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Markets have had a very turbulent start to 2016, and the global economy faces a number of clear challenges. The implications of four interlinked issues—China, crude oil, credit markets, and central banks—are unsettling capital markets. The global economy faces several challenges, but it is continuing to grow, and there are reasons to ma...

The venture ecosystem in Israel is undergoing an evolution as entrepreneurs are flourishing throughout the country. In November 2015 there were 6,000 start-ups in Israel garnering funding from a new generation of venture funds made up of both spin-outs from existing firms and new VCs. The combination of a vibrant culture of entrepreneurship, suppor...

During uncertain times, it is easy to get caught up in the latest headlines proclaiming a possible U.S. recession. Although many variables such as growth in hourly earnings or high yield spreads over Treasury bonds have been shown to “predict” recessions in advance, the slope of the yield curve remains a powerful indicator of what lies ...

Global equity markets rebounded sharply in October 2015 after the third quarter sell-off due to accommodative monetary policies and some better economic and earnings news. The gains faded late in the quarter on further weak data from China, weak exports, and more stress in the energy and commodity sectors due to oversupply mostly extracted by new t...

Important insights lie in the trends hidden under asset class classification of the hedge fund industry, which is expected to grow 25% annually in the next five years from $0.5 to $1.4 trillion dollars. To spot the trends, the asset categories should be useful for family offices to gain meaningful insights of major allocation shifts. A good place t...

For most financial assets 2015 was a challenging environment, with equities seeing negative or muted performance and fixed income facing its worst year since 2013 as yields slowly moved higher in anticipation of the Fed rate hike in December. Some of the macro themes of 2015 (a strong dollar and monetary tightening in the U.S.) will carry forward i...

Volatility in global equities subsided in the Fourth Quarter of 2015; however, 2016 will likely see multiple spikes due to the follow-through from low oil prices and concerns over China. Other current and fluctuating conditions of global capital markets add to the volatility. Amidst the turmoil, growth should stabilize in 2016 with the impact of Ch...

Change is in the wind. After a challenging 2015, the investment landscape for 2016 will be defined by a new course for monetary policy and political leadership, a new primary catalyst for stocks and an altered roadmap for credit markets, and for energy. Looking ahead at these asset classes—U.S. equities, international equities, fixed income, ...

The economic outlook may be better than many think, with U.S. growth in 2016 likely remaining well above the long-term trend of 1.5 percent. The economy is expected to grow near 2.6 percent, with the household sector and residential investment being the two primary drivers. The recent Washington D.C. policymaker agreement, which resulted in a lifti...

Last week, markets were caught on the wrong foot by the latest package of measures by the European Central Bank (ECB). There was no headline increase of monthly asset purchases, which are currently at EUR 60bn. Since then, investors have grown used to ECB President Mario Draghi over-delivering, earning him the nickname “Super Mario”. Wh...

The family wealth industry is at a strategic inflection point with a future that’s both bright and turbulent. Wealth professionals will face challenges driven by the rising complexity of the families they serve and the imperative to evolve quickly and serve a broader range of their clients’ needs and expectations. &nbsp...

India's private equity market offers opportunities for investors who are focused, patient, opportunistic and agile. Success requires being familiar both with the economy's internal currents and target companies as money is abundant but trust is harder to come by.

Behavioral finance theory offers some compelling explanations for financial crises, including the most recent one. Supplementing standard finance theory with behavioral and psychological criteria can help clarify investors' decision-making processes and explain the influence of behavioral biases in stock market crashes.

We recently have taken an increasing interest in housing and housing-related investment opportunities. While we cannot state with certainty when the recovery will come, we see a road towards redemption and investment opportunities while the market gradually improves.

Municipal securities continue to provide yields in excess of Treasuries, despite their tax-favored status. For tax-exempt accounts, we continue to see opportunities in corporate debt, both investment grade and the highest quality non-investment grade, as well as in select international sovereign debt issues.