Market Narratives: Recent Episodes

Investment Magazine

Market Narratives is a podcast series hosted by Investment Magazine that features unorthodox conversations with thought leaders influencing the world of fiduciary investors.

Investment Magazine is the leading publication for Australia's $3 trillion superannuation industry. It provides trusted news, analysis and editorial on the issues impacting superannuation funds, such as regulation, asset allocation, portfolio construction, governance, as they strive to secure better retirement outcomes for their members.

Greater access to information from companies and associations on geospatial analysis combined with the acceleration and exponential destruction of the ecosystem has prompted biodiversity to becoming a hot topic in making investment decisions. Conexus Financial managing editor Julia Newbould talks to Newton Investment Management global head of sustainable investment Therese Niklasson

Balanced portfolios will be more volatile without the “natural hedge” provided by a negative correlation between stocks and bonds, but diversification will remain a powerful tool to protect portfolios, according to Noah Weisberger, managing director in the Institutional Advisory & Solutions group at PGIM.

With volatility a strong theme of markets and economies over 2022, some investors have de-risked their portfolios and lost their stomach for riskier emerging markets investments but Alex Khosla, emerging markets and Asia equities portfolio manager at sustainable investment manager Newton Investment Management, argues emerging markets still offer value if you know how to find it.

The world is experiencing the results of an underinvestment in traditional oil/gas energy infrastructure which was compounded by Covid- 19, when some companies believed that peak oil demand had arrived pulling back even more on investment, then came the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the disruption is overlaid with the longer-term focus on energy transition. David Winans, principal and credit analyst for PGIM Fixed Income’s US investment grade credit research team and Julia Newbould, managing editor, Conexus Financial look at both sides of the demand and supply puzzle.

The world is experiencing the results of an underinvestment in traditional oil/gas energy infrastructure which was compounded by Covid- 19, when some companies believed that peak oil demand had arrived pulling back even more on investment, then came the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the disruption is overlaid with the longer-term focus on energy transition. David Winans, principal and credit analyst for PGIM Fixed Income’s US investment grade credit research team and Julia Newbould, managing editor, Conexus Financial look at both sides of the demand and supply puzzle.

Tom Nelson, head of thematic equity at Ninety One, talks to Conexus Financial managing editor Julia Newbould about the extent of the shock to energy markets through the Ukraine War and how it will impact the transition to clean energy and how portfolio managers can invest in renewables and achieve carbon zero targets in this volatile market.

A shift towards positive correlation between stocks and bonds is likely, and this phenomenon could persist for many years if history is a guide and this could lead to a “much more volatile world” for those trying to maintain balanced portfolios and may force investors to either raise their risk budgets or lower their return expectations, according to Dr Noah Weisberger, managing director at PGIM IAS group.

Richard Bullock, senior geopolitical strategist at Newton Investment Management and Julia Newbould, managing editor at Conexus Financial talk about today’s economic environment. They discuss how it is the time for geopolitical strategists to start using all their tools – there is war in Ukraine and Russia, ongoing tensions between China and Taiwan, a change in world order, a move towards global energy transition and the emergence of a new financial system across various economies – and the outlook is inflation volatility will continue as the world splits into rival camps.

CEO Bernard Reilly and chair Don Luke of Australian Retirement Trust joined us at the Fiduciary Investors Symposium in June 2022 for a fireside chat on how the fund is adapting and progressing post-merger, and what is next on the agenda for Australia’s newest mega fund. This session was hosted by Michael Baldwin, global head of external relationships & deputy CEO, Conexus Financial.

In this live recording from the Fiduciary Investors Symposium in June 2022, BHP chief executive, Mike Henry, explores the growing role of mined commodities in the global energy transition. This fireside chat was hosted by Amanda White, director of institutional content, Conexus Financial.

Michelle Teng, vice president and co-head of the private assets research program in PGIM’s Institutional Advisory & Solutions (IAS) group, speaks with Julia Newbould, acting editor at Investment Magazine about how climate change and early release schemes can affect super funds and the wider economy.

Junying Shen, vice president and co-head of the private assets research program in the Institutional Advisory & Solutions (IAS) group at PGIM, speaks with Amanda White, editor of Top1000Funds.com (Investment Magazine’s sister publication), on how historical performance and cash flow characteristics differ enormously among infrastructure asset sectors.

