Events

As institutional investors reassess their portfolio strategy to be more resilient to inflation and market volatility, many are looking at infrastructure, via both listed and unlisted assets.

In traditional sectors such as utilities, transport and telecommunications and newer sectors in digital infrastructure, there are compelling opportunities today for long-term, stable returns, while bearing in mind the liquidity needs and risk tolerance of investors. Sustainable infrastructure has evolved across different sectors, and continues to develop in interesting ways.

Join us for this timely webinar and hear from a panel of experts on a range of infrastructure opportunities, how listed and private approaches can deliver on portfolio objectives, and the key capabilities necessary for infrastructure fund managers today.

With the funded status of pension funds seeing huge improvement on the back of strong market returns in 2021, there’s been a continued focus on pension risk transfer activity as well as ways to further refine risk mitigation strategies that can weather potential market volatility and a rising interest rate environment this year.

For plans who have moved further along on the LDI glidepath, what are the key considerations to keep in mind? For those who want to maintain a dynamic approach to pension risk management, what are some best practices and investment opportunities to consider as they look ahead? 

What are key success factors for a PRT transaction that plan sponsors should keep in mind?

This timely webinar offers current perspectives on managing and mitigating pension risk to achieve target outcomes

In a period of increased geo-political risk and tighter monetary policy around the world, can emerging markets allocations deliver the diversification and return that asset owners expect going forward?

While negative investor sentiment has impacted overall EM performance earlier this year, active management of growth opportunities in companies and sectors across several emerging markets continues to deliver value for investors. Despite the more challenging credit conditions across various regions, EM debt allocations, both corporates and sovereigns, are supported by a number of underlying fundamentals.

Join us for this timely discussion that offers forward perspective to 2023. Our panel of EM equities and debt specialists will share insights on EM countries, sectors, issuers and investment strategies that institutional investors should consider – and warn against those to avoid or wait for improving conditions.

Innovation in ESG Investing

Even as asset owners remain strongly focused on performance as they navigate through this challenging market environment, they continue to pursue effective ESG strategies — whether that’s assessing material ESG risks in mainstream strategies or investing in sustainable and impact opportunities. ESG investing has moved beyond identifying ESG leaders and highly rated ESG companies to a broader array of custom solutions and thematic approaches. Challenges in data standardization remain, but asset managers have moved forward with proprietary tools to harness increasing amounts of ESG data and with improved clarity around their ESG strategies. Join us for this 60-minute audio webinar where our expert panel will discuss the latest in: 

·         What’s ahead across the spectrum of ESG strategies

·         Opportunities in the transition to a net zero economy

·         Customization with an ESG lens

·         Engagement and impact

·         ESG data access and management

·         Upcoming themes from biodiversity to human capital

Does the driver of inflation matter for asset allocation decisions going forward? Join us for a conversation on inflation, where it’s going and what it means for asset allocation.

A panel of experts will discuss:

• Long and near-term inflation views and expectations
• Demand-driven v. supply-driven inflation
• How asset classes behave in different inflationary environments

As hiring and wage pressures continue, your retirement plan and benefits package is an effective and efficient way to help participants (and your organization) succeed long term. Join our experts as they discuss three timely trends for 403(b) plan sponsors.

• Glide path: How to evaluate and select an appropriate glide path for plans with different populations (for example, plans that have a higher concentration of women or older employees).
• Environmental, social, and governance: Why, what, and how?
• Legislation: Overview of Secure 2.0 and how plan sponsors can prepare.

These insights are relevant for retirement plan sponsors, human resources leaders, and investment decision-makers, as well as for retirement plan advisors and consultants.

Institutional investors are taking a closer look at real assets for inflation protection, diversification and yield that can help them stay on track to achieve their return targets. Which specific real assets – from real estate and infrastructure to commodities – should investors be considering for different objectives? What are some optimal ways to allocate to the different real assets? Is it a multi-strategy approach or a specific sleeve? When are active and indexed approaches most appropriate? How has sustainability progressed across the real assets landscape today?

