With uncharacteristic fanfare, the big Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund has provided the first insight into its workings, illustrating an international outlook and an appetite for a sophisticated asset allocation strategy. The fund published its first ever “annual review” this week.
US regulatory reform, such as the SEC’s plan to restore the uptick rule and the Volcker rule to restrict proprietary trading, are a step in the right direction for those advocating transparency. Amanda White explores the story with the chief executive of Principal Global Investors, Jim McCaughan, and head of research, analysis and strategy at
CalPERS is considering doing away with traditional asset class classifications in favour of classifying assets according to fundamental characteristics in a bid to provide a better understanding of portfolio risks and performance drivers and so move to a more effective portfolio construction and risk management framework. Amanda White reports.
 “Understanding a program’s results involves attributing relative performance to active management, identifying any tactical asset allocation decisions and assessing mechanical factors such as leverage costs. “For most investors implementation of a leveraged strategy would likely require the retention of a beta overlay manager to execute and maintain the desired leveraged systematic exposures or an
Private market investors should focus on distressed debt and to a lesser extent secondaries, according to the annual private equity outlook by consultant Wurts Associates, which contrary to other industry observers believes value can be added through top down analysis of the sector.
The 14 institutional investors participating in the climate change strategic asset allocation study, a collaborative between Mercer, Carbon Trust and the IFC, will all receive individual portfolio scenario analysis of how physical and policy climate change-related events could affect their portfolio at an asset allocation level.
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