Private assets are appealing for their attractive risk-return properties and diversification potential not available to investors limited to public markets, but as demand rises for private assets in the search for alpha, liquidity risk has become a growing concern for investors Michelle Teng, vice president of PGIM's Institutional Advisory & Solutions group explains in an interview with Amanda White. Teng argues that funds can closely manage volatility risk in their portfolios and survive periods of short-term volatility, but sustained liquid asset drawdowns are a greater concern and can cause lasting damage to portfolios.

While many asset allocators might view emerging market debt as volatile and a tactical investment, there's perhaps more strategic value in the asset class than many give it credit for, Aaron Grehan, Aviva Investors deputy head of Emerging Market Debt and hard currency portfolio manager explains in an interview with Matthew Smith. Grehan argues that blending of investment grade and high yield could change the frame of reference for many institutional investors who consider EMD highly volatile to something more defensive.

Technologies that have decimated and transformed the retail and manufacturing sectors are finally 'knocking at the doors' of the services sector, Taimur Hyat, chief operating officer at PGIM explains in an interview with Amanda White. Hyat argues that institutional investors need to build a higher level of technology education within their in-house sector specialist teams to stay ahead of the curve.

Amid increasing allocations to real assets by asset owners and pension funds globally, PGIM's Harsh Parikh puts forward a framework for thinking which encourages funds to tailor their approach to each individual asset and avoid making assumptions by using off the shelf benchmarks and historical averaging. Parikh also puts some numbers around the strengthening interest real assets among asset owners as inflation expectations have also risen.

In one of the first interviews with David Breach since he became President of Vista Equity Partners, the global investment firm focused exclusively on enterprise software, data and technology-enabled businesses, Investment Magazine managing editor Matthew Smith talks through the ecosystem approach Visa takes to extracting and nurturing value in its portfolio companies. During the interview Breach also uses a local Australian case study to highlight the advantages that can be derived from co-investing with asset owners and he raises the importance of a committed approach to diversity, equality and inclusion for him and Vista’s Founder, Chairman & CEO, Robert F. Smith, in the all-pervasive technology sector.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Australia and gold: The relevance of gold as a strategic asset 2021 - Australia edition | World Gold Council

Beyond CPI: https://www.gold.org/goldhub/research/beyond-cpi-gold-as-a-strategic-inflation-hedge

Mine to Market: https://www.gold.org/goldhub/gold-focus/2021/04/mine-market-golds-untold-story

Gold and Crypto: https://www.gold.org/goldhub/research/gold-and-cryptocurrencies

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Moving Beyond Modern Portfolio Theory: Investing That Matters is co-authored with Professor James Hawley. He is also the co-author of "What They Do With Your Money: How the Financial System Fails Us and How to Fix It" and “The New Capitalists”.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Here is Corey's paper mentioned in the podcast: "Liquidity Cascades: The Coordinated Risk of Uncoordinated Market Participants".It can be downloaded here: https://docsend.com/view/cx86pd8yyyea4isw

The other paper mentioned is: “Retail Financial Innovation and Stock Market Dynamics: The Case of Target Date Funds". It can be downloaded here: https://www.nber.org/papers/w28028

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Jeff Hooke is a broad-based finance and investment executive with global experience throughout the U.S., Europe, and the emerging markets of Latin America and Asia. He was a Managing Director of Focus Securities, an M&A-oriented boutique investment bank, prior to joining Carey. Earlier, Hooke focused on emerging market investment and private equity. He was a director at the Emerging Markets Partnership, a $5 billion private equity group. Earlier, he was a Principal Investment Officer of the International Finance Corporation, the $30 billion private sector division of the World Bank.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

John Cochrane is an American economist specialising in financial economics and macroeconomics. Formerly a professor of economics and finance at the University of Chicago, Cochrane serves as the Rose-Marie and Jack Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Previously John was a Professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and before that at the Department of Economics. He also writes the Grumpy Economist blog.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In previous podcasts in this series, we explored how the consolidation of capital flows and migration up the risk-return spectrum by institutional investors contributes to systematic risk. In this podcast, we explore the potential for institutional asset owners and allocators to redesign their asset allocation strategies to allow for more regenerative investment structures while still achieving targeted rates of return. We will also explore adjustments to investment practices that can enable a redesign of asset allocation, including benchmarking practices, team incentives and performance reviews, valuation methodologies, and risk management techniques.

