This research examines hedge funds’ exposures to various financial and macroeconomic risk factors with the results indicating a positive and significant link between default premium beta and future hedge fund returns as well as a negative and significant link between inflation beta and future hedge fund returns.
Risk parity becomes bittersweet flavour of the month
A risk parity approach to asset allocation is flavour of the month, in spite, and because, of the leverage it requires. Amanda White explores the topic.
Ohio Police & Fire’s risk/return tradeoff
The Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund has overhauled its asset allocation, more than doubling fixed income and controversially introducing leverage at a policy level. As part of this new asset allocation, private market investments will double. Amanda White reports.
Institutions worldwide rethink passive exposures: Towers Watson
The number of bond mandates awarded by institutional funds shot up by more than 50 per cent in 2009 as credit markets provided attractive investment opportunities, while the amount of passive allocations made by institutions increased fourfold in the past two years, according to Towers Watson.
DC plans must look at governance and design
Towers Watson’s Roger Urwin and Gordon Clark from the University of Oxford are finalising their fourth collaboration on global best practice for defined contribution plans. Amanda White spoke with Roger Urwin about the inefficiencies in plan design.
How a sovereign fund decided to take the road less travelled
New Zealand’s sovereign wealth fund made a big brave decision in the eye of the storm early last year and introduced a new dynamic asset allocation strategy. The strategy, driven by in-house analysis, involved several large bets on global markets. As Greg Bright reports, the decision seems to have paid off.
