Investment professionals from pension funds, endowments and family offices in the UK and Europe were brought together for an investment think-tank with leading academics from London Business School and Cambridge University to discuss the latest investment thinking and application to institutional investors’ portfolios.
The academics presented to the investors who then discussed the outtakes and the implications of the lectures with their peers via roundtable discussion.
The highly interactive format, expertly facilitated by Conexus Financial and conexust1f.flywheelstaging.com with sponsorship support from Winton, allowed for the fusion of academic thinking and investment best practice, giving investors an edge in their decision making.
The presentations were:
• Investing in financial assets for the long term, presented by Elroy Dimson
• Hedge fund factors and extracting absolute returns, presented by Narayan Naik
• Incorporating lessons of financial history into investment practice, presented by David Chambers
Asset Classes
London investment think-tank
Equities
Rebalancing at UTIMCO: Why investors should worry about corporate earnings
In a recent board meeting, University of Texas Investment Management Co's head Rich Hall explained why he is concerned about corporate earnings' impact on equity returns. He also warned that as consumer and company spending slows, a recession can become self-fulfilling until new facts emerge to break the pattern.
Sarah RundellJuly 16, 2025
FIS Harvard 2025
Long-term investors can help break VC’s short-term trap
The short-term investment focus of venture capital investors and the withdrawal of government funding are opening the door to asset owners as providers of patient, long-term capital to fill an investment void, the Top1000funds.com Fiduciary Investors Symposium has heard.
Darcy SongMay 28, 2025
FIS Harvard 2025
AI the ‘most consequential’ trend for infra investors despite scepticism
AI is “the most consequential megatrend” for infrastructure investors with opportunities not only around data centres, but also energy and fibre networks by extension. But despite the bullishness, some asset owners are wondering when – or if – AI will deliver a miraculous productivity gain and benefit the underlying infrastructure.
Darcy SongMay 22, 2025
FIS Harvard 2025
SWIB: It’s ‘harder for companies to live in public markets’
Public markets aren’t functioning as well as they used to, and more and more asset owners are loading up on private assets in a bid to maintain their returns. But private market managers need to realise that their investors want a true partnership, or risk “a washing out”.
Lachlan MaddockMay 20, 2025
Private Equity
Arizona navigates spike in capital calls in uncertain private equity market
The recent market volatility has put the brakes on any pickup in private equity distributions LPs had hoped for in 2025. A board meeting of Arizona State Retirement System heard that IPO activity remains muted and the majority of exits are concentrated in sponsor-to-sponsor deals and strategic sales.
Sarah RundellMay 12, 2025
Equities
Sweden’s FTN scouts for domestic, European small cap managers
Nordic pension giant the Swedish Fund Selection Agency (FTN) is on the hunt for active Swedish and European small cap equity managers in a SEK 46 billion ($4.6 billion) tender. It comes as asset owners revisit small cap strategies as a useful diversification from US mega cap equities.
Darcy SongMay 2, 2025
Equities
NBIM seeks long/short, market-neutral strategies amid volatility
Norway's NBIM is looking to allocate several mandates to single-country and regional long/short equity strategies in Australia, Japan, Europe, and the US. Top1000funds.com examines the growing investor interest in these strategies as market volatility and stock dispersion create fresh opportunities for active managers.
Sarah RundellApril 28, 2025