Wealth Management
In an article for MarketWatch, Isabel Wang details comments from Blackrock’s Gargi Chadhuri who is the Head of Investment Strategy for iShares. The major uncertainty for fixed income investors is whether the Fed’s current pause is temporary or the end of the hiking cycle.
According to Chaudhari, the market is too optimistic that the Fed is finished in terms of further hikes given that inflation has proven to be more resilient than expected. Therefore, Blackrock is recommending medium-term duration fixed income to take advantage of elevated yields with reduced volatility.
At the latest FOMC meeting, Chair Jerome Powell surprised market participants with a more hawkish tone than expected, implying that the job isn’t done yet in terms of tightening policy. Further hikes are bearish for the long-end, while the budding signs that the economy could stumble into a recession are bearish for the short-end.
As a result, the strategist recommends medium-duration fixed income such as the iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF or the iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF. Overall, he sees more opportunity in fixed income given higher rates and an uncertain outlook especially following a decade of a lack of opportunity in the space during the period of zero percent rates.
Finsum: iShares head of Investment Strategy, Gargi Chadhuri believes that medium-duration fixed income offers the best combination of risk and reward for investors.
Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO) is launching two new active fixed income ETFs. The firm is already a leader in the active fixed income space, and it continues to offer new products to meet growing demand for the category. Compared to active equity funds, active fixed income has a better track record of outperformance vs passive. Active fixed income funds are also able to take opportunities in different parts of the capital structure that are unavailable to passive fixed income funds.
Its two new offerings are the PIMCO Multisector Bond Active ETF (PYLD) and the PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF (BILZ). PYLD will invest in investment-grade and high-yield fixed income securities globally with a focus on long-term appreciation, diversification, and maximizing yield. PIMCO CIO Daniel Ivascyn sees major opportunities given the turbulence and volatility over the past couple of years.
Its second launch is the PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF (BILZ) which will invest in short-term US Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities with the goals of maximizing yield and capital preservation. It’s designed to be an alternative to cash and a way for investors to take advantage of lofty short-term rates.
Finsum: PIMCO is launching 2 new active fixed income ETFs. One is a global, multistrategy fund looking at long-term opportunities following recent dislocations. The other invests in short-term government debt and is designed to serve as a cash alternative.
Client turnover and attrition is a reality for every financial advisor. In order to combat this entropy, advisors need to have a marketing plan, generate leads, and build a pipeline of prospects. For many advisors, this is something they don’t enjoy as they get into the business because they enjoy analyzing investments and servicing clients.
However, this type of discipline is necessary to ensure that your firm keeps growing. In an article for Nasdaq.com, Luke Acree, the President and founder of ReminderMedia, discusses some ways that financial advisors can generate leads which is the first step in growing a practice.
The simplest step is to ensure that you are providing proper and full attention to existing clients. A good idea before embarking on a growth plan is to ensure that your current clients are satisfied. This also increases the chances of getting a referral which tend to be the highest-quality leads.
Building on online presence is a strategy that will pay off in the long-term. In the short-term, there is little return for your efforts, but it’s increasingly how younger generations will find you and make decisions. Ensure that your profiles are professional while displaying your personality and unique offering.
Finsum: High-quality leads are integral for any financial advisor practice to grow. Here are some suggestions on how advisors can ensure a steady stream of leads to help build their pipeline of prospects.
More...
In an article for Reuters, Ross Kerber reported on Tesla being added back to the S&P 500 ESG index following the EV maker adding environmental disclosures regarding its material sourcing and hiring practices.
Tesla was removed from the index last year following a series of controversies including a racial discrimination lawsuit and reports of crashes due to its autopilot program. At the time, CEO Elon Musk had been dismissive of the movement, labeling it a ‘scam’. S&P attributed the change to the company providing more information about climate risks and information about its supply chain management strategy.
The move is seen as symbolic given that only about $8 billion in assets is linked to the S&P 500 ESG index. However, it could start other ESG funds adding the EV leader to its holdings.
Currently, the S&P ESG Index is going through this annual rebalancing with 39 companies being added, while 23 were removed. Notably, some of these moves have drawn scrutiny from people on both sides of the aisle given the additions of Chevron and Fox, while Exxon Mobil had previously been a member of the index, while Tesla was excluded.
Finsum: Tesla has been added back to the S&P ESG Index after providing disclosures about its hiring practices, climate risks, and supply chain strategy.
In an article for ThinkAdvisor, Dinah Wisenberg Brin discussed a recent bullish commentary on various segments of the fixed income market from John Hancock’s co-chief investment strategist Matthew Miskin.
Miskin sees the current inverted yield curve as due to normalize in the coming months as the Federal Reserve embarks on a cutting cycle given the firm’s view that the economy should continue to decelerate along with cooling inflation. This will create a bond ‘bull steepener’ as short-term rates decline.
It sees a recession materializing over the next couple of quarters which would be a positive tailwind for fixed income. He sees opportunities in intermediate duration bonds which historically have performed the best following yield curve inversions. Further, he sees value in the space given that the average investment-grade, intermediate bond portfolio is trading at 90 cents on the dollar with a 5% yield.
Miskin is also bullish on municipal bonds given historically attractive yields of 7% on a ta-equivalent basis for the highest earners. In terms of equities, the firm is not a believer in the current stock market rally given weakness in earnings and its expectations of a further softening of the economic picture.
Finsum: John Hancock’s co-chief investment strategist is bullish on fixed income with a particular focus on intermediate duration and municipal debt.
The alternative investing trend was growing at a rapid clip over the past decade, but its seen an uptick in interest and adoption following the poor performance of stocks and bonds. While both asset classes have delivered strong, long-term results, they have performed poorly in inflationary, higher-rate environments.
In contrast, alternative investing delivered better returns while also reducing portfolio volatility. As access to this category has increased, there is more liquidity and transparency which is, in turn, attracting more interest from institutions.
In an article for Business Kora, Jung Min-Hee covers how the Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) will be increasing its allocation to alternative investments to 25%. Currently, it is the 10th largest sovereign wealth fund in the world and has $170 billion in assets. As of the start of the year, it had 22% allocated to alternatives.
In an interview, KIC President Jin Seung-ho indicated that the fund is particularly interested in private credit as he doesn’t see too much risk in this segment of the market. Concurrently, he doesn’t see the Fed cutting rates until 2024.
Finsum: Many financial advisors are nearing retirement. One option that is growing in popularity is for advisors to sell their practice but remain as an employee for a certain amount of time.