Greg Leonberger Featured on Dakota Live! Podcast

Recorded earlier this year, Director of Research and Partner Greg Leonberger, FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA‘s Dakota Live! Allocator Interview is now available for viewing.

Greg spoke with Chris O’Grady, CIO and Partner at dakota, and Tim Dolan, Vice President, Institutional Sales, in the interview, titled “Building Client Trust.” Dakota Live! general calls allow listeners to access in-depth information about investment allocators through a live interview reviewing each allocator’s current needs, the details of their platform, key analysts, and their outlook on the industry.

Greg Leonberger is the Director of Research for Marquette Associates. Greg is responsible for creating the firm’s capital markets research and directing investment strategy and policies. He also serves as the chair of the investment committee. A partner of the employee-owned firm, Greg has been with the company since 2008. Greg joins us at Dakota Live! to take us through Marquette Associates’ manager research process and what they look for in asset management partners. Join us to learn how the firm’s approach to client service has made Marquette Associates so successful over the years.

For more information, please visit the Dakota Live! website.

 

This does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any interest in any investment vehicle, and should not be relied on as such. Marquette is an independent investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about Marquette including our investment strategies, fees and objectives can be found in our ADV Part 2/Form CRS, which are available upon request and on our website. Forward-looking statements cannot be guaranteed. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing comes with risk. The content herein is not an endorsement nor a testimonial for Marquette.

Update on Silicon Valley Bank and the Impact on Markets

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the 16th largest bank in the U.S. by assets as of year-end 2022, was shuttered by regulators last Friday, March 10. This is the country’s first material bank insolvency since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history, behind only the government takeover of Washington Mutual in 2008. The bank’s collapse came as a surprise to markets — both S&P and Moody’s had an investment-grade rating (BBB) on the borrower and equity markets showed few signs of foreseen stress. Additionally, earlier last week, smaller Silvergate Bank announced it would voluntarily liquidate, and over the weekend, Signature Bank was seized by New York regulators, marking the U.S.’s third-largest bank failure.

Over the weekend, the Treasury, Federal Reserve, and FDIC came together to shore up confidence in the U.S. banking system. Via joint statement, the consortium announced that all depositors at SVB and Signature Bank would be made whole, easing concerns that deposits over the FDIC-insured limit of $250,000 would be at risk, and introduced a new $25 billion bank funding program, the Bank Term Funding Program, to make additional funds available to banks at more favorable terms, to hopefully prevent a repeat of the events that led to SVB’s demise. Both initiatives will come at no cost to the U.S. taxpayer. While the measures should help corporations, consumers, and markets breathe a sigh of relief — there was fear over the weekend that SVB clients would not be able to pay employees, which could lead to a downward economic spiral — concerns about possible systemic risk and broader implications for the economy remain.

This newsletter summarizes the impact of SVB’s failure on the markets, including potential for contagion, SVB exposure across asset classes, and expectations regarding Fed tightening from here.

Read > Update on Silicon Valley Bank and the Impact on Markets

 

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.

Nat Kellogg Speaking at eVestment Institutional Trends Quarterly Webcast 12/5

On Tuesday, December 5, Nat Kellogg, CFA will be joining Nasdaq eVestment’s quarterly Institutional Trends Webcast.

Nat will be providing consultant commentary alongside Nasdaq eVestment’s Russ Elliott, Head of Asset Management, Market Intelligence, and Michele Shauf, Head of Client Experience Strategy, Investment Intelligence. The webcast briefs traditional managers on the state of the global institutional market using eVestment data, covering:

  • Where assets are moving and the key flow drivers by universe and geography
  • Where abrupt changes in flows direction may indicate inflection points
  • Where investors in North America, Europe and APAC are concentrating their research activity, in advance of allocation decisions
  • The state of ESG: AUM, flows and allocator interests
  • New facets of ESG data, including universes ranked by carbon emissions

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

The 60/40 Portfolio Revisited: Back from the Dead?

In response to an inquiry concerning rumors of his demise in 1897, American writer and satirist Mark Twain quipped, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” This quote may also apply in the case of the 60/40 portfolio and a white paper published by Marquette Associates in late 2021. The piece, entitled, “Is the 60/40 Portfolio Dead Forever?” examined the challenges faced by the popular model consisting of a 60% allocation to diversified equities and a 40% allocation to a broad basket of fixed income securities. These challenges included elevated equity valuations and the prospects of rising interest rates and slowing economic growth. Indeed, both stocks and bonds struggled mightily last year due to these and other headwinds, with 2022 one of the worst on record for the 60/40 portfolio. That said, and amid a strong start to 2023, there are reasons for optimism when it comes to the viability of the model to again generate attractive risk-adjusted performance.

This white paper provides historical context for the 60/40 portfolio, details its current outlook, and outlines ways in which investors can augment the model to achieve desired return targets.

Read > The 60/40 Portfolio Revisited: Back from the Dead?

 

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.

