Featured Topics: Alternatives , Equities , Fixed income , Market Insights , Multi asset , Emerging Markets
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Aug 2, 2017
Corporate Pensions Low-Return Challenge
Jennifer Ryan explains why factor investing, higher-yielding fixed income assets, and certain illiquid alternative investments may help.
Read moreTopics: Investment actions
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Apr 26, 2016
Wanted: Monetary Policy Plan B
The limitations of central banks in managing downside risks and stimulating growth have been exposed in recent times. We explain the limits of the current monetary policy regime, why a new approach is needed, and some of the investment implications.
Read moreTopics: Market Insights
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Apr 14, 2016
2016 Investment Outlook: Cycles out of sync
The monetary policy cycle has dominated financial markets for years. As the global liquidity tide crests, the business, credit and valuations cycles should gain in importance. Unusually, these cycles appear to be out of sync. This argues for careful navigating in 2016.
Read moreTopics: Market Insights
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Apr 14, 2016
BlackRock Sovereign Risk Index (BSRI)
Our Q4 update of the BlackRock Sovereign Risk Index (BSRI) details quarterly movers in our 50-country index.
Read moreTopics: Market Insights
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Mar 21, 2016
Finding value
The very low level of European interest rates has been the main driver of recovery in Europe real estate over the last few years, as insurers and pension funds substitute higher-yielding prime real estate investments for low-yielding bonds. By and large, these low interest rates are likely to persist, meaning real estate should remain attractive as a higher-yielding asset class.
Read moreTopics: Alternatives , Market Insights
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Mar 17, 2016
Global interest rate limbo
Improved economic data in the US have eased recessionary concerns. Meanwhile stimulus news from China has helped bolster commodity prices. These developments have improved the near-term outlook for risky assets. However, they may distract from longer-term structural issues in China's economy. A tempered approach towards higher yield, higher risk fixed income is required.
Read moreTopics: Fixed income , Market Insights
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Mar 11, 2016
Fixed income market outlook- March 2016
In our outlook, Rick Rieder, explores how negative interest rates continue to distort markets and create left-tail risks for investors. And with expectations that central banks will continue negative monetary policy actions, what are the investment implications for fixed income? We believe there is merit in building allocations in gold as a hedge and to diversify portfolios. For generating value, we favour higher-grade securitised assets as well as lower-leveraged emerging market sovereigns.
Read moreTopics: Fixed income
2015 Insurance Survey
Growing pressure on the profitability of insurers has made boosting investment returns a top priority for the industry on a global basis. As a result, insurers have shown an increased appetite for higher-yielding opportunities, in particular private asset classes.
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