Zach Kouwe | Financial PR
Zach Kouwe | Financial PR
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Trust and Authenticity Matter in Asset Management

4/19/2019

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Trust and authenticity are words most people associate with political campaigns. If you haven’t heard them before, just wait for the coming Presidential election frenzy. But what we’ve learned as communications practitioners is that these two concepts also matter in investing and asset management. In fact, a recent survey of big institutional investors showed that “trust in the brand” ranked higher in importance than “performance” when it came to picking money managers.
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Last month, Greenwich Associates, the big consultant to pension funds, endowments and other institutions, published an important survey on why allocators pick the asset managers they partner with. It also asked institutional investors how they interacted with various forms of media. Here are the findings we found most interesting. (The full study is available here.)
  • 68% say they use social media (mainly LinkedIn) to research asset managers, up from 36% in their 2015 survey.
  • 86% say they take action on content they receive from asset managers
  • The best media sources for “deep subject matter education” are: Financial Times, LinkedIn, Bloomberg.com and Twitter
  • 36% say “specific investment advice” is the content they like most from assets managers
  • Content delivery platforms matter for different age groups:
  • Ages 20-29 prefer an audio (podcast) format or video
  • Ages 30-39 prefer online HTML reports
  • Ages 40-49 also prefer online reports viewable in HTML
  • Ages 50-59 prefer downloadable PDFs
  • For keeping track of individuals, survey respondents chose LinkedIn and Twitter

The takeaway from the study is something we have long known as communications experts but have found lacking in the asset management community – building a brand takes a long time and a thoughtful and concerted strategy is a key component to competing in today’s market. Here’s a paragraph from the Greenwich study we found especially compelling:


A big pension fund isn’t going to allocate millions of dollars based on a single piece of research from an asset manager, of course. However, a track record of high quality, timely and relevant content will help ensure that an asset manager is top of mind and, consequently, invited to the table when a major decision is being made.


Once again, social media proved key at this final stage. Forty-three percent of investors participating in the study said that information learned via social media had influenced an investment recommendation or decision, compared to 35% based on information learned via news media. Meanwhile, information from social and news media was equally likely to influence a decision to work with a particular company or client.


For asset managers, whether they’re well established or just starting out, deciding whether to engage with the public is really no longer an option. Either you tell your story or someone else will, or even worse, it will never get told.
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Financial News Roundup for the Week of Sept. 24, 2017

10/1/2017

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What We've Been Reading - Week of Sept. 24

Markets & Economy:
  • Leveraged loans are back (WSJ)
  • As China piles on debt, consumers seek a piece of the action (NYT)
  • Citigroup aims to bring back synthetic CDOs (Bloomberg)
Asset/Wealth Management:
  • The growing clout of ETF strategists (WSJ)
  • Big investors want directors to stop sitting on so many boards (WSJ)
  • Banks lobbying to stem MiFID’s Spread Spark a U.S. client revolt (Bloomberg)
  • Freud Meets Finance: Why Wealthy Clients Are Using Financial Advisors For Money Therapy (Forbes)
Long(er) Reads:
  • Congressional aids risk conflicts with stock trades (Politico)
  • The coming software apocalypse (The Atlantic)
Alternatives:
  • Infrastructure Investors Swap Debt For Equity (II)
  • Family Offices to up allocations (PEI*)
  • The Massive Hedge Fund Betting on AI (Bloomberg)
  • Why Private Equity May Be on a Highway to the Danger Zone (II)
  • Hedge funds ain’t dead yet (WSJ)
Media Industry and Journalism:
  • WilmerHale 'inadvertently' leaks Pepsi client secrets to Wall Street Journal (LegalWeek)
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Financial News Roundup for the Week of Sept. 3, 2017

9/10/2017

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What We've Been Reading - Week of Sept. 3

