Services Tags: Investment Consulting

Marquette Speaking at Titan Investors 2026 Chicago Institutional Exchange 4/8

On Wednesday, April 8, Dave Smith, CFA and Greg Leonberger, FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA will be speaking at the 2026 Chicago Institutional Exchange hosted by Titan Investors.

In the morning, Greg will be moderating a panel entitled “Megatrends in a Transforming World — Investing for Resiliency,” and in the afternoon, Dave will be moderating a panel entitled “The Convergence Between Public and Private Markets.”  The Institutional Exchange will bring together institutional investors, consultants, and asset managers in the region for a mix of workshop roundtables, panels, and networking. 

Titan Investors is a boutique consulting firm that connects asset allocators and investment managers to share ideas, build relationships, and drive business in a focused environment. For more information, visit their website.

Nat Kellogg Speaking at Nasdaq eVestment 1Q26 Institutional Trends Quarterly Webcast 3/17

On Tuesday, March 17, Nat Kellogg, CFA will be joining Nasdaq eVestment’s quarterly Institutional Trends Webcast.

Nat will be providing consultant commentary alongside Russell Elliott, Nasdaq eVestment’s Head of Asset Management, Market Intelligence, and Yanni Angelakos, Nasdaq’s Head of Investment Insights, Capital Access Platforms. The three will share their perspectives on the latest investment trends shaping 2026 strategies, allocations, and exposures, exploring:

  • How recent performance outcomes are shaping allocator perspectives
  • Where market momentum is translating into real capital movement
  • What investor and consultant research activity reveals about sentiment and priorities
  • Manager-search and fundraising signals emerging this quarter

For more information and to watch the replay, visit the event webpage.

Marquette Speaking at Markets Group 2026 Mountain States Institutional Forum 3/4–5

On March 4 and 5, Ryan P. Tracy, CFP® and Frank Valle, CFA, CAIA will be speaking at the 13th Annual Mountain States Institutional Forum hosted by Markets Group in Denver.

On the 4th, Frank will be joining a panel entitled, “Fixed Income: Trends Shaping Today’s Landscape,” described as follows: Federal Reserve rate cuts are undetermined, but what will result from the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet and the U.S. government’s borrowing needs? Given this precarious moment in time, investors are left wondering what role bonds should play within their portfolios. This panel will aim to answer such key questions as:

  • How are investors strategizing around rate movement in 2026?
  • How quickly will the Fed reduce its balance sheet and for how long?
  • How is the liquidity in the bond market and what is the impact on fixed income portfolios?

On the 5th, Ryan will be moderating the closing Chief Investment Officer Roundtable, which will bring together leading CIOs from across the financial industry to explore the evolving landscape of global markets, risk management, asset allocation strategies, and the future of institutional investing.

For more information, please visit the event webpage.

Luis Sierra Speaking at With Intelligence 2026 Institutional Partnership Retreat 3/2–3

Luis Sierra, CFA will be speaking at With Intelligence’s Institutional Partnership Retreat in Dallas, Texas on March 2–3.

On the second, Luis will be moderating a session entitled, “Creating an Automated Associate – and All the Problems That Will Accompany ‘It’” described as follows: For anyone who watched Ex Machina – the story of a genius tech founder who creates a lifelike robotic girlfriend in his wilderness retreat, with predicable results – the idea of an automated associate might not be all that appealing. Yet it’s happening, so be ready: What skills, tasks, and human allocator jobs will artificial intelligence come for first – and who is leading the way on the edges of automation?

With Intelligence is part of S&P Global, delivering end-to-end coverage across the alternatives marketplace. For more information, please visit their website.

3Q 2025 Market Insights

This video is a recording of a live webinar held October 22 by Marquette’s research team analyzing the third quarter across the economy and various asset classes as well as themes we’ll be monitoring through the rest of 2025.

Our quarterly Market Insights series examines the primary asset classes we cover for clients including the U.S. economy, fixed income, U.S. and non-U.S. equities, hedge funds, real assets, and private markets, with commentary by our research analysts and directors.

Featuring:
Greg Leonberger, FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA, Partner, Director of Research
Frank Valle, CFA, CAIA, Associate Director of Fixed Income
James Torgerson, Senior Research Analyst
Catherine Hillier, Senior Research Analyst
David Hernandez, CFA, Director of Traditional Manager Search
Evan Frazier, CFA, CAIA, Senior Research Analyst
Dennis Yu, Research Analyst
Amy Miller, Associate Director of Private Equity

Sign up for research alerts to be invited to future webinars and notified when we publish new videos.

If you have any questions, please send our team an email.

The Calm Before the Storm?

