Multi Manager Funds

The first definitive guide to the rapidly expanding multi-manager industry. More than 20 leading practitioners (including product providers, distributors, private and institutional investors, trustees and consultants) provide you with a global overview of the industry.

Planning, constructing and managing a multi-asset portfolio A multi-asset investment management approach provides diversification benefits, enhances risk-adjusted returns and enables a portfolio to be tailored to a wide range of investing objectives, whether these are generating returns or income, or matching liabilities. This book is divided into four parts that follow the four stages of the multi-asset investment management process: 1. Establishing objectives: Defining the return objectives, risk objectives and investment constraints of a portfolio. 2. Setting an investment strategy: Setting a plan to achieve investment objectives by thinking about long-term strategic asset allocation, combining asset classes and optimisation to derive the most efficient asset allocation. 3. Implementing a solution: Turning the investment strategy into a portfolio using short-term tactical asset allocation, investment selection and risk management. This section includes examples of investment strategies. 4. Reviewing: Evaluating the performance of a portfolio by examining results, risk, portfolio positioning and the economic environment. By dividing the multi-asset investment process into these well-defined stages, Yoram Lustig guides the reader through the various decisions that have to be made and actions that have to be taken. He builds carefully from defining investment objectives, formulating an investment strategy and the steps of selecting investments, leading to constructing and managing multi-asset portfolios. At each stage the considerations and strategies to be undertaken are detailed, and the description of the process is supported with relevant financial theory as well as practical, real-life examples. 'Multi-asset Investing' is an essential handbook for the modern approach to investment portfolio management.

Despite the accepted fact that a substantial part of the risk and return of any portfolio comes from asset allocation, we find today that the majority of investment professionals worldwide are focused on security selection. Multi-Asset Investing: A Practitioner’s Framework questions this basic structure of the investment process and investment industry. Who says we have to separate alpha and beta? Are the traditional definitions for risk and risk premium relevant in a multi-asset class world? Do portfolios cater for the ‘real risks’ in their investment processes? Does the whole Emerging Markets demarcation make sense for investing? Why do active Asian managers perform much poorer compared to developed market managers? Can you distinguish how much of a strategy’s performance comes from skill rather than luck? Does having a performance fee for your manager create alignment or misalignment? Why is the asset management transitioning from multi-asset strategies to multi-asset solutions? These and many other questions are asked, and suggestions provided as potential solutions. Having worked together for fifteen years, the authors’ present implementable solutions which have helped them successfully manage large asset pools. The Academic Perspective “Multi-Asset Investing asks fundamental questions about the asset allocation investment processes in use today, and can have a substantial impact on the future structure of the finance industry. It clarifies and distils the techniques that investment professionals need to master to add value to client portfolios.” —Paul Smith, President & CEO, CFA Institute “Pranay Gupta, Sven Skallsjo, and Bing Li describe the essential concepts and applications of multi-asset investing. Their treatment is far ranging and exceptionally lucid, and always with a nod to practical application. Buy this book and keep it close at hand.” —Mark Kritzman, MIT Sloane School of Management “Innovative solutions to some of the most difficult investment problems we are faced with today. Multi-asset Investing tackles investment issues which don’t have straight forward solutions, but nevertheless are faced by every investment professional. This book sets the standard for investment processes of all asset managers.” —SP Kothari, MIT Sloane School of Management The Asset Owner Perspective “Multi-asset means different things to different people. This is the first text that details a comprehensive framework for managing any kind of multi-asset investment problem. Further, its explanation of the commercial aspects of managing a multi-asset investment business for an asset manager, private bank or asset owner make it an indispensable tool” —Sadayuki Horie, Dy. Chairman - Investment Advisory Comm., Government Pension Investment Fund, Japan “Multi-Asset Investing shows the substantial scope there is to innovate the asset allocation process. With its novel approaches to allocation, portfolio construction and risk management it demonstrates the substantial value that can be added to any portfolio. The solutions proposed by Multi-Asset Investing are creative, thought provoking, and may well be the way all portfolios need to be managed in the future.” —Mario Therrien, Senior Vice President, Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Canada The Asset Manager’s Perspective “Never has astute asset allocation and diversification been more crucial than today. Asset Managers which are able to innovate their investment processes and products in this area, are more likely to be the winners. Multi-Asset Investing provides both simple and sophisticated, tested and implementable techniques for successfully managing multi-asset portfolios.” —Vincent Camerlynck, former CEO BNP Paribas Investment Partners, Asia Pacific The Investment Strategist Perspective “For plan sponsors, portfolio managers, analysts and risk managers, Multi-Asset Investing is an unparalleled guide for portfolio management. Its approach to blending the quantitative and fundamental, top-down and bottom up and the risk and return frameworks makes it a valuable tool for any kind of investment professional. It clarifies a complex subject into a series of practical ideas to help add value to any portfolio.” —Ajay S. Kapur, Chief Strategist, BOA Merrill Lynch Asia

