Quantitative investment management has undergone a massive lift in profile in recent years, largely due to the rise of ETFs and smart-beta strategies. But the ‘new quants’, as they are being called, are going much further than that. While hardly new to the space, Harindra (Harin) de Silva, a lead portfolio manager at Allspring Global… [Read More…]
Investment News
Guard against unintended consequences of Ukraine: BCA
The fight in Ukraine is unlikely to spill over into a shooting war between Russia and the NATO countries. That doesn’t mean impossible, and investors “should absolutely worry about unintended consequences.” For the last month or so, investors have been reading the entrails of a beast they’re broadly unfamiliar with – geopolitics – to determine… [Read More…]
Morgan seeds ex GMI family office start-up
A group of Gareth Morgan Investments (GMI) foundation staff is set to launch a new ultra high net-worth wealth management business with their former boss as seed client. The Wellington-based Prosper Asset Management features two GMI originals as owners – Robert Taylor and David Bruce – along with influential financial services recruitment specialist, Liza Patel,… [Read More…]
Clark serves up new COFI with incentives ban, intermediary relief
The government has confirmed it will ban all volume-based sales incentives on financial products for ‘frontline’ operatives among a host of proposed amendments to the Financial Markets (Conduct of Financial Institutions) Amendment Bill handed down last week. In a just-published Cabinet paper, Commerce Minister David Clark says regulations for the incoming legislation – known as… [Read More…]
Devon returns to the world with Wellington ESG funds
Devon Funds has added global assets back on its menu, partnering with storied US firm Wellington Management to launch two new sustainability-themed funds. Part of the Investment Services Group (ISG), Devon will offer access to international fixed income and equities via the Wellington Global Impact Bond Fund and Global Stewards Fund, respectively, with the first… [Read More…]
Zenith cans NZ fund reports
Zenith Investment Partners is to end the long-running NZ retail fund quarterly market share report inherited as part of its purchase of local research brand, FundSource, in 2019. In a note to clients last week, the Melbourne-headquartered Zenith confirmed the NZ market share report would wind up after the June quarter issue. “The market appetite… [Read More…]
Fin police tackle the retail revolution
In the wake of a ‘finfluencer’ crackdown across the Tasman, the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) remains confident current NZ rules can contain local online financial tipsters. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) launched an assault on web-based financial spruikers last week, warning most would require a licence to operate or risk significant penalties up… [Read More…]
More responsible: ANZ, Mercer tap into ESG specialist trend
In line with a growing global institutional investment bent both ANZ Investments and Mercer NZ hired environmental, social and governance (ESG) executives last week to newly established roles. The $10 billion plus Mercer named Mark Longbottom as sustainable investment specialist while ANZ hired Helen Skinner as head of responsible investments. Most recently head of corporate… [Read More…]
Global woes pose biggest threat to index investors
Investment strategies yoked to indices face the most risk as the 30-year global economic detente unravels, according to UK-based economist, Andrew Hunt. Hunt told a Nikko Asset Management webinar audience last week that index investors benefited over the previous three decades from “chasing liquidity” and themes predicated on growing economic collaboration across the world. But… [Read More…]
Money, the musical: by Oliver Wyman
Investors will have to retune expectations in line with changing market harmonics, global consultancy firm, Oliver Wyman, notes in part three of a five-paper opus delivered earlier this year. Based on data covering a 150-year period, the Oliver Wyman series concludes that investors must turn to more sophisticated tools to appreciate the complex tones of… [Read More…]