Deciding where to invest isn’t easy. Should it be in stocks or bonds? Should you consider property or maybe alternative assets like private equity or credit? What about including an environmental aspect to your investment planning? But even when you think you’ve got that figured out, there’s the question of who you invest with. This can oftenContinue reading “Mind the Gap”
Category Archives: Asset Management
Grinding out a Result
This year the average Irish Pension fund peaked in February, and is only now clawing its way back to that level. In the mean-time, it had slumped by about 15% from that peak until it bottomed in early April, recovering all the lost ground. So year to date the average pension fund is just now edgingContinue reading “Grinding out a Result”
Selecting a Fund Manager: Getting it right matters….not getting it wrong matters even more!
Choosing the right asset or region is clearly a significant part of any investment decision. But selecting the right manager to make all these decisions is arguably equally, if not more, important. This applies predominantly to the active space but there can also be nuances in indexed investment solutions. I looked at some MoneyMate statisticsContinue reading “Selecting a Fund Manager: Getting it right matters….not getting it wrong matters even more!”
European Asset Management: Fast Forward Five Years
On the face of it, investment managers seem to be having a better time of it of late. The group has recovered from the April decline, when according to the Bank of America survey, sentiment towards the global asset management industry was at a 30 year low. The recovery since then means many are postingContinue reading “European Asset Management: Fast Forward Five Years”
How are Irish Investment Managers managing?
Most Investment Managers acknowledge that these are tricky times for their funds and their customers. Words like “unprecedented”, “new global order” or “seismic shift” are to the fore in managers’ commentaries. And rightly so. The risk of escalation in trade wars and real wars remains a huge threat and leaves us in an environment of likelyContinue reading “How are Irish Investment Managers managing?”
Time to re-visit Property as an Asset Class?
Just over 6 months ago, I posted a piece on Irish Commercial Property wondering if there was a case to include, or add to it, in your investment portfolio. So what’s been happening? The commentary so far this year coming from property managers talks of a stabilizing or a re-set for the Irish Commercial PropertyContinue reading “Time to re-visit Property as an Asset Class?”
Investment Managers in this Crisis: What are they saying; how are they doing?
How are investment managers faring in this current market crisis and what are they saying to their customers? Scrolling through the comments and advice that investment managers and financial advisors are giving currently reveals a broadly consistent message. I’ve looked through the comments and advice from firms based here or selling into the Irish market.Continue reading “Investment Managers in this Crisis: What are they saying; how are they doing?”
Irish Funds: Where Are The Risks?
Last week the Central Bank of Ireland published a report on the key risks and trends shaping the financial sector. The Regulatory & Supervisory Outlook (RSO) report gives the Bank’s view on these risks and what they see as the key priorities to address them in the next two years. From this we get aContinue reading “Irish Funds: Where Are The Risks?”
What do Fund Investors really want?
Those well known investment experts, Simon and Garfunkel, way back in 1970 stressed the importance of keeping the customer satisfied. It’s a point that shouldn’t be lost on investment managers. I imagine most managers think they have a clear sense of what their customers want from them. Fact-finds, for example, may give them a good senseContinue reading “What do Fund Investors really want?”
Irish Investment Managers: What’s Going On?
Asset Management is a great business. Though you might not know that from some of the numbers. Take a look at how many of the listed fund management groups have done in the UK so far this year compared to the average stock. Manager Share Performance Schroders -27% Aberdeen -20% Legal & General -11% M&GContinue reading “Irish Investment Managers: What’s Going On?”
Bonds: Boring or Ballistic? Time to think again?
For many investors, bonds are a substantial part of their allocation. They are seen as a stable asset class, offering some balance with other assets and reduced volatility – generally not meant to be the “exciting” part of the portfolio. Most Balanced Managed funds here in Ireland have an allocation to fixed income. I lookedContinue reading “Bonds: Boring or Ballistic? Time to think again?”
Are Irish Investment Managers charging too much?
Fees charged for managing money have been coming down. This has been a long term trend which has picked up pace. A recent global survey by Morningstar shows that over the past 4 years, management fees for all active funds in their universe have shifted down from 0.68% to 0.6%. Most of this decline tookContinue reading “Are Irish Investment Managers charging too much?”
Back to School! What Irish Fund Managers are saying today
2024 has been a good year so far for investors. But now, as we put away the buckets and spades and head into the home straight for the year, how do Irish investment managers see market prospects? Well, all in all, they seem to be a reasonably positive bunch. Not too concerned about recessions, expectingContinue reading “Back to School! What Irish Fund Managers are saying today”
And the Winner is….
What’s driving the strong performance of Irish investment funds? What’s driving the winning performances amongst Irish fund managers today? And can it be sustained? Firstly, it’s been a good period to be invested in markets. Over the past year, Irish fund managers have on average returned around 20% in Global Equities and about 12 toContinue reading “And the Winner is….”
ESG funds in Ireland – What’s the Story?
Not all ESG funds are the same We all know that there has been a seemingly never-ending avalanche of investment funds that fall into the wide ESG, sustainable, impact, climate, renewable etc. bracket launched in recent years. It’s a broad church. There are so many variations on this theme in the market place. Some areContinue reading “ESG funds in Ireland – What’s the Story?”
So….you still want to be an Investment Manager
Asset Management should be a great business. If you’re successful, you can grow, scale up your business, while keeping your costs under control, and generate huge profits. Also the demand for your product looks set to grow persistently as pension and wealth flows increase globally. However all is not well in investment management – certainlyContinue reading “So….you still want to be an Investment Manager”
Are Investors too complacent today?
Stock markets around the world have hit record highs this year. In fact, markets have enjoyed a good run since end October last year – the US S&P index is up about 25% in that period. Principal driver was probably a benign view on where interest rates may go in 2024, coupled with a resilientContinue reading “Are Investors too complacent today?”
Are Investment Funds getting too Big?
One trend that has been persistent, protracted and powerful in the Asset Management industry is consolidation. And it’s not just the mega deals. Mergers, acquisitions and restructurings have been an ever present feature, on both buy-side and sell-side, at all points on the size spectrum. Recent names in the headlines include Franklin Templeton, Liontrust, Crux,Continue reading “Are Investment Funds getting too Big?”
Do Investment Models Work?
Yes – until they don’t. What I’m talking about here are the models, processes, frameworks that some investment managers may use when they are allocating across the various asset classes such as stocks, bonds, property, cash, alternatives etc. The usual building blocks of such models may include factors such as valuation, economic growth, interest rates, currencies,Continue reading “Do Investment Models Work?”
Can Investment Managers Manage?
At times of stress, investment managers’ actions may not be in investors’ best interests. Even before the trade press headlines spoke of record fund outflows and weak financial markets combining to create a winter for the investment management industry, fund managers, both big and small were falling over themselves to cut jobs.They still are. TheContinue reading “Can Investment Managers Manage?”
Tradewinds 