Asset management
Stablecoins: good as the buck, or breaking the buck?
Collateral concerns and iffy auditing have raised fears of a ‘de-pegging’ event – and possible contagion across crypto and beyond
Wanted: radical ideas for inflation modelling
Hedge funds echo Mervyn King’s calls for a new approach to inflation modelling post-2022 crisis
Is low vol crowded? That depends who you ask
Equity drawdowns have pushed more investors into low volatility strategies, raising fears of a build-up of risk
UK’s plans to ditch share trading rules threaten liquidity
Asset managers say London’s decision to relax EU equity regime will fragment liquidity – with unpredictable consequences
CLO equity investors stung by Libor basis
Growing mismatch between one- and three-month tenors slashes payouts by a third
The quant investor harnessing the power of ants
Swarm Technology designs network of trading algorithms that mimics hive mind of insects
UK pension funds hand over more assets to LDI managers
Transfer of assets is a pre-emptive move to avoid repeat of September’s collateral crunch, trustees say
Relative value trades face Treasury clearing squeeze
SEC’s clearing proposals may hurt levered basis trades and worsen illiquidity in off-the-run bonds
BoE intervention whipsaws pension funds that dumped hedges
Unhedged funds saw liabilities rise by up to 20% when rates pulled back
Shifting rates throw bond investors off balance
Dearth of bond liquidity forces some traders to offload positions – but, as ever, others are waiting to pounce
No link between geopolitical risk signals and returns – hedge fund
Gauges of geopolitical risk are better at predicting volatility than equity returns, research from XAI finds
‘Monster’ rally shows junk index isn’t what it was
Speed of recovery reflects structural and technical changes in US high yield
Pension buyouts: rock-bottom prices mask unease over risk
US insurers will digest $40bn in pension assets this year but tight pricing and an economic downturn could lead to reflux
The private markets dilemma faced by asset owners
Demand for private markets has seen continued growth. Shar Kassam, vice-president at Nasdaq, and head of Nasdaq Asset Owner Solutions, explores why market volatility has led to additional considerations for portfolio construction, cashflow and liquidity…
Why database marketing is increasing in importance for asset managers
Improved market presence, product viewership and brand recognition, coupled with the ability to forge long-term community followings, is making the prioritisation of database marketing a no-brainer
‘Corrective’ algo tells quant firm when it’s wrong
QTS has built a machine to show whether a strategy is likely to succeed or flop
From ‘cottage industry’ to quant-ready: prop data at JP Morgan
Unique information now “table stakes” for brokers as they compete for new clients
Revival of FX carry strategy leaves quants unconvinced
Record returns in March give little comfort that strategy is ‘back’
Stocks and bonds start to move in step, making quants jittery
Long-established inverse correlation between asset classes breaks down during first quarter
The future of life insurance
As the world constantly evolves and changes, so too does the life insurance industry, which is preparing for a multitude of challenges, particularly in three areas: interest rates, regulatory mandates and technology (software, underwriting tools and…
Earnings call analysis 2.0 goes beyond good and bad words
Quants develop new ways to extract signals from media-savvy chief executives and their financial statements
Adapting to the new normal
The current interest rate environment and need to adapt to changing technology and regulatory mandates is keeping insurers on their toes, Nakul Nayyar, head of investment risk at Guardian Life, tells Risk.net
Risk analytics to the rescue
Cyber security remains a challenge for insurers worldwide, according to Ron Harasym, head of risk analytics, enterprise risk management (ERM) at Protective Life Insurance Company
Strengthening risk frameworks
Interest rates might be a challenge, but they are also an opportunity for insurers, Gus Ortega, head of operational risk management at Voya Financial, tells Risk.net