The specter of “winning” associated with highly achieving firms in the investment industry can be dangerous. Head of manager research at Mercer, Deb Clarke, looks at why CIOs should not overlook underperforming firms.
The $27 billion Nebraska Investment Council is conducting a deep dive into its fixed income portfolio, inviting up to 25 current and potential external managers to pitch their best ideas. The process begins by wiping any preconceived notions around the allocation’s role in the overall portfolio and justifying its place as if from scratch. It ends two years later with the issuing of mandates.
The $210 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund is considering pushing its return target below 7 per cent as it embarks on a deep dive review of its asset allocation, a practice that comes around every five years.
The size factor has recently come under attack from smart beta providers because its performance has lagged behind other factors. A common recommendation is to remove size from the factor menu, to give more weight to factors with better performance. But due to its low correlation with other factors, size offers substantial diversification benefits.
Amanda White sat down for an hour-long fireside chat with David Veal, CIO of the $3 billion City of Austin Employees Retirement System. They discussed private equity, managing strategic relationships, internalisation and adopting Norwegian investment beliefs.
A confluence of recent research and the evolution in perspective of the Delaware courts presents an opportunity for companies and investors to systematically improve performance while reducing unwanted risk exposures. But investors must make the first move.
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