This hour-long audio webinar takes a deeper dive into real assets segments such as commercial and multi-family real estate, commodities, gold and more, giving investors current insights on opportunities and risks to watch, as well as the latest developments on ESG integration, portfolio monitoring and benchmarking across allocations

Email and registration page copy: SECURE 2.0 is poised to change the 403(b) investing landscape by extending the ability to invest in collective investment trusts (CITs). In anticipation of the enactment of this provision, it is important to consider the changes in store for 403(b) plans.

Join experts from State Street Global Advisors and Aon for a discussion of:

• the current state of the proposed bill
• a roadmap for preparing plan sponsors to consider integration of CITs into their plans, led by a Consultant having these conversations now
• how to communicate these changes to participants and prepare for implementation.

Plan sponsors are in an intensive period of review and refinement of their defined contribution plans in response to the current market environment, shifting workforce demographics and evolving employee expectations. Many sponsors are reassessing the appropriateness of their plan investment menu given rising inflation and market volatility, and are considering how best to respond to participants’ needs on retirement income solutions and sustainable investing options.

This audio webinar will cover current and emerging trends from overall plan design and investment considerations to newer participant demographics approaches and customized solutions.

Join us to discuss how innovative plan sponsors are fine tuning their plans to improve overall retirement security for their participants

Fidelity research found that many institutional investors outperformed expectations in 2021 but are now less confident about meeting their future return targets. Facing headwinds from a shifting macro environment and potential long-term higher inflation, some investors are wondering how to successfully navigate current conditions.
 
Join us for a discussion with Fidelity’s Brett Sumsion, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Co-Manager of Fidelity’s target date strategies, David Gaito, Head of Direct Lending in the High Income and Alternatives division and Lance McInerney, CFA, Institutional Portfolio Manager, as they explore how institutional investors may seek to position their portfolio allocations against a backdrop of higher inflation and lower return expectations.
 
They will share their unique perspectives on opportunities for paths forward in a time of profound change and heightened volatility in global financial markets. Topics will include:

• The different ways investors are approaching market expectations of secular inflation and portfolio yield-generation challenges
• Fidelity’s macro outlook, and how it influences our thinking about strategic asset allocation
• The changing landscape for alternative investing, with a particular focus on the current market opportunity for direct lending

Please join one of Fisher Investments’ portfolio managers for Fisher’s outlook on global equity markets.

During this webinar, Aaron Anderson, Fisher Investments’ Investment Policy Committee Member (Portfolio Manager) will review macro factors effecting global equities, as well as where Fisher believes we are in the market cycle and what that means for portfolio positioning. Leveraging insights from our global research platform, we believe this webinar will offer useful perspective on global equity markets. Some topics Aaron will address include: 

•    How investor sentiment is shaping our outlook
•    Inflation should moderate in the back half of 2022, easing pressure on central bankers
•    Expectations for global equities against a backdrop of slowing global growth
•    Political gridlock is prominent globally, reducing political risk
 

As institutional investors continue to explore and adopt environmental, social and governance integration, the evolution of the field has expanded to take a total portfolio view on sustainability across all asset classes. This audio webinar shares the different paths and approaches to ESG investing, how asset owners today are taking a multi-asset approach, and how they can develop a sustainability framework to meet their portfolio objectives. Our panel of experts shares the top ESG themes today as well as developments in data, benchmarks and regulation that are powering continued inflows into ESG investing across both public and private assets.

The Fed’s aggressive attempts to combat historically high levels of inflation have wreaked havoc on asset allocations in 2022. Bonds have experienced their worst performance in modern history at the same time that stocks have seen a significant correction from their post pandemic highs. Has the paradigm for fixed income investing permanently shifted or is this just a temporary phenomenon?

T. Rowe Price’s Chris Brown and Anna Dreyer, co-portfolio managers of the US Total Return Bond strategy, explore why now may be the wrong time to abandon fixed income but the right time to rethink how your portfolio is constructed. They will share their views on the evolving market environment and their insights on innovative portfolio construction, including:

• Why the historical negative correlation between stocks and bonds should reemerge as the Fed’s focus shifts from inflation to growth.
• Why the fixed income markets, including the representative benchmarks, remain rife with inefficiencies that can be exploited through thoughtful active management.
• How investors can generate alpha from a portfolio construction approach that broadens the opportunity set, emphasizes more efficient bond sectors, and incorporates high-conviction security selection.