References:Background on the Taylor Guitars deal:
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/taylor-guitars-transitions-to-100-employee-ownership-with-support-from-the-healthcare-of-ontario-pension-plan-hoopp-and-social-capital-partners-scp--857853786.html

Link to the Predistribution Initiative paper, ESG 2.0: Measuring & Managing Investor Risks Beyond the Enterprise Level
Link to Beyond Modern Portfolio Theory: Investing that Matters by Jon Lukomnik and Jim Hawley (the 75-94% range of estimated returns from systematic factors)
Link to Aunnie Patton Power's book, Adventure Finance, which covers regenerative investment structures such as revenue based financing, equity redemptions, and other ways to have "structured exits." We plan to do a webinar with Aunnie on July 14th 2021 at 11am ET, and details including registration will be on our website.
New Yorker article on VC and how it can be "deforming capitalism"

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Alfonso is a passionate global macro investor offering a 10 000 foot view of the macro and market landscape. All opinions in this podcast and his substack are strictly his own and not financial advice.

Alfonso's newsletter -> themacrocompass.substack.com

Alfonso's twitter account -> https://twitter.com/MacroAlf

Central Banks don’t print money and you’ve been paying a tax on your savings for years already - negative real interest rates.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Scott joined Frontier from Cbus Super where he was the fund’s Senior Portfolio Manager of Absolute Return Strategies. He has extensive experience in derivatives management and was previously a part of Vanguard’s global investment strategy group, leading research across a range of investment topics. He also has an academic background having lectured at Griffith University in Portfolio Management and Corporate Finance where he completed a PhD in Finance.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

This episode explores the impact of institutional investors moving up the risk-return spectrum into higher-risk asset classes – such as leveraged buyout private equity, high yield bonds, leveraged loans, collateralized loan obligations, and venture capital. However, with huge sums of capital flowing into these asset classes, there is a rising concern about weakening underwriting standards, high levels of global indebtedness, a divergence from fundamentals, and risks of bubbles and defaults. From an ESG perspective, many would argue it is not just investors who take the risk with these structures.

Companies with highly leveraged capital structures may need to cut costs relating to the quality and affordability of goods and services or quality jobs to service debt or entirely restructure – shifting unwelcome and uncompensated risk to workers and communities. Moreover, as institutional investors grow in size, there is a risk that efforts to allocate capital efficiently (e.g. to larger fund managers) may inadvertently contribute to both fund manager and corporate consolidation, thereby further reducing diversification and opportunity in the real economy and market. This session will also explore how such investment practices can contribute to systematic risks for Universal Owners and reduced chances of returning to normalised interest rates.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Better than Alpha: Three Steps to Capturing Excess Returns in a Changing World

The concept of beating markets is just a lot of hype. Successful investors don’t find “alpha,” they find value―and that’s what this book helps you do. Better Than Alpha provides the perspective, insights, and tools you need to retrain your focus away from searching for alpha and toward actions that produce superior investment outcomes.

https://www.amazon.com/Better-than-Alpha-Capturing-Changing/dp/1264257651

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Better than Alpha: Three Steps to Capturing Excess Returns in a Changing World

James Kosmatos is currently an independent investment analyst working full time within the cryptocurrency industry, focusing on fundamental analysis of cryptocurrencies within the Decentralised Finance (DeFi) sector. James has been researching and investing in this asset class since early 2017; he has recently started his current role after seeing the significant growth and innovation of technology being implemented within the DeFi sector.

James previously worked at Frontier within the consulting and debt research team, providing advice on portfolio construction, asset class configuration and fund manager due diligence for various institutional investors. Before Frontier, James worked within PwC Wealth Services, assisting high net worth families with portfolio construction, fund manager due diligence and implementation.

