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?”

Irish Fund Managers 2022 – What Worked; What Didn’t

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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.”

Still Absolutely Not So Fabulous

Three years ago on this blog, I looked at Absolute Return Funds – funds that were still very much in vogue and in demand. They were the top selling fund type in 2016 and 2017 according to Investment Association figures. These funds typically offered cash plus 4% or more and the promise was that thisContinue reading “Still Absolutely Not So Fabulous”

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”

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?”

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”

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?”