Portfolio Construction
Tax Management Update – Q4 2021
While tax code changes remain uncertain, the strong fourth quarter bull market continued to limit opportunities for harvesting losses in portfolios.
Sharpe-Weighting: An Alternative Portfolio Construction Technique
Weighting portfolio assets based on their Sharpe ratios may be a good alternative to mean-variance optimization to help optimize risk efficiency.
- January 18, 2022
Portfolio Rebalancing in Uncertain Times
Periodic rebalancing is necessary to maintain an investor’s target risk profile, but it’s important to understand the costs and benefits.
- January 6, 2022
Equity Diversification for the Next Selloff
With their yields near all-time lows, Treasuries may no longer provide reliable diversification for equities in the next crisis. What else might work?
- December 20, 2021
- Mark J. Cintolo
Choosing an Optimal Target Date Solution
Balancing performance, fees, investment processes, and equity allocation parameters is key to evaluating target date fund managers.
- December 14, 2021
- Kevin McCullough
Portfolio Defense: Value, Growth, or Neither?
Analysis of 20-year returns suggests that sector diversification may be a more effective defensive strategy than favoring growth or value equity styles.
Valuations and Fundamentals: A Historical Perspective
While P/E ratios are still close to their historic highs, equities remain attractive when adjusting for interest rates and a different fundamental backdrop.
- December 9, 2021
- David T. Reilly
Opportune Time to Revisit REITs
REITs can provide a diversified source of income, an inflation hedge and growth potential – but they are often missing from investor portfolios.
- December 7, 2021
- Gregory V. Kanarian
Asset Allocator’s Guide to Equity Diversification Strategies
Investors concerned about offsetting equity risk may want to look beyond traditional assets like dividend-paying stocks, gold, and core fixed income funds.
- December 2, 2021
- Brian Kmetz
From the Consultant’s Desk: Reframing the Growth vs. Value Debate
Our consultants explain why defensive and cyclical sectors may be a better way to diversify an equity portfolio than the traditional growth/value framework.
Managing Risk: Implications of China’s Regulatory Changes
China’s rollout of regulations, especially for internet firms, is analyzed through a risk management lens by Portfolio Manager Eric Liu at Harris Associates.
The Shift from Growth & Value to Business Cycle Investing
Evaluating equity exposures in the context of their response to the business cycle can lead to better portfolio construction.
- November 2, 2021
- David T. Reilly
Using Factor Analysis to Build Better Portfolios
Identifying a portfolio’s risk factors – the underlying investment exposures that drive returns – is a critical step in the asset allocation process.
- October 20, 2021
- Mark J. Cintolo - Sean Kaukas
From the Consultant’s Desk: 4 Trends Dominating Advisor Portfolios
Portfolio consultants discuss record high equity allocations, economic cycle dynamics, and the growing popularity of alternatives and model portfolios.
Generate Better After-Tax Returns with Direct Indexing
Learn why direct indexing with a separately managed account (SMA) is more tax-efficient than an index fund or ETF.
Institutional Investment Trends Midyear 2021
In a strong equity market, institutions are rebalancing into fixed income and looking for opportunities to outsource certain investment management functions.
- August 11, 2021
- Mark J. Cintolo
Bottoms Up: Finding Sustainable Growth in a Global Value Chain
Through a pint of beer, take a look at how Loomis Sayles’ Growth Equity Strategies Team analyzes the beverage industry’s global value chain.
Using Option Strategies to Help Manage Portfolio Volatility
Learn how option strategies can help manage the volatility of equities and create a smoother ride.
Cryptocurrency Series: Halving Cycles – Understanding Bitcoin Price Fluctuations
Introduction to Bitcoin, including the mining process, the impact of “halving cycles” on pricing trends, and price performance since 2010.
From the Consultant’s Desk: 10 Trends in 2020
From the growth vs. value divide to the profusion of unicorns and the struggle to find yield, financial professionals had their hands full in 2020.
5 Investment Trends in US Advisor Portfolios – Spring 2021
Recent trends show increasing growth style bias, higher emerging market allocations and focus on quality fixed income holdings in moderate portfolios.
- March 5, 2021
- Mark J. Cintolo
Five Institutional Investment Trends to Watch
Recent trends include cash deployment, sustainable investment screening, and muni debt issuance by colleges and universities.
- March 3, 2021
- Mark J. Cintolo
Institutional Investment Trends During the Covid Market
Six institutional asset allocation and investment trends derived from data analyzed by Natixis Investment Managers Solutions consultants.
- October 22, 2020
- Mark J. Cintolo
Asset Allocation Trends During the COVID Market
Key trends derived from in-depth analysis of model portfolios by Natixis Investment Managers Solutions consultants.
- October 13, 2020
- Mark J. Cintolo
Direct Indexing Solutions for Tax-Efficient Diversification
Learn how a direct indexing strategy can help control the tax impact of diversifying a concentrated stock position.
Tax-Efficient Portfolio Transitions Using Direct Indexing
Discover how direct indexing can help minimize the tax consequences of transitioning portfolio assets to a new account.