Research Publications Archive

Emerging Markets Equity Manager Performance: 2017

Despite exceptional overall returns, more than 55% of active emerging markets equity managers underperformed the MSCI Emerging Markets Index gross of fees in 2017, marking the first time since 2009 that the majority have underperformed in back-to-back years. This chart book is our annual summary of the absolute and relative performance of managers that report to our database.

Annual Review of Endowments: Fiscal Year 2017

This new report summarizes portfolio returns, asset allocation, and related trends for 289 endowed institutions. Included are exhibits on asset class returns, performance attribution, risk analytics, policy portfolio benchmarking, and uncalled capital commitments to private investments. The analysis is broken down by size of assets under management and by institution type. The report also contains…

Global Equity Manager Performance: 2017

In 2017, the median active global equity manager outperformed the MSCI World Index by 150 basis points (gross of fees), the seventh time in ten years that the median manager outperformed the index. This chart book is our annual summary of the absolute and relative performance of managers that report to our database.

Decades of Data: 1900–2017

In over 40 different analyses and 100 charts, our annual report on the history of global markets provides context for the range of returns investors can expect from equities, bonds, and cash; reveals the importance of various components of equity returns; examines the evidence for equity mean reversion; and reviews the relationship between initial valuations…

Global ex US Equity Manager Performance: 2017

In 2017, 75.8% of active Global ex US managers outperformed the MSCI EAFE Index gross of fees, with the median manager outperforming by 260 basis points. This chart book is our annual summary of the absolute and relative performance of managers that report to our database.

US Mid- to Large-Cap Equity Manager Performance: 2017

Despite strong overall returns, active managers continued their now four-year streak of underperformance against the index, with 54.4% underperforming (gross of fees) in 2017. For the year, the median US mid- to large-cap manager underperformed the Russell 1000® Index by 70 basis points. This chart book is our annual summary of the absolute and relative performance of managers that report to our database.

Distressed Debt: A New Way to Categorize Managers

As the economic cycle progresses, the next recession draws inexorably closer, bringing with it the next downturn in the credit cycle. Recognizing this, institutional investors are increasingly considering allocations to distressed debt managers. While lumping all distressed managers into one group is tempting, different managers have meaningfully different approaches and investors’ traditional way of thinking about distressed debt managers makes timing paramount. In this paper, we offer a new way to think about distressed investing that combines three complementary sub-strategies and encourages investors to allocate across the credit cycle.