Recommended reading: "DeFi Beyond the Hype"; An overview of Defi with case studies comparing projects with traditional financial services and real-world financial market structures. https://wifpr.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/DeFi-Beyond-the-Hype.pdf

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

This episode explores how the market structure has changed over the past decades to become more institutionalised. While institutional investors have been able to take advantage of their size to negotiate improved corporate governance reforms from companies, they are also under pressure to efficiently deploy large sums of capital, contributing to asset manager consolidation and, therefore, corporate consolidation. Such consolidation can have several negative impacts, such as squeezing out diverse and emerging fund managers and SMEs, monopsony dynamics, reduced innovation, and erosion of the quality and affordability of goods and services, and poor investment diversification opportunity, which in turn contributes to procyclical investment behaviour and increased systematic risk. The episode concludes with ideas for how institutional investors can de-consolidate their capital flows to contribute to a healthier real economy and market.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

At U Ethical, Désirée leads the evolution of the ethical investment framework and active engagement with investee companies, in collaboration with U Ethical’s investment team, key stakeholders and industry peers. Since 1985, U Ethical has developed a reputation for unwavering commitment to ethics-driven performance while contributing the majority of operating surplus to social justice advocacy and community programs. As a certified B Corporation, U Ethical views clients as partners on important ethical matters and does not shy away from holding companies to account for controversial issues

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Alexandre has 20 years of professional experience at the crossroads of financial and strategic advisory, macroeconomic analysis and public policy. He is the author of acclaimed economic books including “The New World Powers. Why the BRICs are changing the world” (Ellipses, 2011) and “Arab economies on the move. A new development model for the MENA region“.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Winston Ma was Managing Director and Head of North America Office for China Investment Corporation (CIC), China's sovereign wealth fund. Prior to that, Mr Ma served as the deputy head of equity capital markets at Barclays Capital, a vice president at J.P. Morgan investment banking, and a corporate lawyer at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. He is the author of the best-selling books including Investing in China (2006) and China's Mobile Economy (2016). Winston was selected as a 2013 Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum and in 2014 he received the NYU Distinguished Alumni Award.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

This podcast was recorded on January 12 2021. It is intended solely for Professional Investor use. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. All investments involve risk, including the loss of capital. This material is not for distribution to any recipient located in any jurisdiction where such distribution is unlawful.

This podcast includes the views and opinions of the authors and may not reflect PGIM Fixed Income’s views. PGIM and its related entities may make investment decisions that are inconsistent with the views expressed herein. This podcast should not be reproduced in without PGIM’s prior written consent. No liability is accepted for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss that may arise from any use of the information contained in or derived from this podcast.

PGIM Fixed Income is not acting as your fiduciary. The contents are for informational purposes only, are based on information available when created, and are subject to change. It is not intended as investment, legal or tax advice and does not consider a recipient’s financial objectives. PGIM Fixed Income is a business unit of PGIM, the global asset management business of Prudential Financial, Inc., which is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential plc, incorporated in the United Kingdom or with Prudential Assurance Company, a subsidiary of M&G plc, incorporated in the United Kingdom. Copyright 2021. The PGIM logos and the Rock Symbol are service marks of PGIM and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

FTSE Russell is not an investment firm and this podcast conversation is not advice about any investment activity. None of the information in this podcast or reference to a FTSE Russell index constitutes an offer to buy or sell, or a promotion of, a security. This podcast is solely for informational purposes. Accordingly, nothing contained in this podcast is intended to constitute legal, tax, securities, or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of making any investment through FTSE Russell indexes.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

UBS launched a white paper on Monday 20 January for the WEF Annual meeting 2020 in Davos.

https://www.ubs.com/global/en/asset-management/insights/sustainable-and-impact-investing/wef-2020.html

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

This market commentary expresses the views of Mozaffar Khan, a quantitative senior quantitative analyst at Causeway Capital Management LLC, as of November 2020 and should not be relied on as research or investment advice regarding any stock. These views and any portfolio holdings and characteristics are subject to change. There is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass. Forecasts are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, which change over time, and Causeway undertakes no duty to update any such forecasts. Information and data presented have been developed internally and/or obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, Causeway does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of such information. “Alpha” means performance exceeding the benchmark index.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is fo educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Michael Cross is the Global Head of Official Sector Institutions. Prior to that, Michael had spent his career in the official sector, having joined the Bank of England in 1990. Between 1997 and 2000 he was Private Secretary to the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Michel Camdessus. He re-joined the Bank of England in 2000, running the team responsible for international economics and forecasting in the Monetary Analysis Directorate. From 2004 Michael was, successively, Head of Market Intelligence, Head of Sterling Markets Division and, from 2009, Head of Foreign Exchange Division and Reserves Management. In that role, he was responsible for the management of the UK's foreign exchange reserves and issuance of foreign currency debt, for the UK government's foreign exchange activities, for deposit services for central bank customers, and was Chairman of the London Foreign Exchange Joint Standing Committee. He was a member of the Bank of England's Asset-Liability Committee, of the Secretariat of the Monetary Policy Committee, and of the Markets Committee of central bank members of the Bank for International Settlements. Michael obtained an MA and PhD in History and an M.Phil. in Economics at Cambridge University.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Denise Hearn writes, presents, and consults on economic justice and human flourishing. She is co-author of The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition - named one of the Financial Times' Best Books of 2018 and endorsed by two Nobel Prize winners. Denise has presented to over 50,000 people at venues including the Oxford Union, Bloomberg, a Canadian Parliamentary Standing Committee, and group homes for foster children.

