Resource Search

The wealth management industry is seeing a wave of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). From the buyer’s perspective, the biggest question when pursuing M&A is whether the target firm is worth the asking price. From the seller’s perspective, the biggest question is whether the bidder is the best match. Although this difference of perspective creates natural tension in any deal, technology can alleviate more of it than one might think.

After months of fierce debate and a policymaking hiatus, the United Kingdom (UK) electorate has voted in favour of leaving the European Union (EU). While the broad direction is set, companies will still face considerable uncertainty until the UK’s exit strategy is defined and trade negotiations (including the trans-border movement of people) with the EU and other countries are completed.

We expect the markets’ knee-jerk reaction to sell gold post a Trump victory will reverse with the bottoming process beginning this week. Framed around the well documented bearish arguments of Stan Druckenmiller on gold last week, there are reasons why gold will be more important as the generational bond bull market now closes. As investors begin to look for portfolio diversification and wealth preservation in the new rising rate cycle, gold’s uncorrelated liquid returns will have increasing appeal, particularly with foreign investors hurt by dollar strength.

Markets, United States citizens, and most of the world watched anxiously as the U.S. election unfolded into a Donald Trump victory for President. Initial volatility has tempered, and as market participants digest the uncertainty surrounding future policy, it is important to remember that the election results is yet another factor to work through as an investor. That said, the U.S. economy and political structure are enormous, which will make dramatic changes tough to implement in a month, a year, or even a presidency.

With last week’s historic election now behind us, investors are feverishly recalibrating their plans in light of its stunning outcome. The despair registered in the early hours after the polls closed on November 8 turned sharply into euphoria as investors focused on the “pro-growth” agenda of a Republican president and control of both congressional chambers. Since the election, those industry groups perceived as winners (e.g. banks, pharmaceutical companies, and industrials) have staged enormous rallies while other groups (e.g.

If President-elect Trump fulfills many of his campaign promises, the impacts will be felt across the world. More will be known about these effects over the coming months and quarters, and for wealth managers the focus will be on the potential short and long-term impacts on their clients’ financial well-being. Markets hate uncertainty and the uncertainty created by a President Trump triggered a “sell first/ask questions later” response in financial markets. There will undoubtedly be both winners and losers in the financial markets.

Investors now have more than $3 trillion invested in hedge funds, up from $1 trillion in 2005. This steep increase in assets under management means the hedge fund industry confronts a more scrupulous regulatory environment, heightened investor demands for transparency and tighter standards for all aspects of fund governance, like performance reporting and offshore fund structuring.

Women have become financial powerhouses and have taken on an increasing role in managing wealth to the tune of $11.2 trillion. Some estimate that by 2030, women will control as much as two-thirds of the nation’s wealth. This change makes one thing clear—whether women are wealth creators, inheritors, or owners through marriage, they need to take responsibility for preserving, enhancing, and ultimately, transferring their assets.

Thank goodness the U.S. election is over so we can all stop slinging arrows at each other and get on with our lives for at least the next 18 months. America is divided, where roughly half the voters wanted him and the other half wanted her. America got him. So what does that mean if you are a private markets investor, especially if you are an impact/cleantech investor?

The U.S. president-elect’s victory and the Italian’s declination of reform in the waning months of 2016 was a final crescendo for a central theme of 2016, populism. Additionally, stresses in regions like the Middle East and East Asia were accompanied by growing inequality and unrest, while concerns over the refugee crisis and a snowballing income gap were key drivers in the result of the Brexit. Despite news headlines on these topics injecting volatility into the markets this year, the U.S. equity markets have remained surprisingly resilient.