Archives - Point of View - Global Investment Solutions from Northern Trust

Voices: Andrew Smith

A review of current activity in global financial markets, with an emphasis on U.S. markets.

October 2008 Issue
Features
	The Right Time for Global Real Estate? Overseas opportunities could provide enhanced returns, reduced risk.

	The Outlook for Private Equity Liquidity crunch, economic concerns don’t dampen investor interest.

	Emerging Markets and the Credit Crunch Local debt markets provide buffer for developing economies.

	The Shifting Corporate Pension Landscape Investment product innovation helps U.S. plan sponsors tackle an evolving set of challenges.

Column
	Voices: Stephen N. Potter Changes in the global capital markets offer new opportunities and risks for investors.


Departments
	Global Megatrends Demand for commodities from emerging and developed economies continues.

	Ahead of the Curve A starting point for a discussion of the issues that affect the institutional investment community.

July 2008 Issue
Features
	New Mandates for Emerging Managers Institutional investors broaden the scope of their emerging manager programs in their search for alpha.

	Perspectives on Investing in China Assessing the risks and growth potential for China’s evolving stock market.

	A Holistic Approach to Risk Budgeting A Holistic Approach to Risk Budgeting Approach helps U.S. plan sponsors balance short- and long-term funding considerations.

	No Time Like the Present for LDI Pension fund sponsors examine the merits of liability driven investing.

Column
	Voices: James D. McDonald U.S. exporters expected to fare better during second half of 2008 than companies with a domestic focus.


Departments
	Global Megatrends The rise of sovereign wealth funds is reshaping the world's capital markets.

	Ahead of the Curve A starting point for a discussion of the issues that affect the institutional investment community.

April 2008 Issue
Features
	Risk Management or Risk Shifting? Popular academic theory meets real-world pension plan investment strategy.

	ETFs Offer Broader Market Exposure Investors turn to exchange-traded funds for efficiency in capturing beta and flexibility of use.

	Cash as a Strategic Asset As investors take a more active approach to their short-term portfolios, they must balance the potential for enhanced returns against risk and liquidity considerations.

	London: Hub of Foreign Exchange Activity Multiple factors converge to keep the city at the crossroads of the burgeoning global currency marketplace.

Column
	Voices: Alexandra Jemetz Institutional investors continue to shift their focus toward foreign markets.


Departments
	Global Megatrends Investors adopt outcome-oriented strategies for their investment programs.

	Ahead of the Curve A starting point for a discussion of the issues that affect the institutional investment community.

January 2008 Issue
Features
	Trends in the DC Plan Universe Use of auto enrollment, target date funds surges among defined contribution plans.

	The Dividend Puzzle Stock repurchases are replacing dividends for a new generation of companies.

	Developing a Liability Benchmark New scorecard gives sponsors a clearer view of a plan's ongoing health and viability.

	The Winds of Change Investors evaluate the opportunities and risks resulting from global climate change.

Column
	Voices: Grant Johnsey Keys to successfully restructuring defined contribution plan assets.


Departments
	Global Megatrends Pension sponsors embrace alternatives to address underfunded liabilities.

	Ahead of the Curve A starting point for a discussion of the issues that affect the institutional investment community.

October 2007 Issue
Features
	Derivatives Surge in Popularity Use increases as plans sponsors look to manage risk and boost returns.

	Employing Leverage The common denominator in some of the most innovative investment strategies is leverage. .

	Walking the Beta Line Managers seek to add value by separating true alpha from hedge fund beta.

	Exploring New Horizons Large foundations and endowments reap the benefits of alternative investing.

Column
	Voices: Chris Carlson Managers and their clients must adapt to a changing investment environment.


Departments
	Global Megatrends Pension sponsors embrace alternatives to address underfunded liabilities.

	Ahead of the Curve A starting point for a discussion of the issues that affect the institutional investment community.

July 2007 Issue
Features
	The Evolving Plan Structure Landscape New types of retirement plans address changing regulations and market trends.

	Handing Over the Investment Reins Total investment program management can allow investors to focus on core competencies.

