United States, Intermediary
Change
Investment principles
Our multi-manager solutions team has developed key principles that encapsulate the team members’ strongly held beliefs, including:
- High active share is a useful measure of alpha potential, a critical element in structuring equity allocations, and a defense against closet indexing. This principle is based on the team’s belief that the potential to generate alpha increases as managers differentiate their portfolios from their benchmarks. Moreover, it helps guide the team’s efforts to ensure alpha potential remains high when constructing multi-manager portfolios for clients.
- The impact of risk factors on returns has increased materially and, given structural changes to markets, is unlikely to decline. In addition, the team members believe risk factors are more nuanced and numerous than the classic “nine style box” would suggest. Therefore, they have created a detailed proprietary risk-factor framework that they employ in internal risk analysis and in the management of client portfolios.
- Investment decisions should be guided by risk considerations. The team’s manager allocation process, factor research, risk tools, and discussions with investors start with a risk view. As a result, they typically have a mandate to pursue alpha for clients but with a specific risk profile.
In recent years, the frequency of risk-factor outliers has increased dramatically, and today risk factors are generally on par with security selection in terms of their impact on portfolio performance.
Explore insights
Showing
of
Insights Posts
How to weather the storm: A roadmap for more resilient portfolios
As we face a new era of elevated market and cycle volatility, Co-Head of Investment Strategy Natasha Brook-Walters assesses how asset owners can ensure that their portfolios are up for the challenge.
Article
2024-07-31
The alpha equation: Balancing active risk sources in multi-asset portfolios
Members of our iStrat Team share their research on the process of deciding how much active risk to take at the asset class and security levels in pursuit of alpha objectives. They also offer a step-by-step framework for implementing the research findings.
Whitepaper
2024-04-30
Win by losing? The surprising truth about long-term active management
Research shows that even the best managers have had to bounce back from periods of underperformance. For asset owners who've invested time and effort to find these managers, the data argues for cultivating a long-term mindset.
Quick Take
2024-04-30
The allocator’s perspective: three key decisions on EM equities
How can investors best access opportunities within an improving outlook for emerging market equities? Natasha Brook-Walters, co-head of iStrat, shares three key decision points for allocators.
Article
2024-03-31
EM evolution: New paths in equity portfolio construction
Multi-Asset Strategist Adam Berger offers a framework for structuring EM equity portfolios, with a focus on "EM 3.0" — differentiated active strategies that have less reference to cap-weighted benchmarks and may be more diversifying in a portfolio.
Whitepaper
2024-01-31
An allocator’s playbook for 2023
Natasha Brook-Walters, co-head of iStrat, examines the three objectives allocators may wish to focus on in 2023.
Video
2023-12-31
Adding thematic equity investments to a multi-asset portfolio: An allocator’s handbook
Thematic investing may add a powerful return engine to portfolios, but allocators sometimes struggle with implementation decisions. Members of our Investment Strategy Team offer a framework for thinking about allocation size, strategy selection, and performance evaluation.
Whitepaper
2024-01-31
Mid-2022 Alternative Investments Outlook
As allocators cope with economic uncertainty and market volatility, Multi-Asset Strategist Cara Lafond explains how alternative investments could potentially play a role in improving portfolio resilience and returns.
Continue reading
Article
2023-08-31
Nobody’s perfect: The case for a long-term strategy in active management
While many asset owners recognize the value of a long-term mindset, it can be challenging to resist short-term instincts in volatile environments like the one we’ve seen in recent months. But asset owners who have a strategy to help them stay focused on the long term may avoid a number of potentially costly behaviors, including abandoning a thoughtfully selected allocation to a manager after a relatively short period of underperformance.
Continue reading
Quick Take
2023-05-02
Changing “weather” patterns in alternatives and climate
Multi-Asset Strategist Adam Berger offers a forecast on the future of alternative and climate-related investing, with insights on manager selection, public/private allocations, climate-aware capital market assumptions, and a range of other topics.
Continue reading
Article
2022-11-30
Should China equity be a stand-alone allocation?
As China’s role on the world stage looms larger, should investors separate the country from the rest of their emerging markets (EM) equity allocation? Three of our multi-asset strategists provide their research-based take, along with some practical considerations.
Continue reading
Quick Take
2022-05-31
URL References
Related Insights
