfolios.

To be able to build a portfolio of managers that meets their objectives, investors must have a clear understanding of their rationale for integrating environmental, social and corporate governance, or ESG, factors in the in the investment decision-making process, according to a new white paper from Cambridge Associates.

In this paper, SVB Capital identifies and discusses five areas of consideration that demand increased due diligence when considering a general partner: team dynamics, investment strategy, cash flow management, performance attribution and alignment of interests.

Thanks to the considerable capital reserves of many private equity funds and the need of many companies to restructure and improve efficiency, private equity is alive and well. This report from Deutsche Bank examines the state of private equity and suggests this may be a good time to invest in this asset class.

The private equity industry belief in the persistence of returns is a fallacy, according to a research report from AARM Corp. Analytical selection of new managers, the authors say, overwhelmingly trumps the advantages of relationship access to existing managers in good private equity fund management.

Whether investing in a hedge fund, buying out a company or hiring a key employee, it is more important than ever for individuals to perform the proper due diligence. A new paper from First Advantage points out the need to verify credentials, search court records, read the news, review corporate and regulatory records and conduct interviews.

The role of commodities in a strategic portfolio has not changed much during the past 40 years and, indeed, not in the 22 years of the Tangible Asset Program portfolio. In this paper, Gresham Investment Management explains why it believes commodities will continue to provide diversification benefits to a portfolio regardless of the roll yield regim...