It was a shocker! Red numbers across all significant stock markets, global bonds and most investment styles, made for very negative outcomes for most Irish investment funds in 2022.Fear of inflation followed by fear of recession, coinciding with huge geo-political risk (Russia/China) and Central Bank catch-up, made it a year of living dangerously for manyContinue reading “Irish Fund Managers 2022 – What Worked; What Didn’t”
Author Archives: Eugene Kiernan
The Central Bankers’ Christmas Party
It was the night before ChristmasAnd all the markets were closedAll the experts and analystsWere safely home and hosed No more forecasts for the yearNi more unprecedented eventsNo more comments from Central BanksAnd wondering what the Hell they meant But all wasn’t peaceful and quietAs the snow now began to fall hardFor oft in theContinue reading “The Central Bankers’ Christmas Party”
Sustainability Faces Headwinds
Last week, European Fund Managers down-graded nearly €50 billion worth of investment funds on grounds of sustainability. In total, nearly 10% of the premium rated sustainable funds have moved their rating down a notch since early November. And these are not peripheral players. Among the fund management groups to make these moves have been Amundi,Continue reading “Sustainability Faces Headwinds”
Pension Funds and the Big Question
Three Facts This year, 830 million people will go hungry. We waste 40% of food globally. Pension Funds can help. After steadily declining for a decade, world hunger is on the rise, affecting nearly 10% of people globally. Of the 830 million going hungry, 50 million are facing absolute famine. This set-back is driven largelyContinue reading “Pension Funds and the Big Question”
Will the US economy avoid a recession?
The “R” word continues to haunt our Global Economy. Europe is facing recession in 2023 as energy costs, and indeed energy availability, are threatened by the war in Ukraine. Rishi Sunak is facing a deep recession as a £40 billion gap in the UK balance sheet needs closing. Xi Jinping’s renewed commitment this week to aContinue reading “Will the US economy avoid a recession?”
Irish Pension Funds and Property: Where to next?
The ultimate “Safe Haven”? It’s how many see Property as an investment – it’s not true of course, but it does give us a sense of where it stands on the risk spectrum. Certainly in 2022, for Irish pension funds and investors generally, Irish commercial property has played this role in what has been anContinue reading “Irish Pension Funds and Property: Where to next?”
Should Investors just forget about Emerging Markets?
It is one of the key tenets in investment. If you take on more risk, you expect more reward. It underlies why we invest in start-up businesses, new technologies, illiquid assets and much, much more. And it explains why individuals and institutions have ploughed vast sums into Emerging Markets.Emerging Markets, now taken as a givenContinue reading “Should Investors just forget about Emerging Markets?”
What’s Moving Markets?
Just what is driving global stock-markets in 2022? A stuttering start to the year, based on fears around economic growth and rising energy prices, was followed by the Ukraine war induced decline into early March. Markets then rallied from about St. Patrick’s day to the end of March only to fall more substantially byContinue reading “What’s Moving Markets?”
The Global Food Crisis and Pension Funds
We are in a global food crisis. While food prices have eased somewhat from the highs of March April, they are still 43% higher than 2020 levels (as measured by the FAO index). Though the rise is widespread, grains have been to the fore in pushing higher. In lower income countries, where food makes upContinue reading “The Global Food Crisis and Pension Funds”
Forget the economists – what they are saying on the Street?
As the second quarter company earnings season closes out, it provides a good window on to what’s actually happening on the ground in the US economy.Rather than listen to the economists and analysts, we can hear what the women and men who actually run companies, and have to report to shareholders, think where we areContinue reading “Forget the economists – what they are saying on the Street?”
Beyond the Beaches
Every evening, as the blue of the night darkens, the Paseo Maritimo, which winds its way from Marbella to Puerto Banus along the Spanish coastline, is once again thronged with locals and tourists, Spanish and international, as they stroll before or after dinner, incessantly chatting, catching up on the news of the day. The ambience isContinue reading “Beyond the Beaches”
Fund Management: What’s working – what’s not
Markets have been unforgiving in 2022. Especially in the second quarter. A pincer movement between inflation and growth has compounded the concerns about the war in Ukraine to wreak havoc on many sectors in the world’s stock markets and in investor funds. Fund managers have had quite different experiences depending on how they have beenContinue reading “Fund Management: What’s working – what’s not”
A Confluence of Calamities
It sounds like some medieval curse that the Wizard Wobegone called down upon the elves of Myrtle, in response to their kidnapping of the Princess Petrushka, but this is in fact how the IMF described the current global economic and financial market situation. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the global economy faces its biggestContinue reading “A Confluence of Calamities”
Irish Pension Funds and the War in Ukraine
As a world event, the Ukraine War is seismic, and has edged out most topics from the financial news cycle since February. The human horror and loss is evident and growing daily. It is also having a wide impact on global politics and finance. Given its role in financial markets, it is worth seeing what hasContinue reading “Irish Pension Funds and the War in Ukraine”
Ukraine War hits all key issues for Markets
The war in Ukraine, while above all a deeply sad humanitarian crisis, may impact practically every aspect of our future lives. Following on the heels of a pandemic that continues to take its toll, the war will cast a long shadow. Financial markets are one barometer of the impact beyond Ukraine’s borders. But historically, marketsContinue reading “Ukraine War hits all key issues for Markets”
Currencies – the Next Stop for Volatility?
Volatility is on the up in asset classes like stocks and bonds, as governments and central banks around the globe look for an exit strategy from highly supportive pandemic policies. US bond volatility (as measured by the options market index) has practically doubled in the past 4 months and stock markets have been displaying heightened volatilityContinue reading “Currencies – the Next Stop for Volatility?”
Investment Funds: What’s Selling and What’s Not
It’s been another fantastic year for asset management. Sales of investment products pushed through new record levels in 2021. But what is selling? Where are investors putting their money? And what is being avoided? Sifting through Morningstar, Citywire, Lipper, Investment Association and others, can provide direction on what’s hot and what’s not in the investment landscapeContinue reading “Investment Funds: What’s Selling and What’s Not”
The Central Bankers’ Christmas Party – Two
It was the night before Christmas And all the markets were calm The traders had all put their books away So really there was no cause for alarm But back in the darkened halls of the ECB And the corridors of the Federal Reserve Central Bankers, past and present, were keeping a watch To makeContinue reading “The Central Bankers’ Christmas Party – Two”
Asset Management continues to deliver…………………certainly for the asset managers.
. In fairness, investors generally have also been enjoying good returns through this pandemic period.2021 will be another record year for the Asset Management industry.Markets have performed well, investors have poured record amounts into funds, and costs have been extremely well managed. Headlines about asset managers’ profits in the Financial Times ring with words likeContinue reading “Asset Management continues to deliver…………………certainly for the asset managers.”
Language Lessons
It has been the economic surprise of 2021 and there are still voices on both sides of the argument. Inflation has taken off as a concern for investors, consumers, producers and policy makers. The most recent number to grab headlines in the US was a staggering 6.2% – the largest since 1990. At the startContinue reading “Language Lessons”
