VantagePoint Series

VantagePoint: Avoiding Five Key Investment Pitfalls

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The start of the year is an ideal time to review investment practices and procedures to ensure you are set up for success. In this edition of VantagePoint, we outline the following five key investment pitfalls that can steer investors off course and offer guidance on how to avoid them: 1) Taking too little risk; 2) Firing excellent managers after a bout of underperformance; 3) Sizing individual positions too large; 4) Misunderstanding liquidity risk; and 5) Failing to exercise strong governance.

VantagePoint: As the Narratives Turn

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In this edition of VantagePoint, we find that consumers, corporations, and the banking sector remain in good shape, and while US/global economic growth is likely to slow in the second half of 2024 relative to the first, we expect it will remain positive. Although market concentration risk is elevated, given its focus on highly profitable AI-related tech stocks, we would seek to be measured about diversifying such risks.

VantagePoint: Building Resilient Public Equity Portfolios

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Building outperforming portfolios in long-only equities is hard work but worth the effort. Engaging in deep research to identify firms with a repeatable competitive edge and strong organization that can stand the test of time is far more relevant than analyzing short-term performance. Selecting the right managers is only the first step. Constructing portfolios requires careful consideration of manager and market dynamics to adjust for shifting factor exposures and avoid unintended bets for which investors are unlikely to be compensated.

VantagePoint: Asia Opportunities Amid Shifting Geopolitics – Part II

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The shifting geopolitical realities between the United States and China have already impacted trade and investment flows. In this two-part series of VantagePoint, we review this reality and consider investment implications alongside those of other key factors—such as domestic structural developments, macroeconomic conditions, and valuations. In Part I, we focused on opportunities in China specifically. In this companion piece, we discuss investment opportunities beyond China.

VantagePoint: Asia Opportunities Amid Shifting Geopolitics – Part I

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The shifting geopolitical realities between the United States and China have already impacted trade and investment flows. In this two-part series of VantagePoint, we review this reality and consider investment implications alongside those of other key factors—such as domestic structural developments, macroeconomic conditions, and valuations. In Part I, we focus on opportunities in China specifically, and in Part II, we discuss other Asian investment opportunities beyond China.

VantagePoint: Investing in a Low-Carbon Future

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The energy transition involves a complex and dynamic set of changes in the way we do just about everything. While significant progress has been made in some quarters, considerable capital will be needed to fund the massive investment required over coming decades. We expect investors with a deliberate and thoughtful plan to invest in the transition across the risk/reward spectrum will be rewarded.

VantagePoint: Banking Crisis Implications for Asset Allocation

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We entered 2023 with a view that a recession in some economies, namely the United States and much of Europe, was likely this year, and the recent banking sector stresses reinforce our confidence in this view. Investors should be disciplined in maintaining policy targets broadly, remembering the role allocations to stocks, bonds, and cash play in portfolios.