Most recently, Denise was Head of Business Development at Variant Perception - a global macroeconomic research and investment strategy firm that caters to hedge funds and family offices. She has also built new impact investment models in Canada, helped create the world's first Trustmark for Sharing Economy companies in the UK, and was chosen to participate in the Alt/Now: Economic Inequality residency program at the Banff Centre. Denise has an MBA from the Oxford Saïd Business School, where she co-chaired the Social Impact Oxford Business Network and a BA in International Studies from Baylor University.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Joe manages a range of consulting assignments across Asia-Pacific. He works with clients to identify and mitigate risks to their investments, strategies and operations across the region, providing advice in areas including business intelligence, enhanced due diligence, dispute/litigation support, anti-bribery and anti-corruption consulting, and forensic investigations. He has particular experience in Indonesia and across South-east Asia. Joe is a Certified Fraud Examiner and holds an honours degree from the University of Hull in the UK.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

This conversation discusses the questions that super funds need to consider as the start the journey of internalisation. The episode covers the articulation of the benefits to the board and/or investment committee beyond solely the long-term cost reduction from fee savings, the build-up of in-house investment expertise, and the integrated roadmap that considers the operating model, people, processes, technology & governance holistically.

Prior to joining Cutter, Rob was a senior portfolio manager on QSuper’s investment strategy team, where his responsibilities included asset allocation, the whole of portfolio construction, and risk management, as well as supporting the equities, fixed income, and alternatives teams. Previously, Rob was a senior portfolio manager for the Cbus’ fixed income asset class as well as manager of the quantitative solutions team. He also has served as a senior investment risk analyst at Vanguard Investments Australia and a senior quantitative analyst at the Queensland Treasury Corp.

Damian oversees the implementation of First State Super’s investment strategy and a team of investment specialists who manage investment portfolios across all asset classes. This conversation covers fiduciary duty, ESG risk management, metrics and impact, company engagement, climate and energy targets and their implications for portfolio construction.

Note: First State Super will change its brand to Aware Super in September 2020.

This conversation discusses the disconnect between the FAANGs and the international equity markets, the impact of the central banks, thematic investing, tactical and strategic asset allocation, building an internal investment team, where external managers are used, tail hedging, governance challenges, first principles and fiduciary duty, and what role super should play in nation-building.

UniSuper is an Australian superannuation fund that provides superannuation services to employees of Australia's higher education and research sector. The fund has over 450,000 members and A$85 billion in assets.

John was the Chief Executive of the Grattan Institute for eleven years. He has published extensively on economic reform priorities, budget policy, tax reform, housing affordability, and generational inequality. This work is underpinned by themes of prioritising government initiatives, and the limits to government effectiveness.

John graduated from the University of Oxford in 1999 with a DPhil in public law after completing an LLB (Hons) and a BSc from the University of Melbourne in 1990. He has worked at the University of Oxford, the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, consulting firm McKinsey and Co, and ANZ Bank in fields including law, public policy, strategy, and finance.

This conversation discusses the monetary framework alongside the macroeconomic environment, the notion of interest rates have been manipulated by central banks, convexity in fixed income, the defensiveness of fixed interest and real assets, the opportunity cost of cash, optionality via options in a volatility market, why factor exposures are not preferred and the role of gold in portfolios.

This conversation discusses digital transformation re people and technology, the speed of evolution/interdependence of systems, the challenges of big data for organisations, what can we measure and can we attain a complete sense of data, Nora Bateson's work on "warm data", AI’s ability to detect problems but not contextualise or understand its bias, and the significant challenges with ESG data.

