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Managing Risks: Enhanced Income Mandates
Professional money managers look at investments in terms of risk versus return. Hence the concept of risk-adjusted return, which is the central theme underpinning portfolio management. However, that is very different from the way most individuals look at investments. Investors understand return because it is quantifiable. It is simple math. Risk not so much!
Research Report: The Shape of the Recovery
Forecasting is about establishing scenarios and assigning probabilities. While difficult at the best of times, developing a rational thesis on the back of COVID-19, is all but impossible. We are confronted with a new virus that has no boundaries and for which epidemiologists have yet to understand its genetic code. As curves flatten around the world, there is concern about a second tsunami in the autumn and the possibility of interim community transmission spikes that could last until 2021.
How Will the COVID 19 Experience Affect ESG Investing? – Part 2
There are two foundational themes to the discussion of the merits of ESG (ethical) investing: values and performance. The COVID 19 experience can be expected to impact both of these. For many ESG investors, the impact on performance is likely to be the most interesting, and perhaps the most difficult to predict.
Covid-19 and ESG Investing – Part 1
It should be expected that the COVID 19 experience may have a profound impact on ESG investing behaviours and related topics.
Research Report: Statistical Life & Modern Monetary Theory
President Trump wanted to re-open the US economy by April 12th because postponing a return to normalcy “could make the cure worse than the disease.” He eventually backed off at the behest advisors. But he was right about the need to strike a balance between the carnage caused by an economic shutdown versus lives lost to the coronavirus.
How The Coronavirus Has Impacted The Markets And Our Look Ahead
We fear what we do not control and what we cannot explain. Dramatic headline powered gyrations in financial markets, escalating infection rates, varying pandemic trajectories and response protocols delivered by a politically biased 24-hour news cycle.
What about the future? How deep is impending recession? How long will it last? What are the long-term implications of the unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus? And when will the stock market bottom?
March 2020 Commentary & Outlook
At the risk of overstating the obvious, the month of February was challenging both psychologically and financially for investors.
As the spread of the Covid-19 virus escalated globally, fear and uncertainty took hold of the markets resulting in the fastest correction of U.S. and Canadian stocks in history.
After peaking near all-time highs somewhere close to the middle of the previous week, by market close on Friday February 28th, the S&P TSX composite Index, representing Canadian stocks, was down overall on the month by approximately 6 percent, while losses on the m
Croft Joins BMO to Open the Market
BMO is celebrating the launch of 11 new ETFs, 8 of which have a focus on companies that are leaders in ESG (Environment, Social and Governance). This innovation in ESG investing comes from a combined strength of BMO Global Asset Management, a UN Principles Responsible Investing (PRI) signatory since 2006 and MSCI, voted best firm for SRI research, corporate governance, research and indexes. 40 years of experience in ESG research has led to over 1300 firms utilizing their ESG insights as part of their investment process.
January 2020 Commentary & Outlook
There was very little holding the U.S. and Canadian stock markets back in December. We had identified a possible headwind with a proposed round of tariffs set to take effect on December 15th. However, with a “Phase 1” trade agreement reached between the U.S. and China instead, and Trump’s impeachment being of no consequence to the markets, investor optimism continued to push stocks higher into the close of 2019.
December 2019 Commentary & Outlook
U.S. and Canadian stocks continued to extend their gains through the month of November and into December, with consumer and service-based sectors leading the charge.
Markets continued to push higher against a background of positive consumer sentiment surveys, low interest rates and supportive central banks, plus a favorable labour market overall, albeit recent Canadian employment numbers have turned sharply negative.