With persistent volatility over the last several months, it may be time to consider a different approach to portfolio construction. Join Stephen Coltman, Senior Investment Manager, Alternatives at abrdn as he explores alternative strategies that aim to minimize the impact of market drawdowns without sacrificing the potential for positive returns.

With Kevin Lyons, Senior Investment Manager, Alternatives, Stephen will discuss:

• Diversification within a portfolio and the value of negatively correlated assets
• "Volatility drag” and the impact of drawdowns on long-term compound returns
• A strategic approach to hedging and how to evaluate different hedging approaches

Is accessing an intricate asset class such as illiquid alternatives simply enough to harness its potential? The answer isn’t quite simple. Determining the optimal asset allocation mix, targeting specific outcomes, and limiting performance dispersion are some of the many key aspects to consider when allocating to private market alternatives.

Key insights will include:

• Challenges investors face when allocating to private market alternatives
• The diversification benefits of a multi-manager, multi-asset class approach
• Data availability to make informed decisions –evaluation tools
• Simplifying access to private markets and providing flexible solutions

Choppy market conditions can cause investors to become risk averse, but we believe these conditions can actually offer some of the most attractive entry points into world-class growth companies for investors with a longer-term horizon. Join John Porter, CIO of Equities, and Miki Behr, Portfolio manager in the Global Opportunities team at Newton, for a discussion about how continuing market volatility could unearth compelling growth opportunities in the SMID Growth space.

With Patrick Lyn, Head of North American Commercial, John and Miki will explore:

• Current asset-class valuations
• Thoughts on future sector growth rates
• Why we believe themes provide an effective investment framework

Signs that inflation will ebb have not been arriving fast enough and the Federal Reserve has shifted to a more aggressive stance with raising interest rates. This is despite the impact of non-core items on overall inflation, as all as current signs pointing to a more fragile consumer and increased risk of recession.

Consumers appear increasingly stressed, relying more on credit and decreasing their rate of savings. Additional rate hikes, in combination with still-high inflation, will further pressure consumers and negatively impact growth, this year and next.

Join us as MetLife Investment Management’s Chief Market Strategist shares insights on inflation, the Fed’s current and planned actions and the outlook for a potential recession. MIM’s Portfolio Manager of Investment Grade Fixed Income offers his thinking on how institutional investors should consider positioning their portfolio during this dynamic phase of the markets, particularly as fixed income investing is facing challenges not seen in decades. This discussion will work through the complexities of the evolving fixed income market today, and provide perspective for the remainder of the year.

Demand for sustainability is growing on all fronts, from asset owners focused on risks and opportunities in ESG investing to governments providing supportive regulation as well as companies taking sustainable actions and improving disclosures. While climate change remains in the headlines, investors need to stay abreast of several themes in environmental, social and governance investing and advances in sustainable strategies and ESG practices across asset classes. The burgeoning interest in ESG investing has led to improved ratings, performance measurement and strategy implementation. At this audio webinar, our panel of experts will share their outlook on the current state of sustainable investing, assess current risks and opportunities, and offer approaches on implementation and monitoring. 

Fixed income investors face challenges not seen in decades. Elevated inflation has sparked a hawkish pivot from central banks. And rising rates have resulted in the worst bond market returns in years. Today, as fixed income investors look to to re-position portfolios, they must navigate not only changing macro regimes, but an evolving marketplace. Massive amounts of data points that were once untenable are now a mouse click away. Advancing technologies and trading platforms are changing how fixed income trades are sourced and executed. And the number of market participants continues to increase far beyond the traditional network of big banks and dealers.

Join us as we discuss the complexities of an evolving fixed income market, the increased role played by market data, and explore ways to measure and unlock the liquidity potential within your fixed income portfolio.