	Opportunities in the Eurozone A combination of events has put short-term fixed-income strategies in the spotlight.

	Inside Target Date Funds Defined contribution plan sponsors look to select target date strategies that benefit their plans.

Column
	Voices: Martin Jack To be successful, investment managers and clients must forge effective partnerships.


Departments
	Global Megatrends Plan sponsors are increasingly turning to outsourcing to gain simplicity in plan management.

	Ahead of the Curve A starting point for a discussion of the issues that affect the institutional investment community.

April 2007 Issue
Features
	Emerging Managers Gain Ground Smaller, newer and minority-owned asset management firms are garnering attention with institutional investors.

	Portable Alpha: A Risk-Efficient Approach to LDI Portable alpha provides the building blocks to engineer more risk-efficient LDI strategies than traditional investment approaches.

	Currency as an Asset Class As investors look beyond traditional hedging opportunities, currency trading grows into a stand-alone asset class.

	Exploring the Hedge Fund Universe With an increasingly crowded marketplace, the challenge in hedge fund investing will be identifying new market inefficiencies.

Column
	Voices: Kunihiko Nakao Japan's economy is back on track after several years of stagnation.


Departments
	Global Megatrends Plan sponsors are increasingly turning to outsourcing to gain simplicity in plan management.

	Ahead of the Curve A starting point for a discussion of the issues that affect the institutional investment community.

White Paper
	Can Elephants Dance? Potential Benefits of Investing With Emerging Managers.

January 2007 Issue
Features
	The Evolution of Responsible Investing Next-generation socially responsible investment strategies allow investors to evaluate the impact of social and environmental factors on financial performance.

	New Tactics for Investors of Balance Sheet Asset Pools Often found on an organization’s balance sheet, taxable asset pools are being invested in innovative ways.

	Relaxing the Long-Only Constraint Active extension strategies are a natural next step for institutional investors seeking a risk-efficient method of capturing alpha while maintaining beta exposure.

	Implementing LDI in Pension Plans Tougher funding and disclosure requirements are spurring pension plan sponsors around the globe to reconsider the context of how they view their assets and liabilities.

Column
	Voices: Steven A. Schoenfeld Emerging market equities have demonstrated why they should be a core element in a long-term international portfolio.


Departments
	Global Megatrends The move toward DC plans: Defined contribution plans gain favor with employers around the globe.

	Ahead of the Curve A starting point for a discussion of the issues that affect the institutional investment community.

October 2006 Issue
Features
	The Global Pension Shift Pension plans around the globe are adopting new investing mindsets and changing behaviors as they grapple with aging populations, funding issues and new regulations.

	Beyond the Great Wall From private pension systems to cross-border investing, China’s emergence in the global economy presents risks and rewards.

	Perspectives on Private Equity Successfully navigating the private equity waters takes persistence, perseverance and patience.

Column
	Voices: Orie L. Dudley Jr. The arrival of Hank Paulson as U.S. Treasury secretary could represent a new approach to economic policy.


Departments
	Global Megatrends Asset-mix shifting: Maximize excess returns and manage liabilities.

	Ahead of the Curve A starting point for a discussion of the issues that affect the institutional investment community.

July 2006 Issue
Features
	Private Equity in the Public Eye Private equity funds are coming off of a banner year. Institutional investors are taking a look at how they can safeguard their private equity portfolios.

	The New Appeal of Emerging Markets Emerging markets are finding a home in institutional investors’ portfolios, where achieving an effective policy allocation can still be a challenge.

	The Search for Efficient Asset Class Exposure Broadening the opportunity set of investment strategies is a critical first step to meeting an institutional investor’s performance objectives.

	The Global Shuffle With global economies becoming increasingly intertwined, shifts in long-term interest rates are changing the way investors are viewing money flows around the world.

Column
	Voices: Lyle Logan Sudan-free investing exemplifies efforts to achieve more than investment goals.


Departments
	Global Megatrends Industrialized countries are looking to legislation and regulatory changes to address pension funding gaps.

	Ahead of the Curve A starting point for a discussion of the issues that affect the institutional investment community.

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