Shop Talk

November 5, 2020

Op-Ed: Should Allocators Un-Core Their Core Bond Portfolio?

With yields at historic lows, longtime investor Tony Waskiewicz says investment offices might want to take another look at the allocation that used to be ‘worry free,’ but is now a source of consternation.

October 8, 2020

The Imitation Game: How AI Should Buoy Insurers—and Pension Risk Transfers

Also, as investments, carriers likely will grow more attractive, thanks to machine learning helping to customize pricing, reduce costs, and flag fraudulent activity.

September 24, 2020

How Much Progress Has Been Made on Corporate America’s Stakeholder Pledge?

Last year, the Business Roundtable vowed to shift its corporate purpose to better serve communities and groups beyond its shareholder base. The promise, overall, hasn’t been kept yet.

September 17, 2020

The Hodgepodge of ESG Investment Standards Sparks Controversy

MIT study underscores the confusion of ratings, then DOL cites that in proposing curbing sustainability factors in retirement portfolios.

September 9, 2020

How Distressed Investors Are Getting Ready for Business Failures

Washington stimulus has delayed the bankruptcy parade. But it’s coming fast.

August 27, 2020

Will Businesses Be Engulfed by Lawsuits Blaming Them for Virus Infections?

A GOP Senate bid to shield companies has helped hold up the next federal stimulus round.

August 21, 2020

The Tricky Challenge of Measuring Governance

The often-overlooked part of ESG, how companies are managed, demands diligence and good sense, not easy to bring off.

August 13, 2020

Op-Ed: Using the Risk-Free Rate as a Basis to Examine Hedge Fund Costs

Longtime investor Tony Waskiewicz explores why hedge fund investors have experienced much lower absolute returns since the Great Recession.

July 30, 2020

Op-Ed: Using the Risk-Free Rate as a Basis to Optimize Investment Costs (Part 2)

Longtime investor Tony Waskiewicz explores: How much are you willing to give up for the pursuit of alpha?

July 24, 2020

Op-Ed: Using the Risk-Free Rate as a Basis to Optimize Investment Costs (Part 1)

Veteran investor Tony Waskiewicz asks how much of the risk-free return you are willing to give up to pursue alpha.

July 17, 2020

Should Universities Spend More From Their Endowments?

It’s the first question during a crisis. Given unprecedented disruption, some schools are starting to increase payouts from their troves.

July 2, 2020

How Do You Repurpose a Mall?

Amid a grim time for retail, with stores closing in shopping malls, how can these one-time consumer meccas be transformed to have any kind of a future?

June 25, 2020

COVID-19 Creates New Factors for Due Diligence and ESG

Positive returns correlated to company behavior could be predictive for future pandemics.

June 12, 2020

Budding Trend: Institutional Investors Focusing Locally

Pandemic-induced economic instability and nationwide protests could spur investments in nearby businesses. Keeping politics out of the equation and ensuring proper diversification are musts.

June 4, 2020

Lower the Pension Plan Benchmark? Well, Not So Easy

A lot of assumed return rates are unrealistically high. But lowering them can turn a retirement program into a political buzzsaw. Some plans just say no to that idea.