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Research

Is the emerging markets
concept dated?

Are broad emerging-markets allocations still appropriate? By analysing the trend of mandate configuration, this paper by MSCI looks at whether the emerging-markets concept is dated and whether broad-based emerging-markets investing remains an appealing way to capture economic growth premium. Read the report here.
STAFF WRITEROctober 19, 2012
Research

The ultimate forward rate: implications for Dutch pension plans

A research paper by MSCI examines the implications for Dutch pension plans if the country’s regulators introduce the ultimate forward rate in the construction of the yield curve used to discount pensions’ liabilities to their present value. Read all about it here: Research_Insights_Dutch_Pension_Plans_Sept_2012
STAFF WRITERSeptember 14, 2012
Research

The pitfalls of risk modelling

Many portfolio managers use multi-factor models, but these are only as good as the various inputs used to construct them. MSCI looks at how flawed-model construction can result in optimised portfolios that are not efficient. The paper, Is Your Risk Model Letting Your Optimized Portfolio Down?, reveals that faulty risk models tend to underestimate risk […]
SAM RILEYAugust 31, 2012
Research

How to find a safe haven in Europe

MSCI looks at how equity investors can find European stocks that offer some protection against the current volatility buffering markets. Zoltán Nagy and Oleg Ruban examine how the Barra Europe Equity model (EUE3) can be used to help identify stocks that are less sensitive to the unfavorable movements in troubled countries. Using the covariance matrix […]
 August 1, 2012
Research

Demystifying equal weighting

The idea of accessing risk premia through the use of index-based funds and ETFs has been gaining momentum in recent years. Risk premia indexes aim to reflect the equity premia of stock characteristics such as value, size or momentum. Among the risk premia indexes, equally weighted indexes are some of the oldest and most well […]
 July 13, 2012
Uncategorised posts

MSCI: the data toolmaker

With hundreds of indexes, portfolio and risk analytics, and a growing emerging-markets and environmental, social and governance (ESG) focus, MSCI is a business in constant evolution, but chief executive and chairman, Henry Fernandez, says institutional investors are demanding further development, such as private-equity indexes. Fernandez has been chief executive of MSCI since 1996, when the […]
Amanda WhiteJune 6, 2012
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