Services Tags: Fiduciary Education

2019 Investment Symposium

 


Friday, October 4, 2019
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Marquette clients – Please join us at our annual Investment Symposium to discuss the current market environment, emerging investment themes, and investment stewardship challenges in the year ahead. In addition to our keynote, the event will feature a panel of portfolio managers and six flash talks by our research team that will brief attendees on popular topics and encourage timely conversations with our investment consultants.

 

Agenda 

8:00 – Registration Open/Breakfast
8:45 – Welcome and Opening Remarks by Brian Wrubel
9:00 – A Prism of Capital Market Views: Portfolio Manager Panel featuring:

John W. Rogers, Jr., Chairman, Co-CEO & Chief Investment Officer at Ariel Investments
Olga Bitel, Partner and Global Strategist at William Blair
Matthew J. Eagan, CFA, Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Loomis, Sayles & Company 

10:00 – Break
10:15 – Flash Talks: Session 1

The Investment Case Behind ESG Investing and Implementation in Practice
Nat Kellogg, CFA, Director of Manager Search

Beyond Traditional Real Estate: Exploring Opportunities in Non-Core Real Estate
Jeremy Zirin, CAIA, Senior Research Analyst, Real Assets

So Many Risks, So Little Time: What’s Next in Global Risk?
Nicole Johnson-Barnes, Research Analyst

11:00 – Break
11:15 – Flash Talks: Session 2

U.S. Against the World: Should Investors Still Own International Stocks?
David Hernandez, CFA, Senior Research Analyst, Non-U.S. Equities
Samantha T. Grant, CFA, CAIA, Senior Research Analyst, U.S. Equities

Machine Learning for Investing: How is Artificial Intelligence Being Used in Asset Management?
Ben Mohr, CFA, Director of Fixed Income

Pick Your Portfolio Poison: Recession or Inflation?
Greg Leonberger, FSA, EA, MAAA, Director of Research

12:00 – Keynote Presentation by Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, Chair of President Obama’s Global Development Council, author of two New York Times bestsellers, and former CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO

2:00 – Adjourn

 

Please note our new location:

The Standard Club
320 S. Plymouth Court
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Tel: (312) 427-9100
Business casual attire required. 

 

David Hernandez Speaking at MAPS Conference 6/6

On Thursday, June 6th, David Hernandez, CFA and Nichole Roman-Bhatty, CIMA® will be presenting at the Mid-Atlantic Plan Sponsors (MAPS)  Annual Trustee Education Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

David and Nichole will be giving an educational presentation to conference attendees about the international market environment, including the current and long-term view and a look at a potential disruptor. MAPS is a non-profit eleven state organization dedicated to trustee education and providing its members with opportunities to exchange ideas and information to enhance professional development and awareness of industry trends and pension fund planning.

For more information, please visit the event webpage.

Dave Smith Speaking at NAST 2019 Treasury Management Training Symposium 5/22

On Wednesday, May 22, Dave Smith, CFA will be speaking at the National Association of State Treasurers 2019 Treasury Management Training Symposium in Providence, Rhode Island.

As a public funds expert, Dave will be presenting as part of the “ABLE Investment Design – Did We Get it Right?” panel with several other investment professionals. The panel will explain the structure of ABLE plan investment options available, including an industry snapshot of current investment offerings and in-depth data on uptake and usage, the thought processes behind initial investment option construction, and how plans meet the goals of account beneficiaries while identifying potential enhancements going forward.

The National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) provides advocacy and support that enables member states to pursue and administer sound financial policies and programs benefiting the citizens of the nation. The annual Treasury Management Training Symposium brings together state finance officials, their staff, and finance professionals to discuss matters of mutual concern, as well as exchange information regarding best practices and innovative policies.

For more information, please visit the event webpage.

The Future of Investing: Sustainability and ESG Integration

With 2020 underway, sustainable investing continues to be a trending topic, although the concept of incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics into an investment thesis is not new. ESG integration is returns-focused and incorporates long-term sustainability factors into the investment research process to identify companies with higher return potential.

In this white paper, we examine the current ESG landscape, including the various movements that have preceded ESG integration, recent strides by American corporations, fiduciary guidance, and the growing response by investment managers to meet investor demand, especially in reporting and performance measurement. We also present our approach to incorporating ESG into our manager evaluation process and the best practices our team looks for when performing due diligence for ESG-mandated strategies.

