Topic Tags: Asset Allocation

Emerging Markets: A Crisis of Confidence

February 2014 Investment Perspectives

After a disappointing 2013 and a significant sell-off to begin 2014, many investors are questioning their ongoing allocations to emerging markets (“EM”). Since 2013, EM countries have consistently underperformed their developed market counterparts, with equities losing 8.8% and local currency debt declining 12.5%. This compares to the S&P 500 and the EAFE which have returned 27.2% and 20.1%, respectively, over the same time period.

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2014 Market Preview

January 2014

Similar to previous years, we present our annual market preview newsletter. Each year presents new challenges to our clients, and 2014 is no different: We are coming off a banner year for U.S. equities, low interest rates continue to stymie fixed income investors, and while developed market equities enjoyed a strong 2013, emerging market stocks sputtered. In the alternative space, real estate and hedge funds proved accretive to portfolio returns, while growing dry powder in the private equity space is starting to raise a few eyebrows.

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3Q 2013 Market Briefing

A briefing on our 3Q 2013 Market Environment report, covering the overall U.S. economy, fixed income, U.S./non-U.S. equity, hedge funds, private equity, real estate and infrastructure.

Live Webinar – Friday, October 25, 2013 – 1:00-1:45 PM CT

Please join Marquette’s asset class analysts for a live webinar briefing on our 3Q 2013 Market Environment report. This webinar series is designed to brief clients on the market as soon as possible after quarterly market data becomes available.

The overall U.S. economy will be discussed, along with fixed income, U.S./non-U.S. equity, hedge funds, private equity, real estate and infrastructure.

Live webinar attendees will be able to submit questions to the presenters and vote in audience polls during the event. Questions will be answered as time allows during the Q&A session towards the end of the webinar.

If you are unable to attend the webinar live, you can also view it afterward on demand. Registrants will automatically receive a follow-up email shortly after the end of the webinar to notify them of webinar recording availability.

Please contact us for access to this video.

Navigating the Low Rate Environment for Healthcare Organizations

September 2013 Investment Perspectives

Despite the recent increase in long-term interest rates, the low rate environment is now more than four years old and continues to create challenges for investors. While interest rates are notoriously volatile the current low rate environment and negative real yields on risk free securities is unprecedented in its duration. Given the Federal Reserve’s clear indication that it will not raise interest rates until there is a substantial drop in unemployment or increase in inflation, it appears the current low rate environment is unlikely to change in the near future. While this creates challenges for all institutional investors, it creates a unique set of challenges for non-profit health care organizations (“HCOs”).

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Emerging Trends in Alternative Asset Classes

2013 Marquette Investment Symposium session

In this presentation from our 2013 Investment Symposium, we explore various emerging trends in the alternatives space, including low volatility equity, tail risk, managed futures, gold, MLPs, GTAA, risk parity, farmland, direct lending, and opportunistic credit.

Investment Symposium 2013
Recorded September 13, 2013

Please contact us for access to this video.

Stress Test and Spending Policies for Endowments & Foundations

2013 Marquette Investment Symposium session

In this presentation from our 2013 Investment Symposium, we analyze different spending policy options for non-profit institutions, examine the long- and short-term effects of various spending policy decisions, and explore how stress testing can aid in understanding the risks of different spending policies.

Investment Symposium 2013
September 13, 2013

Please contact us for access to this video.

Global Tactical Asset Allocation

July 2013 Investment Perspectives

At Marquette we work with clients to construct portfolios that minimize risk while generating desired rates of return commensurate with overall program goals. These allocations are strategic in nature and designed to generate acceptable rates of return over long periods of time by assembling a diversified set of asset classes. These allocation decisions are meant for long term performance and, as a result, tend to be fairly static. Allocations are rebalanced to maintain desired risk and return targets but are fairly steady regardless of market conditions.

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Investment Manager Search 2013: Fiduciary Duty Deep Dive

Live webinar on the investment manager search fiduciary duties of high alpha, high integrity and low fees. An update of our popular manager search webinar in 2011, we’ll dive even deeper into the details of a five-step best practice process with traditional and alternative manager case studies. 

Thorough manager due diligence and fee negotiation are critical to avoiding poor products and performance erosion.

Register now to join us for a live webinar on the investment manager search fiduciary duties of high alpha, high integrity and low fees. An update of our popular manager search webinar in 2011, we’ll dive even deeper into the details of a five-step best practice process with traditional and alternative manager case studies. Clear guidance for both clients and managers will also be covered, including “do’s and don’ts” for approaching our research process.

 

Live Webinar – Tuesday, June 18, 2013 – 1:00-1:45 PM CT

Please contact us for access to this video.

In Search of Opportunity for Active U.S. Equity Managers

This paper seeks to determine if there are areas of public equity markets that are “less efficient” and thus potentially conducive to active investing. Without taking a stance on the active versus passive debate, this paper asks, “if you plan to hire an active manager, what is the best place to start looking?”

As we highlighted in a recent newsletter (Passive Strategies Gaining in Popularity), institutional investors continue to shift their U.S. equity allocations away from actively managed strategies and into index funds. The support for this shift has been proven by academic research as well as recent investment experience. This paper does not question the validity of passive investing approaches. Accepting that it is difficult at best to beat a market that is relatively efficient, this paper nonetheless seeks to determine if there are areas of public equity markets that are “less efficient” and thus potentially conducive to active investing. Without taking a stance on the active versus passive debate, this paper asks, “if you plan to hire an active manager, what is the best place to start looking?” The following paper is broken up into multiple sections. First, the workhorse of active equity manager evaluation, Fama-French factor analysis, is introduced. Next, active managers with different size and style biases are examined to search for pockets of alpha. Finally, additional thoughts and conclusions are provided for investors.

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1Q 2013 Market Environment Briefing

A briefing on our 1Q 2013 Market Environment report, covering the overall U.S. economy, fixed income, U.S./non-U.S. equity, hedge funds, private equity, real estate and infrastructure.

Live Webinar – Tuesday, April 16, 2013 – 1:00-1:45 PM CT

Please join Marquette’s asset class analysts for a live webinar briefing on our 1Q 2013 Market Environment report. This webinar series is designed to brief clients on the market as soon as possible after quarterly market data becomes available.

The overall U.S. economy will be discussed, along with fixed income, U.S./non-U.S. equity, hedge funds, private equity, real estate and infrastructure.

Live webinar attendees will be able to submit questions to the presenters and vote in audience polls during the event. Questions will be answered as time allows during the Q&A session towards the end of the webinar.

If you are unable to attend the webinar live, you can also view it afterward on demand. Registrants will automatically receive a follow-up email shortly after the end of the webinar to notify them of webinar recording availability.

Please contact us for access to this video.