Doing a solid or two for investors; hey, the more the merrier, right? So, when it comes to active fixed income, it’s said that active managers dispense important expertise, which explains why they can bill slightly more than passively managed funds. When it comes to fees, of course, they tend to be a bit easier on the pocketbook, according to ftadviser.com.

But – and isn’t there typically one – the debate among bond investors is more nuanced. Here’s the upshot: to some, because of the immense size of the bond market and since it’s so liquid, pinpointing the market inefficiencies that put active managers, or are supposed to, in a position to deliver value’s a little, well, trickier.

That said, this just in: it’s snot incumbent on active managers to be perfect. Yep; seriously.

In fact, during the past 70 years, studies of market indices show, these managers can land on the wrong side of the market approaching 40% of the time, according to naaim.org. And even then still equal a buy and hold return. When the market’s in an upturn, the deeper an investor reaches into their pocket, the more performance leverage they generate.

Rules….rules.

Yeah, well, don’t follow ‘em, you could just find yourself in a bit of tepid water.

In June, five registered representatives or brokers of The Securities and Exchange Commission were charged by the body with violating Best Interest Obligation regulations – known commonly as Regulation Best Interest or Reg BI, according to napa-net.org. The subjects include Nancy Cole, Patrick Egan, Andy Gitipityapon, Steven Graham, and Thomas Swan.

The issue stems from their recommendation and selling of an unrated, high-risk debt security known as L Bonds to retirees and other retail investors. Western sold an aggregate of $13.3 million of L Bonds from July 2020 through April 2021, alleges the SEC complaint. The kicker: many of the customers were on fixed incomes with moderate levels of risk tolerance, while the bonds were high risk, illiquid, and only suitable for customers with substantial financial resources stated the issuer, GWG Holding Inc.

Neither Western nor the registered representatives used reasonable diligence, care and skill to grasp the risks linked with L Bonds, claims the SEC. And it doesn’t stop there. Western also was charged by the SEC of violating Reg Bi’s Compliance Obligation, according to sec.gov/. Western’s policies and procedures were duplicated – and significantly so – from the SEC’s Small Entity Compliance Guide, the SEC charged. As for specific tailoring to Western’s particular business? It had none.

According to the findings of the Advisor Edition of State Street Global Advisors’ Inflation Impact Survey, the vast majority of investors who are currently working with a financial advisor, believe their advisors’ insight and guidance are valued more today during the current period of market volatility and rising inflation. The survey revealed that approximately three-quarters of investors have discussed inflation with their advisors and how inflation will impact their investment goals in both the short and long term. 90% say they value their financial advisors’ knowledge and guidance even more during uncertain times, and 86% believe their advisor has helped them remain confident during the current period of rising inflation and market volatility. The data follows the initial findings of State Street’s Global Advisors’ Inflation Impact Survey that showed inflation-induced stress and anxiety is influencing investor behavior with short-term budgeting and long-term financial goals.

Finsum:State Street’s Inflation Impact Survey revealed that investors are placing a higher value on their financial advisor’s guidance during times of heightened market volatility and inflation.

Relative Strength is an investment strategy based on the belief that winning securities will continue to outperform. It provides a way for advisors to identify leading stocks in sectors and other market segments based on their history of outperformance. The premise is that investors should only invest in the areas of the market that have shown the ability to outperform. Investors should stay with those securities as long as they continue to outperform and then sell when they begin to fade.

Since relative strength is based on price, and not on fundamental research or your gut, emotion doesn’t Companies, sectors, and other market segments can establish themselves as leaders and even remain as leaders for years to come. 

Relative strength can also identify areas of the market that have weakened and should be avoided. This can help your portfolio adapt to market swings. It can also help you to manage risk. However, you should note that relative strength will not be able to target a stock’s exact top or bottom as no investment strategy can be expected to do so consistently.  Plus, waiting for confirmation that a stock is in fact a leader, allows you to avoid stocks that are short-term winners, but fail to establish themselves long-term. 

Relative strength’s ability to deliver outperformance has been demonstrated by numerous academic and financial studies. Since relative strength is simply the comparison of price performance in a universe of securities, it’s not difficult to develop a rules-based system for investing in high relative strength securities.

Nasdaq Dorsey Wright helps advisors identify Relative Strength stocks and sectors for them to include in their client portfolios. Click here for a free trial of relative strength research and tools.

CAIS recently announced that Mariner Wealth Advisors selected the firm to provide a customized alternative investment platform solution for the firm’s rapidly growing network of advisors. CAIS is a leading alternative investment platform for independent financial advisors. It provides advisors with a broad selection of alternative investment strategies, including hedge funds, private equity, and more. Mariner Wealth Advisors is a privately held advisory firm with over $60 billion in assets under advisement. CAIS will offer Mariner’s advisors access to a broad menu of alternative investment funds and products, educational resources, end-to-end digitized transaction processing, and third-party reporting integrations. Mariner’s advisors will receive access to a curated menu of diversified alternative investment products across asset classes and qualification levels. CAIS will also assist in the launch of proprietary funds and multi-manager funds managed by Mariner Wealth Advisors and enable the firm to add its own sourced third-party funds to the platform for centralized monitoring, transacting, and reporting.

