There’s a lot going on at your local credit union today. Nearly 4 million of us are saving over €18bn with them, and they’re lending out over €7bn back into the local community. And there’s a lot of change within the sector. In the past 10 years or so we’ve seen the total number of unions halveContinue reading “Credit Where it’s Due”
Category Archives: ESG
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?”
Time to add to Property in your Portfolio?
Is it time for Irish investors to look at commercial property again? BlackRock, the global investment giant, last week told its clients that the outlook for property is brightening, with falling interest rates and reduced yields in other assets. Does Ireland fit into this “brightening” picture? Portfolio allocations to the sector have been dragged downContinue reading “Time to add to Property in your Portfolio?”
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”
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?”
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”
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?”
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”
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.”
Fund Management – Next Steps
It’s business as usual for fund managers – in fact it’s better than usual. Recovering markets and consistent positive funds flows have pushed global industry assets under management to a new peak of €93 trillion. That’s up 11% on the previous year. Closer to home European asset managers saw their assets up 5% to overContinue reading “Fund Management – Next Steps”
Asset Management and ESG: Doing Good or just a Business Opportunity?
The numbers continue to amaze. ESG (Environment/Social/Governance) seems to be everywhere in the investment world. 84% of flows into global equities in the past 2 years were into ESG funds according to one source. And there is no slackening in the pace – flows in the last 4 months of 2020 were better than the previousContinue reading “Asset Management and ESG: Doing Good or just a Business Opportunity?”
A World Divided
The global economy has reached a fork in the road. This is the advice the IMF provided to the recent G20 meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors. As the world continues to climb back from the worst peace time recession since the Great Depression, the prospects and pace of any recovery are, inContinue reading “A World Divided”
Is Investment Management the Weakest Link?
In mid-2020, the Financial Times asked the question was investment management the weak link in the current economic/health crisis? The authors were thinking back to the role played by the banks in the 2008 crisis and the need to inject public money into a system which still hasn’t returned to being a growth driver. Now,Continue reading “Is Investment Management the Weakest Link?”
How are Asset Managers managing?
We see regular coverage of how different industries and sectors are doing during this pandemic economy. It’s obvious, for example, why airlines would be among the hardest hit as flights fall away, or why e-commerce names, such as Amazon, would benefit from the tailwind of changing consumer behaviour.Investment managers in fact seek to profit fromContinue reading “How are Asset Managers managing?”
Scarred. What the Pandemic means for inequality.
The numbers amaze. Economies stopped and now as we get new data coming off such a pulverised base, the percentage growth numbers can dazzle on the upside. This can take forecasters by surprise – recent jobs numbers in the US are a good example, as are UK retail sales. Economic growth is a good thingContinue reading “Scarred. What the Pandemic means for inequality.”
What’s all this Diversity carry-on…..?
Prove it. That seems to be a mantra among those who struggle a bit with the seismic shift we are seeing today in the role of Environmental Social and Governance factors (ESG) in asset management. For issues such as climate change or global warming which may not be observable, up close and personal, inContinue reading “What’s all this Diversity carry-on…..?”
Investment Management – the Next Ten Years
Asset Management – the next 10 years What will asset management look like in 10 years-time? Well despite the headlines you may read, what it won’t look like is – One global player using an Artificial Intelligence driven algorithm to invest passively on a rigorous ESG basis and doing it all for nothing. Change inContinue reading “Investment Management – the Next Ten Years”
ESG: Stop! Look Listen
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”
Tradewinds 