2023 Market Preview: Trail Guide to 2023 Asset Class Performance

As winter takes hold in the northern hemisphere, there are those that choose to escape to warmer climates and those that embrace the season and choose the mountains. Anyone familiar with downhill skiing knows that every ski trail is marked with a shape and color to designate its difficulty. For those unfamiliar with these ratings, the North American system looks like this:


Of course, weather and trail conditions can also impact a trail’s difficulty and must be accounted for when turning down the mountain: environment and terrain matter. Similarly, investment prognostications must recognize the current setting. By now, the environment is all too well known: high inflation, aggressive Fed policy, Russia–Ukraine war, labor supply shortages, and a potential recession. These topics have been covered extensively in recent letters and continue to loom over markets as we start 2023. At a high level, general consensus is that the majority of rate hikes from the Fed are behind us (two are expected for 2023 at time of writing), and inflation will continue to normalize in 2023, thus further supporting the thesis of fewer rates hikes from the Fed over the next year. If a recession comes to fruition, expectations are for it to be short-lived and shallow which reduces the long-term threat to markets.

With this backdrop in mind, we turn our attention to an asset class by asset class outlook for the coming year, assessing the degree of difficulty for each to deliver positive returns in 2023. In some cases, the difficulty will change as the year goes on — similar to trails that are “Most Difficult” for the first half and become more palatable as the journey goes on…which brings to mind a certain trail in Utah that the author found himself on last year that literally had him over his skis…but I digress. Tighten your boots and click into those skis!

Read > Trail Guide to 2023 Asset Class Performance

Download > 2023 Market Preview Report with 100+ additional charts and data, organized by asset class

Watch >  2023 Market Preview Video recording of our research team’s live webinar analyzing last year’s performance as well as trends, themes, opportunities, and risks to watch for in 2023

 

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. Marquette is an independent investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about Marquette including our investment strategies, fees, and objectives can be found in our ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.

2023 Market Preview Video

This video is a recording of a live webinar held January 19 by Marquette’s research team, featuring in-depth analysis of the final months of 2022 and a look ahead at risks and opportunities to monitor in the year ahead. Our 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 estate, infrastructure, private equity, and private credit, with presentations by our research analysts and directors.

Download > 2023 Market Preview Report with 100+ additional charts and data, organized by asset class

Read > 2023 Market Preview: Trail Guide to 2023 Asset Class Performance

 

Sign up for research alerts to be invited to future webinars and notified when we publish new videos.
For more information, questions, or feedback, please send us an email.

Linsey Schoemehl Payne Speaking at LinkBridge Investors Midwest Annual Meeting 9/21

On Thursday, September 21, Linsey Schoemehl Payne will be speaking at the Midwest Investors Annual Meeting hosted by LinkBridge Investors in Chicago.

Linsey will be joining a panel session entitled, “Institutional Investors Roundtable Discussion,” with several investment professionals, addressing the following question: What type of investment structure are institutional investors looking for and where is the greatest potential for growth?

The Midwest Investors Annual Meeting gathers the world’s leading managers along with institutional and private wealth investors from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin to learn from and alongside industry thought leaders. For more information, visit the LinkBridge Investors website.

The Four Virtues of Private Equity

In classical philosophy we are taught that there are four virtues of mind and character. Given the uncertainty that lies ahead in 2023, it is prudent (pun intended) to revert back to these virtues — as they relate to private equity — to outline a framework that may help investors effectively navigate the market.

  • Prudence: The ability to discern the appropriate course of action
  • Temperance: The practice of discretion, restraint, and moderation
  • Fortitude: strength, endurance, and the ability to confront fear
  • Justice: fairness

Read > The Four Virtues of Private Equity

 

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.

The Real Game of Thrones: Evolving Geopolitical Dynamics and the Potential Impact for Global Investors

Following the Saudi-led OPEC+ announcement that the bloc will cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day, reports emerged that Saudi Arabia will soon join the BRICS alliance and deepen economic cooperation with China. Despite recent tensions with the U.S., the Kingdom’s preeminent role in the Belt and Road Initiative and potential admission to the BRICS alliance could drive global infrastructure development, technology research, and capital market expansion across global markets, potentially benefiting investors with long-term global and emerging market exposure.

This newsletter summarizes the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and BRICS Alliance, provides a brief history of Saudi-U.S. relations, and analyzes the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 efforts to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy, ultimately concluding with the outlook and risks for investors.

Read > The Real Game of Thrones: Evolving Geopolitical Dynamics and the Potential Impact for Global Investors

 

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.

An Investor’s Holiday Wish List

Hopefully not another year of coal
In the spirit of holiday fun — and an effort to put 2022 investment returns behind us — we have put together our investor wish list for 2023. We have broken the wish list into two categories: the “must-haves,” which carry the most weight and are most observable, and the “stocking stuffers,” which may not be headline grabbers but are nonetheless impactful across economies and markets. Predictably, the “must-have” items focus on a reversal of the major trends that drove the markets this year; we “must have” a better outlook across at least some of these topics. The “stocking stuffers” category is a variety of topics that either directly impact the major trends from 2022 or are more targeted with their impact on specific asset classes. And while we recognize this is not an exhaustive list, we feel strongly that if these wishes come true we can all feel better about market returns in 2023.

This year’s must-haves:

  • Lower inflation
  • Less aggressive Fed policy leads to fewer interest rate hikes in 2023
  • Avoid a deep recession
  • Resolution of geopolitical conflicts

And stocking stuffers:

  • Broad-based earnings in the U.S. stock market
  • A weaker U.S. dollar
  • Credit defaults start to flatline
  • Slowdowns in hiring and wage growth
  • Favorable news out of China
  • History repeats itself

Read > An Investor’s Holiday Wish List

 

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.