Market Insights

1990s Redux: Volatility may be back

(September 2006) In the 1990s, investors and advisors, out of necessity, learned to be Fedwatchers. The unexpected rise in interest rates in 1994 hammered bond funds. An observation on “irrational exuberance” by U.S. Federal Reserve chair Alan Greenspan in 1995 precipitated a market pullback. Currency shocks in 1997 and 1998 made U.S. Treasury bills a […]

By Scot Blythe |September 1, 2006

3 min read

Retention proves trickier than sales

Despite strong gross sales performance across the industry, many mutual fund manufacturers are facing an uphill struggle in retaining assets, according to the July edition of Investor Economics Insight. In some years, strong sales have helped to mask the problem. While redemptions have been increasing in dollar terms, inflows have been growing at a faster […]

By Steven Lamb |August 1, 2006

5 min read

Asian markets maturing slowly

Investors looking to make a quick buck in Asia may very well reach that goal, but the developing economies of the region should really be considered as a long-term opportunity, according to managers who specialize in that part of the world. The Asia-Pacific region is still largely seen as risky and extremely volatile by outside […]

By Steven Lamb |July 14, 2006

4 min read

Investment hybrids

(July 2006) The theorem “keep ’em separate” no longer applies. As baby boomers begin to retire, expect to see more product innovations that combine investments with insurance. Annuities or segregated funds are only the beginning, says Moshe Milevsky, executive director of the Individual Finance and Insurance Decision and associate professor of finance at York University […]

By Deanne N. Gage |June 30, 2006

5 min read