Tag Archives: Sue Lee
S&P DJI’s Global Islamic Benchmarks Outperformed Conventional Peers in H1 2026
Global equities showed solid gains in the first half of 2026, supported by strong earnings in semiconductor-related industries. Conventional benchmarks rose across regions, with both global and developed markets posting double-digit gains, while emerging markets advanced at a slower pace, partly reflecting U.S. dollar strength. MENA equities continued to lag, weighed down by geopolitical tensions…
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Finding the Golden Mean with a Buffered Strategy
For many market participants, the priority is not pursuing every inch of a bull market run but rather participating while managing downside risk. This desire for a more predictable investment experience has contributed to the growth of buffered (or defined outcome) strategies, which aim to balance participation in market gains with a defined level of…
- Categories Multi-Asset
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- Multi-Asset
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The Search for Elusive Outperforming Active Funds in Japan
As readers of our SPIVA® Scorecards know, beating the market is difficult. Finding those few managers capable of doing so consistently may be even harder. Of the 933 active equity funds domiciled in Japan, more than 80% underperformed their respective benchmarks in 2025.1 Yet even among the minority that did outperform, the bigger question remains:…
- Categories Equities
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- Equities
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Beyond Borders: The Significance of the S&P 500 in Options-Based Strategies
In the U.S. market, options-based ETFs have experienced exponential growth in recent years, with total assets reaching USD 245 billion as of December 2025. These strategies have been increasingly adopted as mainstream tools in portfolio construction, offering more predictable outcomes and income diversification. Other regions are catching up with this trend at varying rates, with…
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- Multi-Asset
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Indexing Modern Income: Covered Calls Uncovered
Capital markets offer several primary sources of income to investors, including money market interest, bond coupons and stock dividends. Alternative sources of income abound and, most recently, innovation within the exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry has introduced options-based income strategies to a wider range of market participants. In the U.S., investors both large and small have…
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What Do the SPIVA Australia Results Imply for Active Portfolio Construction?
Our latest SPIVA® Australia Scorecard underscored the challenges that Australian active funds faced in converting a favorable stock-picking environment into meaningful results in 2025. Among the 831 active equity funds domiciled in Australia that we examined—spanning global equity, domestic equity and REITs—over two-thirds (570 funds) underperformed their category benchmarks. In contrast, active Australian bond funds…
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Index-Based Investing in Islamic Finance: 2025 Review
The Islamic asset management industry has been experiencing growth in index-based investing, and these trends have accelerated in 2025. As of October 2025, assets under management (AUM) in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to Islamic indices reached USD 7.3 billion, a 44% YTD increase (see Exhibit 1)—outpacing the 30% growth observed in the global ETF market.1…
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- Equities, Fixed Income, Thematics
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S&P DJI’s Global Islamic Equity Benchmarks Rose 6% in H1 2025, Underperforming Conventional Benchmarks
In the first half of 2025, global equities faced significant volatility, primarily driven by developments related to U.S. tariffs. Steep declines between February and April were followed by a swift recovery, and the S&P Global BMI ultimately finished with a solid 10.0% return. U.S. equities underperformed, breaking their streak of extended outperformance, as the S&P…
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Index-Based Investing in Islamic Finance: Trends and Implications
Indices play a crucial role in Islamic finance by identifying the universe of securities eligible for Shariah-compliant investments, establishing the benchmarks by which Islamic market participants assess performance and increasingly serving as the basis for index-linked investment products. Islamic finance has also embraced the global trend toward index-based or “passive” investing,1 with assets in exchange-traded…
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S&P DJI’s Global Islamic Equity Benchmarks Rose 5% in Q3 2024, Underperforming Conventional Benchmarks
Global equities continued to trend higher in the third quarter of 2024, as central banks in many parts of the world moved to ease monetary policy on the back of moderating inflation. The S&P Global BMI rose 7.0% for the quarter and was up 18.1% YTD. Emerging market regions drove the market up, with an…
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