Following a year of strong economic growth as the emerging markets rebounded out of the pandemic-induced slowdown, they have been hit by negative sentiment due to wider geopolitical events and rising inflation, which has led to greater market volatility. Many institutional investors remain wary, as they monitor the impacts of slowing growth and tighter monetary policy. Yet, opportunities persist across markets and sectors that asset managers have pursued via active, bottom-up investment strategies. At this audio webinar, our panel of experts will share their outlook on the emerging economies that have undergone a distinct bifurcation, share which markets have remained steadfast, highlight top-performing markets and sectors to date, and discuss their use of a sustainability lens across the emerging markets.

Institutional investors face heightened uncertainty from higher volatility across global markets, rising and broad-based inflation that the Federal Reserve seeks to counter via a series of expected rate hikes, and ongoing geopolitical and macro-economic risks that can impact growth. How does the current scenario compare to prior inflationary regimes? How should investors re-assess their asset allocation and position for this complex market environment? At this hour-long audio webinar, our panel of experts will share their inflation forecast, key signals they are watching, and will highlight some investment strategies and sectors that can help investors mitigate inflation risk, from enhanced duration management to high-quality credit exposures, as well as alternatives such as gold such as gold and other commodities.

As the investment industry faces unprecedented challenges, Chestnut Advisory Group and Pensions & Investments have partnered to conduct comprehensive research into the issues impacting the future of the investment industry, your organization, and your career. Our Future of Investments project has yielded a trove of surprising insights on key issues including ESG, OCIO growth, and industry M&A.

In our fifth and final webinar of this series, we will explore how asset managers can best respond to allocators’ increasing demands to better understand managers’ DEI efforts: by treating the manager’s DEI approach as an enormous growth opportunity for their entire business. Our panelists will discuss:

Now in its 20^th year, Fidelity’s Institutional Investor Survey continues to uncover insights on decision-making among institutional investors and provide a benchmark for firms of varying types and sizes. Using the Investment Innovation framework that we rolled out last year, this year’s study seeks to build upon learnings and indicators from the prior survey. The Fall 2021 study indicated falling confidence in achieving return targets. Now, we look to understand how investors are adapting and evolving their portfolios to continue generating returns amid a changing market environment.

Join Fidelity’s Asset Allocation Research Analyst Jake Weinstein and Bryan Poston, CFA, Director of Market and Business Intelligence, as they share insights derived from the 2022 Fidelity U.S. Institutional Investor Survey and reveal how organizations can better align their investment program to their innovation approach as they navigate the headwinds of a shifting macro-environment.  

From geo-political strife to workforce resignations, navigating market volatility and the current rising rate cycle to the increased complexity of alternative investments, a whole host of factors have accelerated demand from asset owners for OCIO in asset management. Learn the latest trends in Outsourced Chief Investment Officer mandates and what investors are looking to achieve in today’s more flexible and hybrid arrangements. With demand across the spectrum of diversified strategies and ESG investing, hear how OCIO firms are delivering on client and portfolio objectives, and learn some best practices to help steer your OCIO partnership.

The Canadian Pension Risk Strategies webinar will provide pension plan sponsors with practical, real-world information for decision-making, planning, and implementing the risk management strategies that best fit their pension plan. 

Topics of discussion include:

The accelerated pace and scale of investing in alternatives by institutional investors is powered by several tailwinds in the macro and market environment. As more investors turn to alternatives to boost returns, provide diversification and meet their overall portfolio objectives, what are some areas of opportunity to consider today? Alternatives – from private equity and hedge funds to real estate, commodities and real assets – can be accessed via several active management, systematic, and passive approaches. Our panel of experts in alternatives investing explain the underlying shifts and concerns that are top of mind for asset owners, and outline both the challenges and opportunities in accessing the alternatives markets.

With inflationary pressures expected to persist through a period of more uncertainty in the global economy sparked by recent geopolitical and other risks, fixed-income investors need to monitor multiple signals even as they strive to meet long-term portfolio objectives through this low-yield environment. As the Federal Reserve works to contain inflation in this scenario, where are the pockets of opportunity for yield and diversification? Is this the time to double down on active management of fixed income? This panel of experts from leading asset management firms shares what’s top of mind for fixed-income asset owners, outlines strategies that can meet different investors needs, and reveals where there is opportunity regardless of market cycle.

