Alternative assets 101: The basics Alternative assets, or alternative investments, are those that are not considered to be mainstream assets like equities, bonds, or cash. Classic examples of alternative assets include commodities and hedge funds. However, the alternative asset universe is fluid with new instruments constantly being developed. Alternative assets typically have a low
Rates turmoil strikes financial system The spike in interest rates over the past couple of years has transformed the banking landscape and placed immense pressure on individual institutions, leading to dramatic rescues in the US and Switzerland, and raising the dual spectres of systemic failure and a credit crunch. Since late 2021, the
Climate risk – Regulatory response gathers pace It is widely accepted that climate change and how we respond to it has significant consequences, both for the global economy and for society in general. While banks and other financial institutions are increasingly dealing with the effect of both physical and transition climate-related risks on all aspects
Green bonds explained and the different types of green asset Until recently, many financial market participants may have found climate-related financial risks to be largely abstract. However, it has become increasingly difficult for reasonable observers to deny that there is at least an element of climate change causality behind events such as the catastrophic
AI Ethics: What are the key issues? The field of artificial intelligence has developed largely disconnected from ethical concerns. For decades, AI applications remained so limited that their impact was likewise limited, and the sole focus was on developing the technology itself. As AI has advanced and its applications have proliferated, the need for
Biodiversity explained: What is its impact on the finance industry? In recent years, the focus of the environmental debate has been on climate change and the efforts to transition toward a net zero economy. However, biodiversity loss has been recognized as equally critical to the sustainability of the planet's ecosystem and to the companies
ESG factors explained: Environmental | Social | Governance Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors can have a profound impact on corporate performance and investment returns. Understanding these factors and how they may influence companies and markets can help investors enhance their returns and reduce their risk. As more investors demanded ethical alternatives, however,
The state of hedge funds – Is global macro back? After a fallow period following the global financial crisis, global macro funds last year delivered their best performance since 2008, with aggressive bets on soaring interest rates. This comes as no surprise, as macro funds are supposed to thrive during seismic shifts in the
Inflation targeting – What it is, and has the 2% goal run its course? Inflation targeting has been used as a monetary policy tool by central banks since the late 1980s, but recent events have raised the question as to whether the sacrosanct 2% target should be raised. What would be the implications of
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