Dr. Audrey Lobo-Pulo is the founder of Phoensight and on the board of Open Data Australia, and works in the space between society and technology. Audrey is passionate about how technology shapes our relationships and interactions and has a keen interest in open data, open government and public policy. She has considerable experience as a policy advisor at the Australian Treasury and worked across a range of policy issues including taxation, housing, social policy and labour markets. Audrey is currently exploring how 'warm data' may be used to design better technology and deliver better outcomes for society.

This episode discusses the disconnect between the economy and the equity markets, the changing relationship between valuations and future returns, the importance of tactical allocations in this environment, determining market expectations, finding diversification in a world driven by central bank policy, and commodities as a hedge against systemic risk.

This episode discusses what differentiates a family office from a typical institutional investor, challenging the old adage of a family office to not lose money, where to focus limited resources, being opportunistic, the power of the network, how behavioural aspects impact risk tolerance, FX considerations, illiquidity preference and will there be a golden wave of private equity opportunities.

This episode discusses the A-share, H-share and ADRs, relative value opportunities between onshore and offshore equity markets, correlation and volatility, the comparative strategies of growth, quality and value, management fees, the degradation of alpha, and the continuing challenge with ESG, data and transparency when investing in China.

This episode discusses the Wirecard fraud, the cult of the CEO, due diligence in a Zoom world, the importance of desk work and insights from fieldwork, conflicts of interests when asset managers become partners and avoiding greenwashing in ESG.

This article is based on the following article:
https://www.investmentmagazine.com.au/2020/06/the-power-of-the-eyes-and-finding-fraudulent-actors/

This episode discusses the systemic risks that the coronavirus has uncovered in Australia and steps to build a stronger Australia post-COVID.

This article is based on the following article:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/05/here-are-10-steps-to-build-a-stronger-australia-after-coronavirus

The conversation covered:

Are super funds set up to deliver real long term performance? Moreover, how will scale impact their decision-making?
Is there anything that we can learn from the great investors of the past that could apply to super funds?
How to blend the competing forces of business and art?
Why relative performance is a fool's game?
Why is doing nothing not good enough?
How to balance short term uncertainty with long-term structural market regime changes?
Are boards equipped to understand what the critical decisions to make are?
How do we instil courage into the decision-makers?
Do super funds have the right approach to ESG and climate change?

In Episode 36, I discuss with Anastassia Juventin, portfolio manager at AMP Capital about their hedge fund and alternatives portfolio restructure, the dispersion of manager returns, does alt risk premia still make sense, the challenge of VOL targeting and liquidity requirements.

In Episode 35, Alex Proimos speaks with Deanne Stewart, chief executive officer at First State Super.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 34, Alex Proimos speaks with Sam Reynolds, managing director of Octopus Investments Australia.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

DiMartino Booth set out to launch a #ResearchRevolution, redefining how markets intelligence is conceived and delivered with the goal of not only guiding portfolio managers but promoting financial literacy. To build QI, she brought together a core team of investing veterans to analyze the trends and provide critical analysis on what is driving the markets – both in the United States and globally.

Since inception, commentary and data from DiMartino Booth’s The Daily Feather have appeared in other financial sources such as Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business, Institutional Investor, Yahoo Finance, The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Seeking Alpha, TD Ameritrade, TheStreet.com, and more.

A global thought leader on monetary policy, economics and finance, DiMartino Booth founded Quill Intelligence in 2018. She is the author of FED UP: An Insider’s Take on Why the Federal Reserve is Bad for America (Portfolio, Feb 2017), a full-time columnist for Bloomberg View, a business speaker, and a commentator frequently featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, Fox Business News, BNN Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance and other major media outlets.

Prior to Quill, DiMartino Booth spent nine years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas where she served as Advisor to President Richard W. Fisher throughout the financial crisis until his retirement in March 2015. Her work at the Fed focused on financial stability and the efficacy of unconventional monetary policy.

DiMartino Booth began her career in New York at Credit Suisse and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette where she worked in the fixed income, public equity, and private equity markets. DiMartino Booth earned her BBA as a College of Business Scholar at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She holds an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Texas at Austin and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University.