Funds are an ideal solution for savers who want to invest in a variety of asset classes, such as equities and bonds, without having to commit the time and effort to becoming an expert themselves. Not only do funds give you the ability to access some of the brightest investment brains in the world, they also enable you to access a wider range of markets and stocks than you could achieve directly, and to do so more efficiently. However, with thousands of investment funds available available to investors, knowing how to select the right ones for your investment portfolio can be daunting. This candid eBook - written by a legendary investor in funds - solves this problem in a jargon-free, focused guide that is designed to take less than 30 minutes to read. By removing the mystery surrounding successful investment in funds, and revealing what you should really look for, it empowers any investor to pick those funds with the greatest potential.

The book explains that instead of asset allocation being set in an isolated and arbitrary fashion, it is in fact the way in which specific hurdle investment returns can be targeted, and that this approach is already in use in the US (and has been for many years). It involves extended and detailed financial analysis of various asset class returns and proposes a five-asset class approach for future use. Opening with a study of the historic asset allocation practice of UK pension funds, the book shows how the current approach has led to the present funding crisis. It goes on to compare and contrast the UK approach with that of the US and to propose a new approach to UK asset allocation: the five asset class approach ("MAC Investing"). The book reviews and analyses different asset classes based on historic returns, examines risk, and concludes with a suggestion of the five asset classes to use; Quoted equities (both Domestic and foreign), hedge funds, private equity and property. This book also includes benchmark performance figures never previously published.

Build an agile, responsive portfolio with a new approach to global asset allocation Adaptive Asset Allocation is a no-nonsense how-to guide for dynamic portfolio management. Written by the team behind Gestaltu.com, this book walks you through a uniquely objective and unbiased investment philosophy and provides clear guidelines for execution. From foundational concepts and timing to forecasting and portfolio optimization, this book shares insightful perspective on portfolio adaptation that can improve any investment strategy. Accessible explanations of both classical and contemporary research support the methodologies presented, bolstered by the authors' own capstone case study showing the direct impact of this approach on the individual investor. Financial advisors are competing in an increasingly commoditized environment, with the added burden of two substantial bear markets in the last 15 years. This book presents a framework that addresses the major challenges both advisors and investors face, emphasizing the importance of an agile, globally-diversified portfolio. Drill down to the most important concepts in wealth management Optimize portfolio performance with careful timing of savings and withdrawals Forecast returns 80% more accurately than assuming long-term averages Adopt an investment framework for stability, growth, and maximum income An optimized portfolio must be structured in a way that allows quick response to changes in asset class risks and relationships, and the flexibility to continually adapt to market changes. To execute such an ambitious strategy, it is essential to have a strong grasp of foundational wealth management concepts, a reliable system of forecasting, and a clear understanding of the merits of individual investment methods. Adaptive Asset Allocation provides critical background information alongside a streamlined framework for improving portfolio performance.

