S. Alan McKnight, Jr, CFA

With all the talk in the news about potential rate cuts – or a lack thereof – I wanted to share some recent commentary from Michael Plage and Ford O’Neil, two Fidelity fixed income portfolio managers, about their thoughts on fixed income for the rest of 2024. Want to learn more about Fidelity’s fixed income capabilities? Check out this link: https://bit.ly/3JGeIIL

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The share of target date fund assets as a percentage of total 401(k) assets has more than quadrupled since 2007. But how many 401(k) participants have access to TDFs in their plans? Find out in this month’s Retirement at a Glance. bit.ly/3UNORoY.

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The share of target date fund assets as a percentage of total 401(k) assets has more than quadrupled since 2007. But how many 401(k) participants have access to TDFs in their plans? Find out in this month’s Retirement at a Glance. bit.ly/3UNORoY.

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BlackRock Atlanta recently hosted a fireside chat with Samara Cohen, BlackRock’s Chief Investment Officer of ETF and Index Investments. The conversation was moderated by Teja Tops, an analyst in BlackRock’s Atlanta office, with an audience of fellow analysts. Here were some of Samara’s recommendations for the rising leaders: 1. Look at your career as a marathon, not a sprint. As you paint the portrait of your career, set mile markers for yourself that are both measurable and achievable — then figure out what you want to do next. 2. Move from competency to mastery. During her own analyst years, Samara aimed to move from learning everything she could, as fast as she could, to teaching what she’d learned to others. That’s a crucial way to take ownership of everything you’ve learned. 3. Build up those around you. It’s a win when you can look at someone and say you helped them excel into their best selves.

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In the latest edition of Research Viewpoints, Oppenheimer Asset Management’s Consulting and Alternative Investment teams share their view that while mega-cap stocks appear extended, there may be opportunities in what they find to be reasonably valued segments like large cap value, small cap equities, core fixed income, and diversifying strategies. Read about this and more in our latest edition.

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Unlocking the Power of Dynamic Multifactor Investing: Discover how this innovative strategy can optimize your portfolio for today's dynamic market environment. Check out our insights below that could potentially enhance your investment approach. #DynamicInvesting #MultifactorStrategy #InvestmentInnovation"

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Stocks just hit a record high. Record highs tend to be a characteristic of a bull market. We compare where this bull stands relative to history.

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Did you know that according to Fidelity's 2023 Family Office Investment Study, nearly half of family offices include direct indexing investments in their portfolio? There’s some great data to sort through in this survey, from portfolio construction strategy to alternative investments and more. Take a look! https://bit.ly/3K56ABL

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After April’s volatility, you won’t want to miss the latest Straight Talk. Join Brad Rutan and Equity Portfolio Manager Nevin Chitkara as they explore: - Current market environment - Importance of downside risk management - Understanding what you own bit.ly/3wkoflS.

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At the most recent FOMC meeting, central bank policy makers communicated that the string of recent firm inflation prints have not fundamentally changed their outlook for inflation or monetary policy. The credit markets are not pricing in a contraction of growth. Although headline pricing across most sectors of the fixed income market appear rich, beneath the surface a very different story exists across industries, capital structures and sectors. Read our specialty fixed income outlooks for the 2nd Quarter of 2024: https://bit.ly/4b8PEWt

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Another great event hosted by CFA Society Atlanta! There are many reasons to attend, not the least of which is meeting and hearing from very influential institutional investors. The discussion about sports investing with Wes Durham and Marc Lasry was fascinating! #privateequity #privatecredit #finance #investors #assetmanagement #management #business

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BlackRock Atlanta recently hosted a fireside chat with Samara Cohen, BlackRock’s Chief Investment Officer of ETF and Index Investments. The conversation was moderated by Teja Tops, an analyst in BlackRock’s Atlanta office, with an audience of fellow analysts. Here were some of Samara’s recommendations for the rising leaders: 1. Look at your career as a marathon, not a sprint. As you paint the portrait of your career, set mile markers for yourself that are both measurable and achievable — then figure out what you want to do next. 2. Move from competency to mastery. During her own analyst years, Samara aimed to move from learning everything she could, as fast as she could, to teaching what she’d learned to others. That’s a crucial way to take ownership of everything you’ve learned. 3. Build up those around you. It’s a win when you can look at someone and say you helped them excel into their best selves.

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Who could have possibly assumed that having 40% of your assets in illiquid funds could prove to be a problem at some point?? It looked great in Excel, didn't it!?!?! "While the endowment has achieved double-digit annualized returns over the past three decades, it did so at the expense of a consistent over-allocation to private equity, which Golden blamed on it expanding too fast into the area. It turns out that our analysis was somewhat mistaken as to how much we should commit to get there, and we just committed too much.”At 39.9 percent of assets by June 2023, Princo’s investment in private equity was double the average allocation for large US university endowments."

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If you think portfolio risk management is just about diversification, think again. This article sheds light on some surprising strategies that challenge common perceptions. Here are some thought-provoking takeaways: - Did you know that reducing the number of investments in a portfolio can sometimes actually decrease risks? It's all about strategic selection. - Contrary to popular belief, actively managing risk doesn't necessarily mean more frequent trading. In fact, a hands-off approach can be a smart move. - One of the key points discussed is the importance of understanding the correlation between investments, a factor often overlooked in risk management strategies. - Asymmetric risk and the role it plays in portfolio management is explored, offering a fresh perspective on balancing risk and return. - Ever considered tail risk hedging? This article dives into this lesser-known strategy that can enhance risk management effectiveness. Share your thoughts and feelings on these unconventional risk management strategies. https://lnkd.in/ecgSpH93

I believe there are three possible primary scenarios for the Federal Reserve, all of which would result in higher yields and steeper yield curves. https://lnkd.in/e4SV2-iq

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Hello Aravind, sorry I am on the sell side commenting and not a HNW investor intrigued by your important focus on fees and investor alignment. I have seen this theme from you before first hand in Edmonton last year at the IAFP, hope to see you again this year. We agree generally with your view on fees but I think you should consider the fees not disclosed and not required to be disclosed; 2-4% borrower fees. This is generally the unknown unknown for most advisors. The OM's will state that the manager can receive fees for originating loans or mortgages but I am yet to see anywhere, where those fees are actually shown. This is a monumental conflict of interest that is the epicentre of dislocation between investor interests and the manager's interests. It is all one single cost to the borrower but as the OM states, the borrower origination, commitment, extension, exit and etc. fees are all paid by the borrower and not by the investors so who needs to know. Wait what? A basic assessment of credit risk is how much a borrower is willing to pay for a loan.  As an advisor, if you do not know how much the borrower is paying for the loan, you will not know how risky the credit/mortgage fund is. Keep up the great work. Cheers.

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