This Time It Was Easy: SPIVA Canada
Each time SPIVA® results are released, we are naturally asked to explain why a certain portion of active managers underperformed in any given fund category. Sometimes, management strategies and market moves defy simple explanations, but at other times an explanation can be plain as day. For actively managed equity funds in Canada, a recent turn…
Dissecting the Divergent Performance among Latin American Fund Managers
Lessons from the SPIVA Latin America Mid-Year 2022 Scorecard The semiannual S&P Indices Versus Active (SPIVA®) Scorecards1 measure the performance of actively managed funds against their corresponding benchmarks in various markets around the world. According to the latest SPIVA Latin America Mid-Year 2022 Scorecard, the YTD performance among active managers across Latin American countries varied…
U.S. Dollar Strength Catches Up with Commodities
U.S. dollar strength caught up with commodities in September, with the benchmark S&P GSCI falling 7.8%. Almost all physical commodities are priced in USD, and a stronger USD has historically correlated to weaker commodity demand and lower commodity prices. But the S&P GSCI is holding onto a 21.8% YTD gain despite the USD strength, energy…
- Categories Commodities
- Tags commodities, electricity, energy, energy prices, fuels, grains, industrial metals, inflation, natural gas, oil, precious metals, S&P GSCI, S&P GSCI Agriculture, S&P GSCI Cotton, S&P GSCI German Power, S&P GSCI Gold, S&P GSCI Industrial Metals, S&P GSCI Natural Gas, S&P GSCI Petroleum, S&P GSCI Silver, supply chain
- Categories
- Commodities
- Tags
- commodities, electricity, energy, energy prices, fuels, grains, industrial metals, inflation, natural gas, oil, precious metals, S&P GSCI, S&P GSCI Agriculture, S&P GSCI Cotton, S&P GSCI German Power, S&P GSCI Gold, S&P GSCI Industrial Metals, S&P GSCI Natural Gas, S&P GSCI Petroleum, S&P GSCI Silver, supply chain
New Crypto Indices Designed for the Asia Market
Cryptocurrencies were designed to be decentralized and borderless, and different regions have different rates of adoption and use. In Asia, a new report by Accenture titled “Digital assets: Unclaimed territory in Asia”1 reported that 52% of affluent investors held digital assets as of Q1 2022, and the percentage was expected to rise to 73% by…
Shooting Hoops with Michael Jordan: An Allegory
I am not a particularly good athlete, and perhaps the sport at which I am most inept is basketball. Despite that, let’s assume that I somehow challenge Michael Jordan, arguably the best player in the history of the game, to a free throw shooting contest. What are my chances of success? (Stay with me, I…
How to Bring Paris Agreement Goals to Fixed Income Indices
This blog was co-authored by Smadar Shulman and Paulina Lichwa-Garcia. As the transition to net zero is becoming a critical consideration in portfolio management, the popularity of indices that incorporate the EU’s minimum standards for Climate Transition Benchmarks (CTBs) and Paris-aligned Benchmarks (PABs) has been gathering pace. Such benchmarks aim to select securities that are collectively…
- Categories ESG, Fixed Income
- Tags climate, CTB, decarbonization, ESG, EU Climate Transition Benchmark, fixed income, green bonds, greenhouse gas, iBoxx EUR Corporates Net Zero 2050 Paris-Aligned ESG, Net Zero, PAB, Paris Agreement, Paris-aligned Benchmark, S&P PACT, S&P PACT Fixed Income, Sustainalytics
- Categories
- ESG, Fixed Income
The U.S. Dollar’s Outperformance Makes Its Impact on Indices, Too
U.S. dollar strength has led to parity in EUR-USD exchange rates in recent days, with the value of the euro equaling 99 U.S. pennies at its low. While 114 U.S. pennies were still required to equal the British pound sterling, “cable”—the GBP-USD rate—has reached its lowest since 1985. In Asia, the Japanese yen has suffered…
Value’s Resurgence in the S&P/ASX 200
Those who implement style investing will have noticed a recent reversal of fortunes for the value approach following a long spell of underperformance. Since the inception of the S&P/ASX 200 Growth and S&P/ASX 200 Value in 2017, the back-tested approach has seen growth top value in 12 out of the past 17 calendar years. However,…
Tracking Trends with Indices
How can indices help investors understand what’s driving market trends amid inflation, rising rates, and volatility? S&P DJI’s Anu Ganti and Hamish Preston take a closer look at key trends and what they could mean for active management and asset allocation moving forward.
Equity Woes Continue
Canadian equities continued their decline, losing another 8.76% (through September 15, 2022) since the last rebalance of the S&P/TSX Low Volatility Index on June 17. Characteristically for a falling market, Low Volatility outperformed (by 13 basis points), declining 8.63%. As it had done in June, volatility again increased for every sector of the S&P/TSX Composite…
