ESG investing (i.e. incorporating environmental, social and governance factors in investment decision making) seems to be everywhere. FTfm every week is guaranteed to have at least two pieces on it! Most asset managers will include an ESG option in their product range. Most investment conferences have an almost obligatory ESG session. There is largescale lobbyingContinue reading “ESG: Stop! Look Listen”
Category Archives: Asset Management
Dad’s Army on the outlook for Global Financial Markets
Wall Street, Davos, Walmington-on-sea – all major financial centres. We checked in with the members of the local Home Guard platoon to get their views on the near-term outlook for global financial markets. Captain Mainwaring Now look here men, I can’t tell you that it’s going to be easy. On the contrary it’s going toContinue reading “Dad’s Army on the outlook for Global Financial Markets”
Fund Managers – Brave New World
2018 was a tough year for fund managers. Markets were unforgiving and saved a lot of the angst for the last month of the year. Performance suffered and what the Financial Times labels “flowmaggedon” , where we saw very hefty outflows from funds across a wide range of asset, combined to hit the P&L accountsContinue reading “Fund Managers – Brave New World”
The Next Big Thing
So there’s been a bit of a recovery in stock markets so far this year after a dismal December. It’s not very surprising and it does seem to lack conviction. The year so far has been marked mainly by official downgrades to global economic growth, accompanied at times by “Game of Thrones” rhetoric and headlinesContinue reading “The Next Big Thing”
Laundry List
We are smack bang in the middle of the “market outlook 2019” season. Despite the fact that economic and market fundamentals don’t really recognise the Gregorian calendar, economists, strategists, commentators et al, rush to give their views on what the next 12 months holds – usually conveniently forgetting what they may have said at theContinue reading “Laundry List”
The day Mark Mobius came to Dublin
Look, it may not have been the only time, but such visits certainly aren’t that frequent. And the Emerging Markets guru did stand out in his off-white suit and encircled by his entourage. At least he made it to the city centre – one of his analysts spent his Dublin visit in the private jetContinue reading “The day Mark Mobius came to Dublin”
Are Fund Managers a cultured bunch?
What do you think? Do they know their Verdi from their Vardy?, Van Gogh from Van Morrison, or their Rigoletto from their cannelloni? Hard to know really! But this culture thing seems to be getting more and more attention. In Ireland the Central Bank has been devoting a lot of resources to this issueContinue reading “Are Fund Managers a cultured bunch?”
Money for Nothing
Funds, fees and the future So you’re an investment manager – would you work for free? – nothing, nada, zilch, zero? Fidelity grabbed headlines recently with a zero charge on fund management – granted it was for a basic index product where fees were minimal anyway and stock lending can provide the manager with anContinue reading “Money for Nothing”
Absolutely not quite so Fabulous Darlings
Sure who wouldn’t like them? Investment funds that can deliver positive returns in any kind of market conditions at a lower level of risk. That’s broadly what Absolute Return funds say they do. (Yes I know, the managers will use phases like over a reasonbable time frame, market cycles etc. but let’s be grown upContinue reading “Absolutely not quite so Fabulous Darlings”
Passing the Buck
I know it’s always been the case, but lately in chatting through how markets have done, I find myself talking as much about currency moves as asset moves. Yet in my experience, currencies never feature that much whenever we try to look ahead. The talk at that point is more around asset fundamentals like economicContinue reading “Passing the Buck”
It’s the Politics, Stupid!
Except it’s not – really. James Carville, Bill Clinton’s campaign strategist was right, way back in 1992, when he advised that it was the economy that would drive the political outcome, and not the other way around. But for investors it’s very easy to get distracted by politics, but maybe it’s not that helpful. WeContinue reading “It’s the Politics, Stupid!”
Tradewinds 