A recent study out of the US takes a shot at what you may believe about dollar cost averaging, one of the sacred cows of investment…

Emerging markets have been out of favour with mainstream investors since the series of financial shocks in the late 1990s that culminated with the default by Russia on its sovereign bonds in 1997. So what has changed since then, to bring emerging market debt back into favour (with a number of new products being released that provide exposure to emerging market debt)?

In each You Asked For It, we ask the public research houses to respond to topical portfolio construction questions of the day. This time it’s strategic asset allocations to property. Have they reviewed their allocations now advisers have access to global property investments? What are those allocations? Only two research houses picked up this particular guantlet: IWL and Lonsec...

In each You Asked For It, we ask the public research houses to respond to topical portfolio construction questions of the day. This fortnight, it’s hedge funds. Are they an asset class? Should they be classified as growth investments, defensive, both or neither? Seven research houses responded…

In each You Asked For It, we ask the public research houses to respond to topical portfolio construction questions of the day. This time it’s emerging markets. What regions are included? What are the advantages and disadvantages to an emerging markets exposure? What asset allocation is appropriate? Only two research houses picked up this particular guantlet…

Using standard deviation as the sole measure of investment risk overlooks the fact that real investors tend to care much more about downside volatility and far less about volatility when returns are above average...

Specialist asset allocation research house, farrelly’s, has released a paper “Between the Ivory Tower and the Philistines: Practical Asset Allocation” which outlines the academic approach to asset allocation, and the approach taken by most practicing planners, and suggests a middle ground combining the best of both...

Continuing low allocations to direct property are “tantamount to the biggest blind spot ever witnessed in the history of asset allocation strategy, says Australian Direct Property Investment Association President Richard Cutler, citing a new study showing direct property significantly reduces portfolio risk and investment loss, while delivering attractive total and income returns…

Portfolio rebalancing helps mitigate the impact of the common mistakes investors make, according to a new study published in the US Journal of Financial Planning…

Global investors are continuing to pour money into emerging market bond funds, with year-to-date inflows passing the US$3 billion mark during the second half of May…

It may be time for investors to consider rebuilding investor exposure to Asian stock markets but they will need to make use of Asia-specific equity products to obtain the desired exposure, says Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy and chief economist at AMP Capital Investors…

Australian superannuation funds allocate more to private equity than their European counterparts, and are poised to increase their offshore private equity investment…

Using agribusiness managed investment schemes in portfolio construction isn’t a new idea, and at this time of year, it is a downright popular strategy. Research house AAG has just released a number of “thinking points” for those considering including agribusiness offerings in an investment portfolio…

A few years back, Roger Gibson offered a very simple four-part matrix to help advisers determine what they believe about investing. Some commentators are now rethinking one quadrant which they used to reject out of hand...

Many advisers put their clients into absolute returns funds because they know intuitively that it is the right thing to do, says Professor Les Balzer. But until now, advisers had no real scientific reason to back up that intuition?

Global property offers investors low volatility, attractive returns with a strong income component, and a low correlation with the returns from other asset classes, according to a recent research paper issued by Russell Investment Group…

While it might be tempting, after two years of strong gains in equity markets, to conclude that we have returned to a world of double digit investment returns, the medium-term outlook remains for high single digit returns from equities, and low returns for bonds, warns Dr Shane Oliver, AMP Capital Investor’s chief economist and head of investment strategy…

With unlisted private equity companies comprising such a major part of the economy, it makes sense that they should form part of an investment portfolio as well...

Not all rules of thumb make sense, and one of the sillier ones in this industry is the way it labels assets as either growth or income…

The New Zealand Superannuation Fund has unveiled a significant shift in its strategic asset allocation and plans to significantly increase its allocation to alternative assets…