Research Publications Archive

2023 Outlook: Equities

We expect global earnings growth will be below average next year, as prior interest rate hikes increasingly bite. With this backdrop, we expect value equities will outperform, Chinese equity underperformance will correct, and Healthcare may present an overweight opportunity.

2023 Outlook: Interest Rates

We expect interest rates will increase in many developed markets, as implied by market pricing. But we think the Fed will hold rates in restrictive territory for longer than expected. We don’t believe any increases will prompt another European sovereign debt crisis.

2023 Outlook: Portfolio Wide

We expect most investors should maintain equity allocations in line with policy targets. Consistent with this idea, we believe investors with portfolios that are more diversified across risk exposures will tend to fare better than investors holding more correlated investments.

College and University Flash Statistics Report: Fiscal Year 2022

The College and University Flash Statistics Report provides a first look at the results of our 2022 College and University Investment Pool Returns survey. Included in the report are investment pool returns and asset allocation for 158 colleges and universities. Look for our full annual analysis in the upcoming College and University Investment Pool Returns report to be published later this winter.

Endowment Governance: Aligning Foundation Investments and Mission

Drawing on research that Cambridge Associates has conducted with major grant-making foundations, this paper discusses the shifting mission-aligned investment landscape and the importance of governance in developing and overseeing a mission-aligned investment program. We lay out important steps in the mission-alignment process to define the scope of the commitment, structure, key milestones, and measures of success.

Solvency Beyond Relief: Unlocking the Full Potential of SFA Program Assets

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 included substantial relief funds for the most troubled US multiemployer pension plans through its Special Financial Assistance (SFA) program. This paper looks at how multiemployer plans have a unique opportunity to improve their solvency through 2051 and beyond by optimizing how they invest both SFA relief funds and their existing plan assets.

Quantitative Tightening Raises the Risks for Markets

With inflation running at multi-decade highs, monetary policymakers are united in one of the most aggressive tightening campaigns in decades. Most central banks have already significantly increased policy rates this year, and some are unwinding their massive balance sheets, also known as quantitative tightening (QT). In this paper, we review what is known about the current state of central banks’ balance sheets and their operations, discuss some known uncertainties of QT’s impact on financial markets, and consider QT in the context of the current market environment.

Optimizing Wealth Transfer for Families: A Focus on Next Gen Investors

Most families of significant wealth inevitably grapple with intergenerational wealth transitions. While shifting the responsibility for a family’s long-term financial health can be a challenging endeavor, generational transfers are also an opportunity for families to take a fresh look at their financial goals. With this in mind, we advocate a three-part framework for families seeking to integrate members of the next generation into the wealth management process, which focuses on engagement, education, and empowerment.

Will Brazil’s Presidential Election Undercut the Country’s Recent Strong Equity Performance?

No, we don’t think so. While there may be higher-than-typical market volatility around the run-off election on October 30, we expect economic issues will be the primary driver of Brazilian equities in the months that follow. On balance, we see these issues as neither overly positive nor negative and recommend that investors maintain Brazilian allocations in line with their policy.