Diversity and Financial Performance

Global election preview

The next few months will be critical for several countries as they hold elections that could either significantly change their leadership or endorse the status quo. In this blog, I preview the choices ahead for Japan, Brazil and the U.S.

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Trade remains the top concern for global markets

Every week I hope that there are no new trade developments, so that for at least one week I can spare you all from a trade discussion in this blog. Unfortunately, this is not that week – there were many trade developments over the past few days, and I feel compelled to discuss them because I firmly believe the trade situation poses a significant risk to the economy and markets.

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When numbers aren’t enough

ESG investors must demand more than headlines from their asset managers 

Ever since the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) introduced the term ESG integration back in 2006, the investment industry has sought to make it easier to identify which companies are addressing environmental, social and governance issues and which ones aren’t hitting the mark. That search has led to a proliferation of assessment tools that purport to add clarity for asset owners but instead have reduced the ESG engagement process to box-ticking. It’s an exercise that doesn’t generate any meaningful insights for investors looking to do the right thing.

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Currency outlook: U.S. dollar may be caught between two opposing trends

U.S. dollar: Neutral

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Interest rate outlook: U.S. GDP of 2.8% expected in 2018

U.S.: Neutral

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