Finsum:Alternative investment platform CAIS was recently selected by Mariner Wealth Advisors to provide its advisors with a broad selection of alternative investment strategies.

Fidelity Investments is expanding its alternative offerings with a new private credit fund. According to Ignites, the company registered the Fidelity Private Credit Fund as a ‘40-Act fund structured as a perpetual-term business development company. The fund will be managed by Fidelity Diversifying Solutions, the company’s new alternative unit. The fund, which will focus on lending to smaller firms, is looking to raise between $100 million and $1 billion initially. The fund will allow investors who don’t necessarily meet the requirements needed to invest in private equity, venture capital, or hedge funds. However, it does require them to have a gross income of $70,000 per year or a net worth of $250,000. According to the fund’s prospectus, net fees for the fund will range from 4.89% for institutional shares to 5.74% for S-class shares. It will also have a performance fee of 12.5% each quarter exceeding 5% growth and 12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains from inception through each calendar year.

Finsum:Fidelity is expected to launch a new private credit fund for investors who typically don’t meet the requirements needed to invest in private equity or hedge funds.

JPMorgan Chase has partnered with software firm Datamaran to create a data-analysis tool for clients to gauge the ESG risks facing portfolio companies and the ESG risks that these assets pose to the world around them. This is a concept known as double materiality. While the concept is already built into EU ESG regulations, this would be the first time it is used in the U.S. The new tool is called ESG Discovery. Jean Xavier Hecker, who is the Paris-based co-head of EMEA ESG research at JPMorgan and the designer of the tool, stated, “Double materiality is the only way to think about ESG in a way that is both forward-looking and comprehensive.” The tool, which is now available to JPMorgan clients, will use artificial intelligence to compile data from corporate disclosures, regulations, and online media. It is important to note that it won’t provide an ESG rating or score. Its focus is on unpacking individual ESG drivers.

Finsum:JPMorgan has partnered with software firm Datamaran to create a tool that uses artificial intelligence to evaluate ESG risks.

Before the pandemic, advisors and their staff were enjoying elevated compensation levels. But once the pandemic occurred, advisors suddenly needed to take stock of the financial health of their businesses. While the market downturn in 2020 didn’t last long, its effects led firms to become more conservative with their expenses. The continued volatility in the market resulted in firms looking to increase profit margins and aggressively cut costs. Rent and office expenses were the first to be cut, however, the largest expense by a considerable margin was non-owner compensation. According to an article in City Wire USA written by Damian Lo Basso, managing partner, and CFO at Journey Strategic Wealth, the years 2020 and 2021 were the first years since the financial crisis that many firms kept salaries and bonuses flat. In addition, some firms are now tying up to 50% of team members’ bonuses to overall firm performance.

Finsum: Due to the effects of the pandemic and ongoing uncertainty in the market, advisor teams are seeing their compensation being tied to firm performance.

Franklin Templeton has partnered with Futu Securities International, a Hong Kong-regulated operation of digital brokerage Futu, to offer three risk-based model portfolios. The two companies have worked together since 2019 when Futu rolled out its mutual fund business to help expand its client base. The new model portfolios will help the China-based company strengthen its strategic relationship with Franklin Templeton. The model portfolios will have various risk levels to fulfill the client's needs and risk appetites. Futu is leading the brokerage industry in Hong Kong with a high market penetration rate. According to the company, its average user spends 1.5 hours per day on the Futubull app. The company also claims that its Hong Kong users accounted for more than 40% of Hong Kong’s adult population.

Finsum:Franklin Templeton is renewing its partnership with Hong Kong-based Futu Securities with the launch of three risk-based model portfolios.

When it comes to September, stocks have a track record of not exactly rocking – much less rolling. For the 30 year period, average returns chime in at -0.34% and -0.26% for the 15-year period, according to forbes.com. The five year period: -0.92%.

And it just keeps getting better with the month in a category of its own as a period when the market held down the rear, drooping on average in every time period.

Now, consider that along with the fact that, already, the year, stoked by factors such as flaming inflation, bulging interest rates and a recession keeping nearly everyone on edge has, you might say, been crackling with volatility. So, how could investors react? Why, they might go shopping for a placeholder for their considerable assets.

Fed chair Jerome Powell, addressing this year’s Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, acknowledged that to stave off growth, it’s probable rates will remain on the high side, not exactly comforting to households and businesses, according to talkmarkets.com.

Trying to read the tea leaves, there are market watchers who believe Powell means he’s no longer homed in on a soft landing. Rather, his focus might on a “growth recession,” as economists characterize it. A growth recession, of course, loosely is marked as a period when the economy’s headed north, yet so slowly that it’s putting a crimp in the volume of available jobs.