Currently, there are a myriad of dynamics at play that are directly impacting fixed income markets, including Inflation, Interest rates and global uncertainty. In multi-sector strategies, such as core and core plus, uncovering opportunities and uncorrelated sources of risk can be particularly challenging for asset-owners who need to meet total return objectives. Join us for a live panel discussion on building core and core plus portfolios from the ground up and with a focus on diversified sources of alpha. 

The urgency for retirement income solutions has been increasing as participant demographics and demands change, the defined benefit era wanes and the defined contribution plan becomes the primary workplace-sponsored retirement benefit – carrying the implicit expectation of solving both the saving and spending phases of retirement readiness.

In today’s webinar, we will look through the lens of research to confirm the need for both flexibility and security within a retirement income solution. Our speakers will address:

• The stratification of retirement ages, experiences and outcomes 
• A heterogeneity of retiree spending as informed by EBRI's Spending in Retirement Survey 
• The impact of annuitization on retirees’ financial security as outlined in Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research publication, How to Best Annuitize Defined Contribution Assets 

As the investment industry faces unprecedented challenges, Chestnut Advisory Group and Pensions & Investments have partnered to conduct comprehensive research into the issues impacting the future of the investment industry, your organization, and your career. Our Future of Investments project has yielded a trove of surprising insights on key issues including ESG, OCIO growth, and industry M&A.

In our fourth webinar of this series, we will explore how asset managers can best navigate rapidly-evolving investor demands to integrate ESG considerations into their investment process. Our panelists will discuss:

As defined contribution plan sponsors consider implementing retirement income solutions that can help employees improve financial security in retirement, they are relying on data and automation to find the most appropriate solutions. The use of data and focus on personalization underpins several areas for plans today, from product structure and investment menu considerations to overall financial wellness programs. Join us at this audio webinar from leading industry experts who share the very latest DC solutions being adopted today and offer insights into what’s coming next.

• Retirement income solutions
• Target date funds
• Outcome-oriented plan design
• Custom and white-label solutions 
• Financial wellness programs
• Regulatory focus

It’s been a rocky start to the year for bond markets as investors consider paths the Fed may take. Join us for a conversation on what happens from here.

A panel of experts will discuss:

• Inflation, growth and the health of the labor market
• Scenarios and outcomes for rate hikes and the balance sheet unwind
• Risks worth taking and worth avoiding

Given the Federal Reserve’s recent hawkish pivot in guiding markets toward multiple rate hikes and potential balance sheet runoff in 2022 to mitigate persistently high inflation, the floating-rate bank loan market has garnered considerable investor attention. Against this backdrop, volatility has afflicted many asset classes across fixed income and equities. However, the leveraged credit market outlook remains fundamentally constructive, particularly for floating-rate bank loans. Leveraged loans have always provided a unique yield-duration profile, offering investors attractive income while partially hedging interest rate risk.

Please join Fixed Income CIO Andy McCormick and Head of Global High Yield Paul Massaro as they discuss their views on several key topics including:

• Why consider floating-rate bank loans now
• Why leveraged loans deserve a strategic allocation in well diversified fixed income portfolios 
• Credit landscape and future default expectations
• Libor transition progress and impact
• Capital market activity and opportunistic investment themes

For investors seeking exposure to non-rewarded risk factors, such as macroeconomic factors, Scientific Beta is offering a new suite of macro indices designed to capture the equity risk premium with additional exposure to unexpected shocks or the surprises of targeted macro factors.

In this webinar, we will present Scientific Beta’s equity inflation indices, the first in a series of macroeconomic factor indices that provide long-term equity performance with additional inflation protection compared to a traditional cap-weighted equity index. Their high liquidity makes them ideal candidates as a replacement of cap-weighted indices in a multi-asset portfolio. We will also present equity indices targeting further macro variables (interest rates, term spread, credit spread).