As you may have seen in the headlines, the airline sector has seen quite their fair share of volatility recently. Since the start of COVID shutting down air travel to then returning back to pre-pandemic levels and then exceeding those levels, the airline sector has been receiving its own fair share of market turbulence. But as the aerospace market continuing to grow on a global basis, with more interest in commercial travel than ever seen before, airlines are needing more lift for takeoff....

Given the economic uncertainties that unfolded from the COVID-19 pandemic and lead to rising inflation rates, investors held onto cash as their main arsenal. However, with central banks signaling interest rate cuts, now might be the time to move cash off the sidelines. Anchored in insights from our Make Your Money Move campaign, we will explore questions like: why cash rates have been so attractive? What opportunities exist now? Are there risks investors should be mindful of? On this episode...

As we mark the annual observance of International Women's Day this March, we highlight the contributions and milestones of women in society all month long. In honor of this celebration, we invited an esteemed female Chief Investment Officer to highlight a core investment topic some people tend to misunderstand: retirement savings. How has retirement planning evolved over the years? How have demographics been impacted by this change? And what are some steps corporations can take to generate...

In the rapidly evolving world of alternative credit, Specialty Finance strategies can offer access to high-quality deals, backed with strong partnerships, for investors seeking to generate current income via short-duration transactions. With geographical positioning and technological advancements to consider, what is so special about this sector? How have innovations like fintech impacted traditional banking and lending practices? What obstacles are presented for investors? On this episode...

With liquidity needs continuing to be on the rise, many sophisticated investors look to the secondaries market for solutions. However, with the lower valuations in Real Estate, there may be opportunities in the Real Estate Secondaries space that might not be on the radar as a result of skepticism in the market. But where is that skepticism coming from? Could the opportunities lie in GP-Led secondary transactions more so than LP-led? And what kind of insight can fundamental analysis provide to...

The recent buzz around private credit has captured the attention of investors worldwide. It has also demonstrated remarkable resilience amid economic uncertainties. So what opportunities does it present for both institutional and retail investors today? How has private credit disrupted traditional lending? And how could a potential recession affect how investors could capitalize on this asset class? On this episode of Disruptive Forces, Anu Rajakumar welcomes Nikhil Krishnan, Managing...

With a new calendar year ahead of us, many of us are taking the time to evaluate our investments against the current macro backdrop and seek to set ourselves up for long-term success. As the wave of economic volatility continues, we have found that there is no “one size fits all” approach in portfolio construction. But what does it mean to customize investments? How can investors explore tax efficiencies as well as other factors such as ESG and faith-based considerations in portfolio...

As 2023 comes to a close, with its turbulent and challenging market conditions, we look ahead to navigating the complex yet hopefully rewarding landscape to come. How can investors manage volatility and risk, and still find promising investment opportunities? What does the process of creating the ten themes entail? And what strategies can investors adopt to navigate these ever-changing financial markets effectively? On this episode of Disruptive Forces, Anu Rajakumar goes behind the scenes...

As the end of the year approaches, many of us consider what we can we do for those in need. Charitable contributions are a vital source of capital for non-profit organizations, but how do investors consider allocating to these causes within their portfolio construction effectively? And particularly during these times of volatility, how can donors optimize their philanthropic efforts? On this Giving Tuesday episode of Disruptive Forces, Julia Chu, Head of Philanthropy and Family Governance...

  As we continue to navigate the challenged market environment, investors have been exploring what their options are for liquidity in their portfolios. Secondary Private Equity investors in particular have a lot to grapple with: from the undercapitalization of the secondary market to the shifting goals of buyers and sellers in the space. However, could the undercapitalization in the secondary market be a boon to investors, opening up unique opportunities for liquidity providers? Or is all...

There have been countless disruptions to the asset management industry in the last century with many groundbreaking innovations along the way. From the modernization of the '40 Act to the transformative impact of generative AI, how can we strive for excellence in this incredibly complex environment? Is there a way to have positive systemic impact? And what challenges and opportunities exist in the current volatile investment landscape? On this milestone 100th episode of Disruptive Forces, Anu...

Artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm, capturing our curiosity and driving massive investment in technology infrastructure. With the democratization of AI capabilities, the possibilities are endless. However there are also challenges and limitations, including the need for responsible use, data security, privacy, and regulatory frameworks. Which industries could be transformed by this groundbreaking technology? Will regulatory frameworks be able to keep pace with these...

