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Year-End Update and 2026 Investment Outlook
Calendar year 2025 delivered strong equity market returns globally, continuing the outsized performance of the past two years. In the U.S., the S&P 500 index returned 17.9 percent. Not to be outdone,... Learn More
Viewpoint: The Move in Marketable Alternative Strategies
In the 2021 Commonfund Benchmarks Study® of Independent schools we continue to see the allocation to marketable alternative strategies decline, raising questions about why and whether it will...
Forum 2022 Key Statistics [Infographic]
Commonfund recently hosted its 24th annual Commonfund Forum, March 16-18th, in Orlando, Florida. The event brought together institutional investors to engage in a three-day conference to explore...
Teresa C. Younger, CEO, Ms. Foundation for Women
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Allison Kaspriske, Director, Commonfund Institute and Nicole Melwood, Director, Commonfund, interview Teresa Younger, President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation...
Viewpoint: The Short and Long of It
There’s a lot to consider in each annual Commonfund Benchmarks Study® of Independent Schools, e.g., asset allocation, spending, gifts and donations, responsible investing and more. This year is no...
Is this Time Different? Risk Assets and Real Rate Moves
February ended in the same fashion as January, with elevated volatility across a wide spectrum of asset classes. Equities, fixed income, currencies, commodities, and cryptocurrencies all swung...
Metis Global Partners
In celebration of Black History Month, Commonfund Institute Executive Director, George Suttles, and Commonfund Director, Nicole Melwood, interview Machel Allen, President and CIO of Metis Global...
Commonfund Perspective on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Key Takeaways As widely anticipated, Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, February 24th, causing volatility to spike across the capital markets globally. By the closing bell in the U.S., however,...
Commonfund's Third Annual Invitational Diverse Manager Day
From February 9th-11th, Commonfund held its third Diverse Manager Day event, with 20 managers identified through its Diverse Manager Portal and other sources. These diverse managers1 cover a broad...
Strategic Planning May Be Saving the Day for Cultural Institutions
Given the disruption to “normalcy” brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial justice issues that erupted in the U.S. in 2020 and continue today, some may say it has been a time of reckoning...
Tech Stocks Lead the Market Decline in Early 2022
2022 began with one of the worst market performance periods since 2009. While the tech-heavy NASDAQ index looks to finish January with a loss of around 10 percent, value equities will likely record...
2022 Private Markets Investor Sentiment Survey
Institutional investors continue to increase allocations to private strategies – but with some caution and an increasingly targeted approach. Commonfund Capital’s fifth annual private markets...
Aligning Endowments & Investments with Foundation Values
Reflections from the Council on Foundations' webinar The 2020 Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations (CCSF) is the field’s most...
Private Markets Year in Review and 2026 Outlook
As we enter our 38th year, we write to share with you our year-end letter and observations of what may be ahead in 2026 in the private equity investment environment.