To sign up for her daily newsletter, The Daily Feather, please go to quillintelligence.com

In Episode 32, Alex Proimos speaks with Dania Zinurova, director of manager research, Australia at Willis Towers Watson.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 31, Alex Proimos speaks with Sam Sicilia, chief investment officer at Hostplus.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 30, Alex Proimos speaks with Kyle Lidbury, head of investment research at Perpetual Private.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 29, Alex Proimos speaks with Craig Roodt, director, investment & wealth advisory at Deloitte Consulting.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 28, Alex Proimos speaks with Andrew Boal, chief executive at Rice Warner.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 27, Alex Proimos speaks with David Knox, senior partner at Mercer.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Rob Prugue was the chief executive, Asia Pacific of Lazard Asset Management, head of research at van Eyk Research, and the head of international equities, and NSW State Super. He is currently the chairperson of PROP, People Reaching Out to People, that works to fight the stigma associated with mental health.

Alex prior roles include the head of portfolio integration at Cbus, economist and portfolio manager at QSuper, and a senior economist at the Queensland Treasury.

For more insights from Drummond Capital Partners please see:
https://www.drummondcp.com/blog

In Episode 24, Alex Proimos speaks with Nicolette Rubinsztein, director at SuperEd, UniSuper and Zurich Australia.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed by Graeme Russell are his own and do not necessarily represent those of Media Super. Graeme stepped down as CEO on April 9th 2020, and will leave the fund on July 1st 2020.

In Episode 22, Alex Proimos speaks with Michael Kollo, general manager at Faethm AI and the host of the Curious Quant podcast series.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Since 1990 Jim’s commentaries have offered a unique perspective on the global economy and financial markets. Unencumbered by the biases of traditional Wall Street research, Jim has built a decades long reputation for objective, incisive commentary that challenges consensus thinking. In nearly 20 years at Bianco Research, Jim’s wide ranging commentaries have addressed monetary policy, the intersection of markets and politics, the role of government in the economy, fund flows and positioning in financial markets.

Another Look at Private Real Estate Returns by Strategy
Mitchell A. Bollinger and Joseph L. Pagliari
The Journal of Portfolio Management Real Estate Special Issue 2019, jpm.2019.1.098; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3905/jpm.2019.1.098

https://blogs.cfainstitute.org/investor/2019/12/12/private-real-estate-fund-categories-a-risk-return-assessment/

Mitch can be contacted at mitch_bollinger@hotmail.com

In Episode 19, Alex Proimos speaks with Lurion De Mello, senior lecturer in applied finance and energy markets research at Macquarie University.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

The Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership is a Monash University, The Myer Foundation and Vincent Fairfax Ethics in Leadership Foundation partnership.

In Episode 17, Alex Proimos speaks with Michael Swinsburg, managing partner, Asia Pac at Alexander Hughes.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 16, Alex Proimos speaks with Andrew Quin an independent securities and investment consultant for high net worth individuals and families.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 15, Alex Proimos speaks with Henrik Andersson, chief investment officer at Apollo Capital.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 14, Alex Proimos speaks with Lukasz de Pourbaix, executive director and CIO at Lonsec Investment Solutions.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 13, Alex Proimos speaks with Jeffrey Chee, global head of portfolio strategy at Willis Towers Watson.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 12, Alex Proimos speaks with Brian Singer, head of the dynamic allocation strategies team at William Blair.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 11, Alex Proimos speaks with Urs Ramseier, chief executive and chief investment officer at Twelve Capital.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 10, Alex Proimos speaks with Stuart Fiertz, president and director of research at Cheyne Capital.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 9, Alex Proimos speaks with Ronan McCabe, head of portfolio management at Mercer Investment Management.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 7, Alex Proimos speaks with Ben Fanger, managing partner and founder at Shorevest Partners.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 6, Alex Proimos speaks with Wade Matterson, practice leader at Milliman Australia.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 5, Alex Proimos speaks with David Newman, chief investment officer, head of global high yield at Allianz Global Investors.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 4, Alex Proimos speaks with Vimal Gor, head of bond, income and defensive strategies at Pendal Group.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 3, Alex Proimos speaks with Con Michalakis, head of investments at Statewide Super.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 2, Alex Proimos speaks with Simon Russell, director and founder of Behavioural Finance Australia.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In Episode 1, Alex Proimos speaks with Sean Henaghan, former CIO of the multi-asset group at AMP Capital. Sean is currently on sabbatical.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.