Alternatives

With the push towards decarbonization, ultra-low bond yields and rising inflation, the role of an adviser is becoming more and more challenging. The investment paradigm has changed for both the adviser and investor. Gone are the days when a substantial portion of an investor’s portfolio was buried in high-interest term deposits virtually risk-free. These days,…

UK-based global investment firm abrdn is looking to expand its footprint by launching its Global Risk Strategy fund to Australian investors. The company, formerly known as Standard Life Aberdeen, has changed its name to Abrdn as it moves to refocus the business following the sale of the Standard Life brand to Phoenix Group earlier in…

“We haven’t seen a secular bear market for nearly 40 years,” said Johnathan Ruffer, chairman of UK-based multi-asset manager Ruffer, in the firm’s third-quarter update. The outspoken contrarian delivered something of a warning for the cohort of “clever” economists, political journalists and hedge fund managers who think they can understand what is going on in…

Bitcoin’s volatility means that institutional investors have historically steered well clear. But the times are a-changing, and even skeptics believe the cryptocurrency will have its day. Cryptocurrency is clearly here to stay. While most investors watch its massive price swings with bemused detachment, a few have begun to think seriously about the role they can…

A recent survey by Credit Suisse shows that a quarter of financial advisers have cryptocurrency assets in their clients’ portfolios. In addition, another 35 per cent have indicated that they will be including allocations to digital assets in the future. The interesting thing is that financial advisers don’t seem to be shying away from digital…

There is no denying the ripple effect that blockchain technology has had, not only in the cryptocurrency world but the wider world. What started out as being the foundation to Bitcoin soon spread to many facets of life. It has been used to create a transparent ledger system for compiling data on sales, online payments…

Federation Asset Management recently launched its second alternative investment fund, the Federation Alternative Investment Fund II. The strategy will invest in unlisted private assets, with a dedicated approach towards allocating capital to renewable energy investments, real estate investments and investments in operating companies with strong growth potential. The renewables and sustainability tilt is seeking to…

While there has been much talk about renewed inflation and its harm to portfolios, thanks largely to the US economic recovery, the consensus is this will be transitory. That may be wrong. PIMCO, the world’s largest fixed income manager, believes that there is more risk in the current inflation bogey than the market is anticipating….

Sydney Airports (ASX:SYD) – As any investor would expect, the monopoly provider (and the nation’s major gateway) has had a challenging half-year, posting a widening loss, while a takeover offer hangs in the balance. Just days before its result, the board knocked back an $8.45-a-share takeover offer from a group of pension funds, saying it…

The 2010s was somewhat of a torrid time for the hedge fund sector, as the pressure for lower costs and more transparency collided with a period of weaker returns. Institutional research consultant bfinance this week published a white paper, titled “How to build a hedge fund portfolio,” that offers some unique institutional insights for the…

Craig Hobart, a veteran of the business side of funds management, is thinking of putting a link to an ASIC podcast on his new company’s website. It provides the regulator’s views on cryptocurrencies. The new company is the Brisbane-based Monochrome Asset Management, formed in April by a crypto veteran Jeff Yew and where Hobart’s younger…

This week saw confirmation that private equity was once again the leading asset class over 2021. According to the Chant West super fund survey, the median private equity return for the financial year was 40%, well ahead of Australian equities and bonds. Yet the illiquid asset class requires investors to lock away capital for as…