William Jarvis of the Commonfund Institute explains how the investment horizons and objectives are different for endowments and foundations as…
Currency risk can best be described as the surprise impact that currency exposure has on an investment portfolio. Although currency risk typically…
Why Doesn’t it Feel Like a Record High? U.S. stocks closed last week at a record high amidst geopolitical and economic uncertainty around much of the world. Notwithstanding better market performance, many investors feel left out as rising markets have not lifted all boats. However, with domestic economic data showing signs of continued improvement and with earnings bottoming, what was a headwind may become a tailwind, particularly for those industries that can generate earnings and cash flow.
Despite the weaker than expected real GDP reading for the just completed second quarter, the demand side of the economy was solid as real consumption spending grew at a 4.2 percent pace. Likewise, real final sales to private domestic purchasers rose 4.7 percent. The gains in these two components were the strongest increases in two years. At the end of the day, the important question is; what does it mean for corporate profits and future business activity?
For the second consecutive month, the employment report confirmed that the weak jobs reading in May was a temporary distortion. The stock market responded accordingly, as domestic stocks rallied to new highs.
Finding the right investment governance model for your institution isn’t about size. In the hyper-competitive world of endowment management, something curious happens when the word used to describe the size of an endowment changes from starting with the letter “m” to a word that starts with the letter “b.” Yes, Billion. With a “B.”
For the last several months, significant asset flows have moved from institutional to government-only money market funds in anticipation of new regulations. On October 14, 2016 regulations will finally go into effect for non-government institutional money market funds, with the highlighted feature being the shift from a fixed $1 transaction share price to a floating NAV. These portfolios will be priced using the market-based value of the actual portfolio holdings, out to four decimals. This means that Endowments, Foundations, and other businesses that manage operating cash will no longer be able to hold funds in stable fixed $1.00 share price institutional money market accounts.
Commonfund Institute, NACUBO and AGB survey builds upon the 2014 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments® by delving in to responsible investing practices, policies and portfolio strategies. Topics covered include: defining responsible investing practices; current investment practices; policies and procedures; views on responsible investing; and potential portfolio changes.
The NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments® (NCSE) provides the most comprehensive analysis of financial, investment and governance policies and practices.
The CCSF study provides an authoritative and comprehensive survey of private and community foundation investment and governance practices.
The annual Commonfund Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) report provides an analysis of HEPI and the cost factors...
Commonfund Institute and The Council on Foundations survey builds upon the 2014 Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations® (CCSF) by delving in to responsible investing practices, policies and portfolio strategies.
