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Are family businesses really more resilient, agile, and adaptable than other business types? And, if so, have they been able to tackle the challenges of COVID-19 better than most and, perhaps, emerged even stronger? In this report learn how family businesses across the world are mastering a comeback in their businesses and triumphing over COVID-19 to help lead a global economic recovery. The insights revealed are instructive for family firms of all sizes, sectors, and operating models.

During the Great Resignation, retaining talent has become a big challenge for many employers who know that losing talent can be costly and high-performing employees are difficult to replace. While employees may leave if they are underpaid relative to the market, it is rarely the sole reason for leaving an employer. As companies think about retaining talent, a holistic review of the employee value proposition that looks beyond compensation can be helpful.

The tailwinds that greeted commodities in 2021 have moderated, but they are not gone. Faced with strong economic growth and high inflation, the market expects the Fed to run down its balance sheet and begin hiking interest rates. In addition, a shift in consumer habits has left most commodity markets priced for a deficit, which may require an extended period of high prices and could lead to continued strength from the asset class.

In this Tax Outlook Survey, 150 tax executives were polled on questions ranging from their tax planning strategies to their views on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. The findings indicate that the recently enacted and proposed tax policy changes continue to pose challenges to tax executives and their teams as they strive to guide their organizations through a dynamic world.

In this segment of The Market in Five Charts, Chief Investment Officer Rick Pitcairn addresses the Ukraine crisis and its impact on capital markets through the following lens:

The ESG-labeled bond issuance has been significantly growing and is likely to persist, along with investor interest in this segment of the fixed income markets. What can responsible investors in this market expect in the year to come? Sustainable bonds should play an increasingly important role.

Investors rode the wave of strong equity returns in 2021. While public equity fueled impressive investment returns, private equity and venture capital performance took portfolios to the next level. Although there was a lot to celebrate with private capital funds, all was not rosy at the end of 2021, with two-thirds of IPOs trading below their IPO price. While the sell-off in equity markets in early 2022 dipped lower, the private equity allocations remain an important component of a diversified portfolio.

In this 12th annual survey, the focus was on the back office areas and internal fund operations. The results highlight other trends and key insights in the hedge fund industry: growth in assets and funds; an opportunity for smaller, newer managers; investors boosting their hedge fund allocations; how traditional hedge funds are coping with cryptocurrencies; and the fee models in a post-‘two and twenty’ world.

Overall, the results of the 2022 10-year capital market assumptions are mixed depending on the asset class when compared to last year’s assumptions as the global recovery gains traction. We see weaker equity market returns due to slowing growth rates and stretched valuations. Fixed income asset class returns will once again be extremely limited given how low global bond yields are today.

As outlined in the 2022 Capital Markets Assumptions, long-term return expectations for traditional assets remain muted. Alternative investment solutions may offer an opportunity to increase portfolio returns by taking advantage of the remarkable post-pandemic economic evolution in a targeted way through public and private markets.