Diversity still drives US investors

The impact of the financial crisis has not deflected US institutional investors from their pursuit of portfolio diversification.

Opinion is divided on whether BlackRock’s $13.5bn (€9.7bn) acquisition of Barclays Global Investors (BGI) will benefit clients. By Spencer Anderson.

The UK property market looks favourable against other countries, writes Andrew Allen.

Asset managers have a massive mountain to climb if they are to repair the significant loss of confidence from customers who have seen their savings and investments “destroyed” in recent months, one of the industry’s most influential figures has said. By Nat Mankelow.

A lack of credit is proving challenging for fund managers and investors, writes Katharina Lichtner.

Keva, the €20bn Finnish local government pensions institution, has moved an estimated €1bn of its emerging market equities from passive to active management. By Spencer Anderson.

ECA financing is being implemented across the region to boost Latin American economies hit by the global recession, writes Valentino Gallo.

The alternative exchanges marketplace is on the verge of a price war as many of the trading platforms that have sprung up this year fight for survival. By Nat Mankelow.

The Asian markets are showing positive signs, writes Joseph Wat.

Now is the perfect time for asset managers looking to gain a foothold in China to buy into or establish a Sino-foreign joint venture (JV) fund management company, according to Shanghai-based investment consultants, Z-Ben Advisors. By Henry Smith.

Investors continue to flee the rapidly-sinking asset class following last year’s financial meltdown, as a US group calls for funds to offer greater resilience to redemptions. By Nat Mankelow.

Irish and UK pensions will allocate more to alternative investments as a result of 2008, according to Goldman Sachs. By Spencer Anderson.

Recession and ignorance no longer stand up as valid reasons for incompetence, writes Henry Smith.

Longevity swaps have been popular with insurers in managing risk, but now pension funds are also realising the benefits, writes Gordon Fletcher.

With some assistance, the Iraqi Stock Exchange has taken a leap forward in technology terms, but its neighbours haven’t had it quite as easy.

It seems no one can escape the draw of the Twitter-sphere, and now FT Mandate is using the channel as a further method to update and get updated.

For alternative investment fund management regulation to work effectively, the EC must understand how each vehicle operates, writes Vincent Neate.

Corporate governance and the role of shareholders have shot up the financial sector’s agenda. Chief executive of Hermes EOS Colin Melvin explains the importance of working with firms to change practices. By Henry Smith.

Denmark’s public sector engineers’ fund, DIP Pensions, is not resting on its laurels, and its confident CIO predicts that further diversification throughout 2009 will lead to more positive returns for its many members. By Spencer Anderson.

Diversification may not have been as successful during the market crisis as many would have hoped, but if investors and managers assess each scenario with fresh eyes, loss can be reduced and returns can still be gained. By Henry Smith.

Sovereign wealth funds are inextricably linked to oil, but recent fluctuations in the price per barrel has forced these funds to take a keen look towards diversification, while still holding fast with their most basic strategies. By Spencer Anderson.

Despite a more favourable investment landscape that offers asset managers bespoke, largely superior options, gauging performance against a fund’s peers is made all the more difficult for the glut of choices available. By Gill Wadsworth.

With inflows into global bond funds at their highest since the end of 2004, managers are seizing the day and making wilder plays on the corporate and government debt markets. By Nat Mankelow.

Some might associate insurance-linked securities with their poorly regarded relations that are backed by suspect mortgages, but these instruments could offer the investor the holy grail of diversification. By Martin Fagan.

Improved safety, transparency and enhanced exposure to equity markets all make structured products attractive to institutional investors. Emmanuel Naim explains how these tools can help them achieve their goals in an uncertain economic environment.

Despite surviving the market downturn so far, smaller administrators are in danger of running out of steam, as client demand for improved technology and higher standards of service may price them out of the game. By Gerry O’Kane.

The EC’s draft regulations for the alternative investment industry demand greater transparency, reduced leverage and higher liquidity from funds. By Gerry O’Kane.

The global economic downturn has left many in the financial services industry scratching their heads. And with investment managers’ asset bases downsized, fund administrators must find new ways to turn a profit.

As hedge funds show increasing concern for risk, prime brokers have had to relinquish their comfortable position as sole service provider and settle for an equal share of the market with the opposing team of custodians. By Kalpana Fitzpatrick.

Fund administrators everywhere are reviewing their business plan following the market downturn, but the well established European centres of administrative excellence continue to attract new opportunities. By Ceri Jones.

Alternative and emerging market ETFs are growing in popularity, but can struggle to maintain the daily liquidity levels that investors demand. By Nat Mankelow.

Bonds have traditionally been relied on to provide a safe haven for investors when equities face the dangers of volatile markets, but the ups and downs of the past year have left a few bruises on even the main players’ funds. By Spencer Anderson.

In their hunt for liquidity, many non-primary exchanges see better order routing as crucial to gaining market share. Can smart order routing save the day, or will flow always go to the incumbents? By Nat Mankelow.

The Kuwait stock exchange has a strong domestic focus and serves as a popular holding for many Kuwaiti families’ assets. But changes are afoot that could see the KSE become less insular and better regulated. By Spencer Anderson.