Alternatives

“To work, or not to work” was the title of Franklin Templeton’s Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income, Sonal Desai’s latest white paper. The detailed analysis on the US labour market offers insights into the future that lies ahead for Australia but also into the unique and difficult conditions the world is in as we…

Popular wealth platform Praemium has approved Monochrome’s flagship Bitcoin Fund on the Powerwrap product suite providing wholesale investors access to a Bitcoin fund via their IDPS-like scheme. Powerwrap has been well ahead of the cryptocurrency boom, having launched its first Bitcoin tracker fund two years ago, through the Cloudbreak Asset Management (CBAM) team, which established…

Revolution Asset Management, one of Australia’s leading providers of financing to non-bank lenders and corporates, recently highlighted the strong health of Australia’s corporate sector in a portfolio update. The group continues to move from strength to strength just a few years since founding, with the latest Private Debt Fund having deployed $700 million of $1.1…

The London Stock Exchange Group and its FTSE Russell subsidiary have partnered with Digital Asset Research, provider of cryptocurrency pricing and market data, to announce the launch of the FTSE Russell Digital Asset Index Series. It marks another step into the mainstream for cryptocurrency, the further professionalisation of an industry sector that has remained somewhat…

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….