Asset Allocation

Sort content by

In-house not for
every house: WSIB

While the trend for most large institutional investors is to insource asset management, the $85-billion Washington State Investment Board (WSIB) has decided to take a different path. Much-cited CEM Benchmarking research shows that funds with internal-management platforms are better performers after cost, and this is largely driven by the lower costs of internal management. Many

Three-way shift in investor behaviour

There are three major behavioural shifts occurring among investors that will have significant impact on asset allocation in the next 10 years, according to a year-long study by global head of research at State Street’s Center for Applied Research, Suzanne Duncan. An increase in investor sophistication, re-evaluation of the risk/return trade-off and more discernment over

Pipes over promises

The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is shunning European sovereign bonds, with the $152.8-billion fund’s head of investment saying European infrastructure offers far more attractive risk/return opportunities. Mark Wiseman, CPPIB’s executive vice-president of investments, told delegates at last week’s Milken Institute Global Conference 2012 in Los Angeles that the fund had chosen not to

Epic change predicted for investment industry

The investment management industry must address the high fees it charges in relation to the realistic returns it can achieve in the current environment, attendees at the CFA Institute’s annual conference were told this week. As part of celebrations of the 50-year history of the CFA Charter, a panel of eminent institute members discussed the

The optimal portfolio with 10 asset classes

This study explores which asset classes add value to a traditional portfolio of stocks, bonds and cash.  The results suggest that real estate, commodities and high yield add most value to the traditional asset mix.   To access the paper click below: Strategic Asset Allocation

Subtle charm in new asset allocation models

There is an over-abundance of literature about the failure of traditional asset allocation models, and the need for a new alternative that will solve all the world’s problems. But a new model by Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners caught my cynicism by surprise this week.