The power of technology: forward looking risk tools

The finance industry is slow in its willingness to innovate around technology, and is behind other industries says Jessica Donohue executive vice president, chief innovation officer and head of advisory and information solutions at State Street. And the cost of that inability, or stubbornness, around technology innovation is not inconsequential. State Street recently released its … Read more

Focusing on the long term: a guide

Investors say they  like to, and want to, focus on the long term, but they often don’t know how to change their practices to orient their governance and investments to do so. Now, finally, a guide has been developed for investors to use as benchmark for implementing strategies for long-term investment. The guide is an … Read more

The volatility effect: lower risk without lower return

Efficient markets theory has been challenged by the finding that relatively simple investment strategies are found to generate statistically significantly higher returns than the market portfolio. Well-known examples are the value, size and momentum strategies, for which return premiums have been documented in US and international stock markets. Market efficiency is also challenged, however, if … Read more

Why consultants can’t pick winners

A research paper that concludes that the funds recommended to institutional investors by investment consultant do not add value, has won the Commonfund Prize, awarded for original research relevant to endowment and foundation asset management. The paper, by academics at Saïd Business School, Oxford University and University of Connecticut School of Business, found that there … Read more

What would Keynes do?

What would Keynes’ do? Delegates at a London investment think-tank discussed this question with Cambridge University’s David Chambers. Keynes started managing the Kings College, Cambridge endowment after World War I and analysis of his investing style reveals some interesting annotations for investors today. John Maynard Keynes was not just an economist – he was a … Read more

Hedge funds: sheep in wolves’ clothing

Hedge funds are sheep in wolves’ clothing, they are claiming their returns to be alpha, but a large part of it is driven by beta, Narayan Naik, professor of finance, London Business School told delegates at an investment think-tank in London last week. The good news, Naik says, is a new era has dawned in … Read more