Read > The Future of Investing: Sustainability and ESG Integration

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

2020 Market Preview Video

This video coincides with our annual Market Preview newsletters and includes a recap of 2019’s performance and what investors can expect heading into 2020. 2019 was certainly a profitable year for investors as traditional and alternative asset classes delivered positive returns. As we enter 2020, there are a litany of questions facing global markets ranging from the U.S. election to trade disputes to global monetary policy, all of which will undoubtedly influence investment returns.

This video is part of our Market Insights series, a quarterly presentation designed to brief clients on the market as soon as possible after quarterly market data becomes available. Members of our research team discuss the overall U.S. economy, along with fixed income, U.S. and non-U.S. equity, hedge funds, private equity, real estate, and infrastructure.

For more information, questions, or feedback, please send us an email.

Alternatives 101 Video Series

Our Alternatives 101 video series covers each of the major alternatives asset classes, with guidance provided by several of Marquette’s research analysts and directors. In contrast to traditional investments, alternatives investing includes asset classes other than stocks, bonds, and cash (reference our Investing 101 series for more information about traditional investing concepts). This series aims to introduce trustees, staff, and other investors to the key terms and concepts they may encounter when investing in these typically less familiar asset classes.

The series covers:

View each talk in the player below— use the upper-right list icon to access a specific presentation.

For more information, questions, or feedback, please send us an email.

Live Videos: 2019 Investment Symposium Presentations

The six flash talks by our research team at Marquette’s 2019 Investment Symposium on October 4th are now available to view on our YouTube channel.

View each talk in the player above — use the upper-right list icon to access a specific presentation.

  • The Investment Case Behind ESG Investing and Implementation in Practice
    Nat Kellogg, CFA, Director of Manager Search
  • Beyond Traditional Real Estate: Exploring Opportunities in Non-Core Real Estate
    Jeremy Zirin, CAIA, Senior Research Analyst, Real Assets
  • So Many Risks, So Little Time: What’s Next in Global Risk?
    Nicole Johnson-Barnes, Research Analyst
  • U.S. Against the World: Should Investors Still Own International Stocks?
    David Hernandez, CFA, Senior Research Analyst, Non-U.S. Equities
    Samantha T. Grant, CFA, CAIA, Senior Research Analyst, U.S. Equities
  • Machine Learning for Investing: How is Artificial Intelligence Being Used in Asset Management?
    Ben Mohr, CFA, Director of Fixed Income
  • Pick Your Portfolio Poison: Recession or Inflation?
    Greg Leonberger, FSA, EA, MAAA, Director of Research

Marquette encourages open dialogue with our consultants and research team. For more information, questions, or feedback, please send us an email.

Luncheon Keynote with Mohamed El-Erian


Excerpts from Mohamed El-Erian’s Keynote Presentation at Marquette’s 2019 Investment Symposium

Mohamed El-Erian is Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, Chair of President Obama’s Global Development Council, author of two New York Times bestsellers, and former CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO.

Please contact your consultant or send our marketing team an email for the password to view the excerpts.

A Prism of Capital Market Views: Portfolio Manager Panel

Marquette’s 2019 Investment Symposium opened with a portfolio manager panel hosted by Marquette’s director of research, Greg Leonberger, FSA, EA, MAAA, and featuring:

  • John W. Rogers, Jr., Chairman, Co-CEO & Chief Investment Officer at Ariel Investments
  • Olga Bitel, Partner and Global Strategist at William Blair
  • Matthew J. Eagan, CFA, Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Loomis, Sayles & Company

Behavioral Economics Views Featured in Benefits Magazine

An article by Marquette investment consultant Kweku Obed, CFA, CAIA, was featured in the July 2018 edition of Benefits Magazine. The article, A Crash Course in Behavioral Economics —Bypassing Biases, explores some of the emotional and cognitive biases that can affect investment decisions and offers fiduciaries a framework for encouraging thoughtful and effective decision-making.

Many environmental changes can occur that can positively or negatively affect an investment program, and in many instances, these external factors are unexpected and outside of anyone’s control. By striving to create and maintain a committee structure that is strategic and constructive while also fostering creativity and openness, an investment committee can put itself in a better position to overcome the decision-making biases that are identified in behavioral economics.

Kweku Obed is a managing partner for Marquette Associates. An owner of the firm, Kweku has been with the company since 2014 and has 19 years of investment experience. Kweku chairs the firm’s defined contribution services committee and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He holds a B.S. with honors in economics from Queen Mary College, University of London, and a M.S. in development economics from SOAS, University of London.

Benefits Magazine, the monthly publication of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, covers benefit issues affecting multiemployer, single employer and public employee plan representatives.

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