Research Publications Archive

College and University Flash Statistics Report: Fiscal Year 2018

The College and University Flash Statistics Report provides a first look at the results of our 2018 College and University Investment Pool Returns survey. Included in the analysis are a summary of investment pool returns, asset allocation, and returns after spending for 160 colleges and universities. Additionally, the report provides detailed data by institution on…

Should Investors Consider Co-Investing?

Yes. At a minimum, investors should consciously consider it. The co-investment “craze” isn’t going away anytime soon—we estimate co-investing currently accounts for nearly one-third of all private investment activity—and there are structural reasons why it will continue, as we will discuss. For investors with allocations to private investments, adding co-investments offers some advantages; namely, lower fees…

What Drove October’s Market Sell-Off—Deteriorating Corporate Fundamentals or Economic Challenges?

Last month’s sell-off was mainly a reaction to macroeconomic headwinds that have been building this year; recent and expected corporate earnings growth has not weakened much. A handful of earnings disappointments by highly valued and high-profile tech firms have spurred vicious sell-offs, but these have been outliers. Building macro concerns and a few downbeat earnings calls translated…

Taking a CLOser Look at CLOs

Demand for collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) has soared in recent years, despite lingering suspicions about asset-backed securities due to their role in the global financial crisis. This paper provides an update on recent trends in the CLO market and discusses what we believe are some of the more attractive implementation options.

US Muni Bonds: The View From the Crow’s Nest

Left unaddressed, the significant and increasing problem of pension underfunding could sink some municipal issuers in the next market downturn. Although investors in high tax brackets will likely continue to benefit from holding municipal bonds as a cornerstone in their portfolios, they should diversify across states and issuers that are better prepared to navigate any rough seas ahead.

Real Asset Dynamics: Agribusiness

Agribusiness private equity can be easy to overlook, but institutional investors would be remiss to disregard the sector. In this edition of Real Asset Dynamics, we examine the sector’s defining characteristics, recent industry trends, and their implications. Investors are cautious about agriculture investments. Farmland managers, which dominate the global private equity agriculture landscape, tend to…

Alternative Risk Premia Funds: An Attractive Diversifier? (Sterling Edition)

Elevated equity market valuations and potentially rising bond yields suggest the return environment for traditional risk assets could be difficult. Faced with this challenge, institutional investors are seeking alternative sources of return. Alternative risk premia (ARP) strategies – which harvest well-established risk premia and market anomalies across asset classes – may fit the bill. ARP…