A one-page paper from UBS Global Asset Management has urged investors to avoid holding large amounts of cash during a difficult investment and economic environment. The reasoning was that investors would miss out on a recovery and fail to take advantage of low risk opportunities.

Iceland is looking to private equity to help resuscitate its beleaguered domestic companies.

Two new ventures are underway, one from the country’s pension funds, and the other from financial services firm Audur Capital.

Low equity prices offer great value to investors with a long-term view, writes Justin Thomson.

Even if banks heal and profits recover, a sense of disillusionment may limit enthusiasm for equities, writes Daniel C. Peirce.

The covered bond market could be heading for a reversal in fortunes following a series of deals where the bond rating is less dependent from the issuer’s.

Funds of hedge funds are demanding customised accounts in order to gain an accurate picture of the liquidity of the underlying securities they are investing in. By Henry Smith.

Stronger fundamentals mean governments have greater freedom to implement policies to combat the downturn than in the past, writes Marcelo Assalin.

China should prove a great investment opportunity for those with a medium-term view, writes Yang Liu.

Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme was a porcupine of red flags, and yet several institutional investors bought in. By Martin Steward.

It will be hard to tempt investors back into equities, but that may be no bad thing, writes Henry Smith.

The fund of hedge funds industry is going through a period of consolidation which should make it stronger in the long-term, writes Alex Balfour.

Boutique fund houses need to make widespread changes if they are to adapt to the current climate, something that Martin Currie’s chief executive Willie Watt has not shied away from in the past, writes Yuri Bender.

Diversification may not have protected portfolios as well as had been hoped but the strategy remains sound, writes Lloyd Raynor.

Under the stewardship of José Barréiro, BBVA is taking cautious steps onto the asset management world stage, with the bank’s focus centred on growing market share in Latin America. By Henry Smith.

Leen Meijaard explains the four strategic priorities that are driving Blackrock’s approach to the long-term trends in the institutional market. By Henry Smith.

Corporate credit is clawing its way back into the investment briefs of the world’s largest fixed income managers. With pension funds increasingly seeing value in investment grade and high-yield or distressed products as a strategic counterpoint to low yielding gilts and treasuries, has credit turned the corner for good? By Nat Mankelow.

Pension funds using LDI strategies fared better in 2008 than those without. But while their use in continental Europe is well established, are they just an intermediate step for UK trustees before looking at a buyout? By Henry Smith.

The convertible bond market went through an existential crisis last autumn. Are they now one of the most compelling value plays in credit – or already a missed opportunity? By Martin Steward.

Three multi-strategy funds of funds and one equity market-neutral fund of funds which came through 2008 relatively unscathed offer some lessons for wealth-protection in stormy times. By Martin Steward.

Demand for complex products is falling as derivatives users look to rein in risk. But those strategies that are flexible and efficient enough to generate returns in a very difficult environment are also attracting attention. By Christine Senior.

ETFs were one of the few products to enjoy a successful 2008 and the outlook is bright with use among the IFA community set to increase. By Nat Mankelow.

The best-performing cautious balanced funds came through 2008 by putting safety first. Do they think it is time to start easing into some credit or equity exposure? By Martin Steward.

Foreign exchange investors are increasingly concerned with hedging currency risk rather than increasing their returns, with forward contracts and FX options two categories of derivatives being utilised during this period of increased volatility. By Rekha Menon.

Multilateral trading facilities could drive down costs and improve liquidity but the downturn in trading volumes has led to questions whether MTFs can break even in the current environment, and a number of launches have been postponed. By Ceri Jones.

Ronan Cossec, a senior product development manager with Caceis Bank Luxembourg, explains why ETFs are proving so popular with investors.

Fund adminstrators are having to change their operational models to cope with the economic downturn. But is it the big players or the niche operators that are more likely to survive in the tough financial climate? By Kalpana Fitzpatrick.