Fundamental equity long/short (ELS) strategies have faced challenges since the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, but the tide may be turning. The recent increase in cash yields and higher equity dispersion create a more favorable environment for the short book and will offer opportunities for managers to distinguish themselves. Moreover, with equity markets having experienced a massive rally over the last decade and trading at elevated valuations, it is prudent for investors to consider adding more defensive strategies like ELS to their portfolios.
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2025 stands at a crossroads. In the prior year, nearly half of the world’s population across more than 70 countries participated in national elections, artificial intelligence gained considerable traction in the marketplace, and several banks initiated a synchronized interest rate-cutting cycle. Each of these developments alone creates a complex landscape to navigate. Yet, the situation is further complicated by heightened geopolitical risks and an investment environment brimming with uncertainties.
At the current rate of progress, a young woman starting her career today will be working for more than a quarter of a century before she can expect to work at a mid-market firm with gender parity in top roles. While understanding that gender diversity is a fuel for potential growth that brings benefits to the bottom line, many businesses often lack a clear purpose behind their gender equality strategies at the risk of another missed generation of opportunities. This year’s Women in Business research gives reason for optimism and there is a great deal to learn.
When companies gather and use behavioral insights to accelerate behavioral and cultural change, they can have a positive impact on their company’s vision, priorities, work environment, and more. By understanding what employees are doing—in addition to how they are feeling—companies can address the people and culture issues that can hold back transformation and value realization. Here, we identify five key steps to using behavioral data effectively to support and foster a successful cultural transformation in your workplace.
Today’s heightened geopolitical risk environment—characterized by volatility, uncertainty, and a widening range of possible outcomes—has become a more significant driver of operational and strategic risks to trade, finance, and investment than in prior periods. Drawing on the comprehensive World Risk Review analysis of 197 countries and territories, this report provides a succinct summary of the most crucial information that can help your organization be equipped to adapt its risk management strategies in response to today’s geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape.
The wealthy today are more optimistic about their financial opportunities—but they are also more worried about the risks they face, recognizing that their wealth could be lost in an instant in the face of threats like catastrophic weather events, cybercrime, theft, and liability settlements. To further gauge their concerns (and changing aspirations), this Wealth Report surveyed a wide-ranging group of successful individuals.
Being a fiduciary for your organization’s retirement plan doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. However, it does require careful oversight to mitigate risk and help participants meet their retirement goals. With the use of this checklist that should be reviewed on an annual basis, employers can better manage their retirement plan responsibilities.
Conventional investing is all about diversification and maximizing returns. While both of these are still fundamental, some investors also want to use their economic influence to drive meaningful change. As these investors make financial decisions informed by both heart and mind, traditional barriers between making money and making a difference are dissolving. That’s good news for young companies that are seeking "angel investors" for capital.
The past year has ended up being far more resilient to many of the prevailing economic headwinds than we had feared it might be. The shifting consumption patterns, structurally tight labor market, and strong private sector balance sheets with debt that has been locked in at low rates have helped boost consumption and moderate inflationary pressures. As “the year of testing resiliency” came to a close, many may have wondered what to expect in 2025. In this Economic Outlook, Macro Analyst Richard de Chazal sees U.S.
Opportunities have increased significantly in frontier markets debt as more countries have made a conscious effort to open their capital markets to international investors and currencies have become more fairly valued. As a result, the time may be the right for an allocation to frontier markets debt through a dedicated strategy. In this paper, we take a closer look at both the potential benefits a frontier debt portfolio can add to an investor’s portfolio, discuss our investment process, and explain how the risks inherent in this asset class can be handled.