I spent the past weekend at my alma mater to watch them play their biggest rival. Football weekends there are filled with celebrations, traditions, and of course, tailgating. Saturday was a quintessential Midwestern day to be outside: sunny, low 70s, light breeze — no better conditions for food and drinks in the parking lot. About three hours before kickoff, however, massive thunderstorms rolled in which sent fans scurrying for cover and threatened to delay the game. For fans who hadn’t checked the forecast, they were ill-prepared to stay dry and enjoy the game as it rained for the duration of the match. Nonetheless, the stadium stayed full for the entire game, a testament to the home team’s performance as well as fan loyalty. That said, I saw plenty of cold and wet attendees in the concourse after the game — those who weren’t equipped for the conditions undoubtedly wished they had been better prepared for what the environment brought Saturday.

On my drive home Sunday, I couldn’t help but worry if as investors we find ourselves right where I was Saturday afternoon, wondering if the conditions were too good to be true for a mid-October day in the Midwest.

2025 Investment Symposium

Watch the flash talks from Marquette’s 2025 Investment Symposium livestream on September 26 in the player below — use the upper-right list icon to access a specific presentation.

 

Please feel free to reach out to any of the presenters should you have any questions.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Markets

Over the last several decades, artificial intelligence (“AI”) has evolved from a theoretical concept into a transformative force across a variety of industries. The 1940s saw the advent of the digital computer, which was followed years later by the first artificial neural network, a computational model inspired by the structure of the human brain that consists of algorithms that attempt to recognize relationships in data. In more recent years, researchers have developed “deep learning” systems (i.e., neural networks with many layers) capable of increasingly complex tasks including image recognition, reading comprehension, and predictive reasoning. Given the advances in the space, it should not come as a surprise that the use cases of artificial intelligence are now vast, with AI tools now implemented across fields including health care, retail, finance, and entertainment. Researchers and corporate executives are not the only ones to have noticed the remarkable potential of AI, however, as investors have flocked to the space in droves over the last several years.

This newsletter outlines the growth of AI as an investment theme, including performance, valuations, and earnings growth of AI-related companies and equities, other segments of the market that may stand to benefit from advances in AI, and potential risks for investors.

2025 Investment Symposium

Photograph of the Chicago skyline at sunset, looking south with Hancock Tower near center of frame

Friday, September 26, 2025
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Marquette clients – We hope you’ll join us at our 2025 Investment Symposium! This year’s event will be held in person in Chicago and virtually via livestream.

Our program will begin with an investment manager panel exploring investment opportunities and risks presented by the AI revolution and how firms are using the technology to refine and improve their investment process. From there, our research team and consultants will present several flash talks covering timely investment topics and a snapshot of the current market landscape across various asset classes. Rounding out the day, we’re excited to host Milwood Hobbs, Jr., of Oaktree Capital Management for a fireside chat keynote.

________________________________________

AGENDA

All times in Central Time

8:00am — Registration Open
Livestream will begin at 8:30
Breakfast served until 10:00

8:45 — Welcome Remarks by Brian Wrubel, Chief Executive Officer

9:00 — Opening Panel
Artificial Intelligence: From Investment Opportunities to Practical Implementation
Rich Mathieson, CA, Managing Director, Systematic Equities, Blackrock
Roland Reynolds, Senior Managing Director, Industry Ventures
Seth Weingram, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Director, Client Advisory, Acadian Asset Management

10:00 — Break

10:15 — Flash Talks

Public vs. Private: A Fixed Income Collision
Frank Valle, CFA, CAIA, Associate Director of Fixed Income
Chad Sheaffer, CFA, CAIA, Senior Research Analyst
James Torgerson, Senior Research Analyst

What Makes a Good Fiduciary?
Linsey Schoemehl Payne, Partner, Chief Compliance Officer
Stephanie Osten, Principal

The Changing Face of Real Estate
Greg Leonberger, FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA, Partner, Director of Research

11:00 — Break

11:15 — Flash Talks

U.S. Equity Markets: Trend or New Normal?
Catherine Hillier, Senior Research Analyst

Private Equity in 2026 and Beyond: Allocations, Expectations, and the New Reality
Amy Miller, Associate Director of Private Equity
Chris Caparelli, CFA, Partner

Will U.S. Exceptionalism Continue for Global Equities?
David Hernandez, CFA, Director of Traditional Manager Search

12:00pm — Lunch Break

12:45 — Keynote: Fireside Chat
Milwood Hobbs, Jr., Managing Director at Oaktree Capital Management, in conversation with Greg Leonberger

2:00 — Adjourn

 

VENUE DETAILS

The Union League Club
65 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 427-7800

Alternatives in Defined Contribution Plans

On August 7, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order to expand alternative investment access in defined contribution retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans). This order instructs the Department of Labor (DOL) to reexamine its guidance to plan sponsors incorporating alternative investments into these types of retirement plans. According to the order, the six classes of alternative assets included are:

  • Private markets investments, including private equity and private debt
  • Real estate
  • Actively managed vehicles investing in digital assets
  • Commodities
  • Infrastructure
  • Lifetime income strategies, including longevity risk-sharing pools