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U.S. inflation is at its highest in four decades due to COVID-19-induced spending on goods, supply-chain issues, fiscal stimulus from the government, and very accommodative monetary policy from the Federal Reserve. But unlike last time when inflation was high, some key drivers of the current inflation are expected to fade. However, several forces are likely to be more enduring, including the high wage growth.

Most of us are familiar with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as the headline measure of inflation. However, at the January 2012 Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed declared it would use the Personal Consumption Expenditure price index (PCE). Since the indexes are calculated differently in weight, scope, and formula, it will yield different measures of inflation. The difference will impact how investors plan to fight the rising inflation that is spurring fears of currency devaluation.

Monitoring concentration in investment managers is an important component of portfolio risk management. While portfolio-level analysis on liquidity, beta, and volatility are frequently monitored, a minority of investment teams use active risk to size managers. By considering the return profile of a manager along with its size in the portfolio, active risk provides additional insight to risk management decisions, helps build better portfolios, and contributes to better governance.

Is the Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) market dimming? Not likely. Even as the SPAC market takes a breather from its hypersonic acceleration in early 2021, new funders are stepping into the picture. In this webcast, the presenters examined the SPAC environment, evolving deal structures, participants, and risks, as well as important federal regulation changes.

The Biden administration has unveiled a new $2 trillion infrastructure and economic recovery plan, the American Jobs Plan, which is designed to simultaneously revitalize the country’s infrastructure and combat climate change. The Plan will also give municipal investors an opportunity to focus on environmental or “green” project opportunities that range from investing in mass transportation to cleaner energy and water to climate-adaptive infrastructure.

Research has convincingly shown that having diversity of opinions and backgrounds is positively correlated with better decision-making and long-term results. In this two-part series, a deep dive looks at what it means to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into your investment program. First, we lay out why DEI initiatives are rapidly becoming a feature of investment programs and how they lead to better performance.

While implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has benefits in all walks of life, the investment marketplace is a highly impactful arena for driving DEI outcomes. After the first part of this series on DEI initiatives leading to better performance, a case is made for how pursuing the DEI effects is both a compelling and necessary strategy for investors.

For many investors, the desire to own commodities stems from the asset class’s inflation-hedging or portfolio-diversifying characteristics. While the most common way to get commodity exposure is by investing in a portfolio of commodity futures, many investors believe that owning a portfolio of natural resource stocks is an easier solution.

Investors occasionally look to their municipal bond portfolio for loss-harvesting opportunities that reduce the impact of capital gains taxes on portfolio returns. Learn how an active tax-loss management strategy ensures year-round performance, maximizes tax alpha, and minimizes costs.

What’s behind lower volatility forecasts: COVID-19 optimism or something more foreseeable? We take a deep dive into the numbers.