Hedge funds, in aggregate, have generated positive alpha in the past 11 years. This finding, made by Roger Ibbotson, founder of Ibbotson Associates and Professor of Finance at Yale University, proves the strategies can resist powerful market declines but often fall short of providing absolute returns to investors. He spoke with Simon Mumme about the ABCs – alphas, betas and costs – of hedge funds.

 

(more…)

Risk to reputation is more important than risk to investments according to a survey of internal staff at CalPERS completed as part of its governance/risk management initiative.

(more…)

Portfolio specific asset allocation policy and portfolio security selection, timing and fees contribute equally to the variation of portfolio returns according to new research by Professor Roger Ibbotson of Yale School of Management, progressing earlier work by Brinson et al which attributed more than 90 per cent to asset allocation.

 

(more…)

CalSTRS will double the ranges of its active/passive global equities allocations in a bid to enable investment staff to allocate funds tactically across active and passive rather than be forced to rebalance to strategic asset allocations.

(more…)

Associate director at RogersCasey, Carolyn Cross examines the SEC-approved money market fund reforms, which aim to bolster liquidity, increase credit quality, and improve the flexibility and transparency of operations to ensure money market funds can weather the next crisis, summarising key provisions of the new rules and how they impact investors.

(more…)

This latest research by MSCI Barra Research analyses the equity allocations of European institutional investors, arguing the practice of separating international equities allocations into regional mandates at a strategic level “deserves a thorough rethink”

(more…)