Despite the accepted fact that a substantial part of the risk and return of any portfolio comes from asset allocation, we find today that the majority of investment professionals worldwide are focused on security selection. Multi-Asset Investing: A Practitioner’s Framework questions this basic structure of the investment process and investment industry. Who says we have to separate alpha and beta? Are the traditional definitions for risk and risk premium relevant in a multi-asset class world? Do portfolios cater for the ‘real risks’ in their investment processes? Does the whole Emerging Markets demarcation make sense for investing? Why do active Asian managers perform much poorer compared to developed market managers? Can you distinguish how much of a strategy’s performance comes from skill rather than luck? Does having a performance fee for your manager create alignment or misalignment? Why is the asset management transitioning from multi-asset strategies to multi-asset solutions? These and many other questions are asked, and suggestions provided as potential solutions. Having worked together for fifteen years, the authors’ present implementable solutions which have helped them successfully manage large asset pools. The Academic Perspective “Multi-Asset Investing asks fundamental questions about the asset allocation investment processes in use today, and can have a substantial impact on the future structure of the finance industry. It clarifies and distils the techniques that investment professionals need to master to add value to client portfolios.” —Paul Smith, President & CEO, CFA Institute “Pranay Gupta, Sven Skallsjo, and Bing Li describe the essential concepts and applications of multi-asset investing. Their treatment is far ranging and exceptionally lucid, and always with a nod to practical application. Buy this book and keep it close at hand.” —Mark Kritzman, MIT Sloane School of Management “Innovative solutions to some of the most difficult investment problems we are faced with today. Multi-asset Investing tackles investment issues which don’t have straight forward solutions, but nevertheless are faced by every investment professional. This book sets the standard for investment processes of all asset managers.” —SP Kothari, MIT Sloane School of Management The Asset Owner Perspective “Multi-asset means different things to different people. This is the first text that details a comprehensive framework for managing any kind of multi-asset investment problem. Further, its explanation of the commercial aspects of managing a multi-asset investment business for an asset manager, private bank or asset owner make it an indispensable tool” —Sadayuki Horie, Dy. Chairman - Investment Advisory Comm., Government Pension Investment Fund, Japan “Multi-Asset Investing shows the substantial scope there is to innovate the asset allocation process. With its novel approaches to allocation, portfolio construction and risk management it demonstrates the substantial value that can be added to any portfolio. The solutions proposed by Multi-Asset Investing are creative, thought provoking, and may well be the way all portfolios need to be managed in the future.” —Mario Therrien, Senior Vice President, Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Canada The Asset Manager’s Perspective “Never has astute asset allocation and diversification been more crucial than today. Asset Managers which are able to innovate their investment processes and products in this area, are more likely to be the winners. Multi-Asset Investing provides both simple and sophisticated, tested and implementable techniques for successfully managing multi-asset portfolios.” —Vincent Camerlynck, former CEO BNP Paribas Investment Partners, Asia Pacific The Investment Strategist Perspective “For plan sponsors, portfolio managers, analysts and risk managers, Multi-Asset Investing is an unparalleled guide for portfolio management. Its approach to blending the quantitative and fundamental, top-down and bottom up and the risk and return frameworks makes it a valuable tool for any kind of investment professional. It clarifies a complex subject into a series of practical ideas to help add value to any portfolio.” —Ajay S. Kapur, Chief Strategist, BOA Merrill Lynch Asia

Manager selection is a critical step in implementing any investment program. Investors hire portfolio managers to act as their agents, and portfolio managers are then expected to perform to the best of their abilities and in the investors' best interests. Investors must practice due diligence when selecting portfolio managers. They need to not only identify skillful managers, but also determine the appropriate weights to assign to those managers. This book is designed to help investors improve their ability to select managers. Achieving this goal includes reviewing techniques for hiring active, indexed, and alternative managers; highlighting strategies for setting portfolio manager weights and monitoring current managers; and considering the value of quantitative and qualitative methods for successful manager selection.