Canadian institutional investors should have a strategic allocation to emerging market debt, Ward Brown, fixed income portfolio manager at MFS Investment Management, explained during his session. EM debt has two of the key characteristics needed for a strategic allocation. First, it is a good diversifier because it has low correlations with other assets commonly found […]
While factor behaviour tends to be consistent in market crashes and corrections, individual factor performance varies over the medium term. As such, institutional investors should maintain diversified exposure across key equity factors including value, quality, momentum, size and low volatility, according to a new paper by Mercer. The paper explored the past three financial crises: […]
Investors seeking regular income are limited because traditional sources aren’t producing the results they used, says Dave Makarchuk, partner and Western Canada wealth business leader at Mercer, noting bond yields are really low and coupons are low. “And so dividends can be an attractive option for those who are seeking regular cash flow,” he says. […]
How WCB Alberta restructured its portfolio in uncertain times.
Turns out there’s a bigger issue than crowded trades
McKinsey’s new index puts data behind the argument for long-term management.
NBIMC head talks asset allocation and funding ratios
How high-volatility realities are driving the low vol trend
Investing in stocks has historically provided the potential growth investors need when accumulating assets as they prepare for retirement. In times of market volatility, however, an account’s drop in value can result in investors selling stocks at near-low levels and then buying them back at higher ones when markets recover.
A review of the return-volatility relationship.