Some proponents of fundamental indexation claim that the strategy is based on a new theory in which market prices of stocks deviate from fair values. A key assumption in this approach is that fundamental weights are unbiased estimators of fair value weights that are statistically independent of market values. This article demonstrates that, except in trivial cases, this assumption is internally inconsistent because the sources of the ‘errors’ are also determinants of market values.
Investment managers in Europe fail to employ techniques that avoid generating overly-concentrated portfolios because of poor input estimation, and do not fully take into account extreme risks when constructing portfolios, according to research by the EDHEC Risk and Management Research Centre.
Quantitative easing measures introduced by the UK’s Bank of England aimed at kick-starting the local economy have had the unintended consequence of pushing up UK pension scheme liabilities.
The $59 billion New Jersey Division of Investment, has made several changes to its alternatives investment portfolio including a slowdown in new commitments, on the back of a belief that large institutions with high allocations to alternatives will be forced to sell portions of their portfolios in order to raise liquidity and rebalance their overall asset allocations.
Five consecutive days leading into March were the most volatile on record for UK final salary pension schemes since accounting standards were changed in 2001, reflecting the risks associated with funding dependence on investment markets.
While the net asset values (NAVs) of private equity funds have been spared the steep declines taken by major indexes, the reporting lags inherent in private equity fund valuations should unveil double-digit losses for the first half of 2009.