A shift into higher rates globally over the latter part of 2023 has created a new investment regime in the fixed income markets; prompting investors to reassess their strategic asset allocation. Despite the reset of fixed income yields to much higher levels, making the asset class look attractive, how can investors be prepared for potential rate cuts while balancing the exciting opportunities that the market is presenting as we make our way through the current market cycle? On this episode of...

With this year’s bank failures and the continued rise of interest rates, questions loom about where our economy is headed and how best we can prepare ourselves for what is next. With concerns of a recession and commercial real estate defaults, what can investors do to better prepare themselves for what is to come? How will the opportunities weigh against the risks? On this episode of Disruptive Forces, Anu Rajakumar speaks with Josh Overbay, Managing Director for Almanac Realty Investors at...

In the last decade, we’ve have seen many shifts. One in particular that predates the market volatility of today is something known as the Great Wealth Transfer. This ongoing phenomenon came to fruition as baby boomers began to retire and started passing down their wealth to the next generation. But how are the heirs of this wealth deploying their capital differently than the generations before them? And how might wealth advisors consider adapting their approach to meet the goals of these...

Index funds give investors broad exposure to the market at an accessible price point and have taken equity markets by storm in recent years. As index companies make decisions about how to construct their indices, we wonder if those decisions are more active than market participants realize. What is known for its passive flair may actually be more active than it appears, so is there more to indexation than meets the eye? What is the Fine Print of Indexation that investors need to be aware of?...

The Emerging Markets sector has not been immune to today's market challenges. Between the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, factors such as the cost of living and food inflation have caused an adverse impact on sovereign balance sheets. As a result, many of these countries have failed to meet external liabilities, inciting a wave of sovereign debt default. So what’s next for this asset class? On this episode of Disruptive Forces, Anu Rajakumar speaks with Kaan Nazli, Senior Economist and...

With the broad awareness of the energy transition across the globe, investors are looking for ways to position their portfolios to capture the transition. However, some question whether portfolios exposed to the business of extracting more raw materials from the earth can meet the objectives of all investors. While commodity investing has been known to be an excellent inflation hedge, can this asset class also align with the objectives of investors concerned about their environmental and...

As the commercial real estate landscape continues to evolve out of the many crises that hit the sector, namely with COVID and regional banks, investors are evaluating what their next move is within this asset class. While headlines may seem gloomy, and default rates could continue to be a concern, is it still possible to have optimism in commercial real estate despite market fears? Or are there silver linings that might afford attractive opportunities to investors in the space? On this...

Japan, an outlier across the G10 nations, is truly an intriguing economy. While rates continue to remain high in many other developed markets, the Bank of Japan still employs its accommodative monetary policy and sees a lower impact of inflation. Given this unique backdrop, what can Japan offer to its investors? How else does this economy differ from the rest of the world? And how might Japanese investors engage with companies during proxy season differently than they do in North America and...

Interest in sustainable investing has significantly increased in the past decade. Morningstar estimates the number of sustainable open-ended mutual funds and exchange-traded funds nearly tripled between 2014 and 2019. However, the consideration of financially material sustainability factors is not a new phenomenon – it draws on a long history of socially responsible investing, from the faith-based investors who supported divesting from South African companies during the apartheid era in the...

Event-driven investing, a set of strategies that include merger arbitrage, special situations and distressed debt, has created opportunities for investors for decades. Savvy investors in space will evaluate current market inefficiencies to assess where a merger can be made. In volatile markets however, investors are able to find many of these mispricings that can bare opportunities but only if they’re sharp enough to find them. On this episode of Disruptive Forces, host Anu Rajakumar speaks...

Artificial Intelligence has been evolving for decades with the ultimate goal of enhancing our everyday lives. Some of the most recent iterations, such as ChatGPT and Midjourney, are the most advanced and human-like AI models we’ve seen yet. As additional digital assistance and chatbots flood into market, we ask what these disruptive technologies are truly capable of. How could the asset management industry be disrupted by this AI innovation? Is there a way to leverage it effectively? On this...

Natural disasters have certainly taken their toll on the environment. After Hurricane Ian decimated a large part of the American Eastern Seaboard, totaling roughly $50 billion in insured industry losses, one could ask: how is all of that getting paid for? However, in the Insurance-Linked Securities (or ILS) asset class, there have historically been pathways for investors to seize opportunities as providers of capital. In times of high inflation, investors tend to seek those uncorrelated...