Markets & Economy:
  • Hurricanes Push Fed Off Course (WSJ)
  • Bridgewater’s Ray Dalio spreads his gospel of radical transparency (NYT)
Asset/Wealth Management:
  • Nasdaq’s latest deal shows that data reigns supreme (Bloomberg)
  • Goldman Sachs Summer Intern Survey (Goldman Sachs)
Long(er) Reads:
  • Jamie Dimon’s $13 billion secret revealed (Vanity Fair)
Alternatives:
  • Flush With Cash, Private Equity Rainmakers Set Out on Their Own (Bloomberg)
  • Steve Cohen’s comeback begins (Bloomberg)
  • Bridgewater's Ray Dalio Dives Deeper Into the 'Principles' of Tough Love (NYT)
  • 'Hedge fund of the year' reportedly got duped by radio star's alleged Ponzi scheme (CNBC.com)
  • Why Alternative Investments Are Bad for Your Portfolio (WSJ)
  • Private Equity Prowls for Young Bankers Early in Frenetic Ritual (Bloomberg)
  • BlackRock is said to be in talks for CalPERS buyout business (P&I)
  • Investors Grow Concerned About Private Equity (II)
Media Industry and Journalism:
  • A Staple in New York, The Daily News, Was Just Sold to Tronc (Reuters)
  • At CNN, a retracted story leaves an elite reporting team bruised (NYT)
    NY Time hires Deborah Solomon to cover economics (TalkingBizNews)
  • ​Spinning out of Control (Reuters BreakingViews)
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Financial News Roundup for the Week of August 27, 2017

9/4/2017

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What We've Been Reading - Week of Aug. 27

Markets & Economy:
  • Synthetic CDOs are back (WSJ)
  • CalPERS asks 504 companies why they have all-male boards (MMR)
  • Day Trading in Wall Street’s Complex ‘Fear Gauge’ Proliferates (NYT)​
Asset/Wealth Management:
  • James Staley’s series of unfortunate events (NYT)
  • BlackRock Finds $5 Trillion Industry Is Now Riskier Than in '08 (Bloomberg)
  • Hedge funds see a gold rush in data mining (FT)
  • Active Management Pays Off In Real Estate Funds (II)
Long(er) Reads:
  • Have smartphones destroyed a generation? (The Atlantic)
Alternatives:
  • No 2-and-20? No Problem (II)
  • Buyout Funds Have Money to Burn, and That’s a Problem (WSJ)
  • The Hot New Hedge Fund Flavor Is 'Quantamental' (Bloomberg Businessweek)
  • Hedge funds see a gold rush in data mining (FT)
  • Hedge Funds' Near-Record Momentum Bets Keep Coming Up Winners (Bloomberg)
  • Private Debt Markets Hide Hedge-Fund-Like Risks (Bloomberg Businessweek)
  • How a small Wisconsin town is making some hedge funds very nervous (CNBC.com)
  • The New Wave of Activists (II)
  • SEC scrutinises sales of LP stakes (PEI)
Media Industry and Journalism:

  • The Guardian sets up nonprofit entity to support journalism (NYT)
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Financial News Roundup for the Week of Jan 22, 2017

1/29/2017

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What We've Been Reading - Week of Jan. 22

Markets & Economy:
  • Does Dow 20,000 Matter? Mostly No (Bloomberg)
  • China clamps down on banks moving currency overseas (Financial Times)
  • Gundlach sees Trump moves weakening dollar, boosting TIPS demand (Reuters)
  • Americans are flipping houses like it’s 2006 (Bloomberg)

Asset/Wealth Management:
  • Morgan Stanley said to seek fees from ETF issuers to carry funds (Bloomberg)
  • Sustainable and Impact Investing in U.S. Surges by 33%: Report (ThinkAdvisor)
  • John Bogle on the future for money managers (Business Insider)
  • Harvard Endowment to outsource most management, cut jobs (Bloomberg)
  • Active v. Passive: There is no debate (Pensions & Investments)
  • A message for my young friends (Reformed Broker)


Long Reads:
  • Long on Trump (New York Magazine)
  • Are the Murdoch sons prepared to take over for their father? (FT)

Alternatives:
  • Hedge funds risk treasuries wipeout as bearish bet soar (Bloomberg)
  • Hedge fund assets surpass $3 trillion in 2016 (Bloomberg)
  • Cooley: Why we expect PE to invest more in tech in 2017 (Cooley.com)
  • Private equity frets as Congress eyes interest deduction (Financial Times)
Media Industry and Journalism:
  • Ad agencies making secret settlements to avoid client audits (Business Insider)
  • Expect a media merger bonanza (Los Angeles Times)
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My Roundup of Financial News for the week of Dec. 18, 2016

12/27/2016

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What We've Been Reading - Week of Dec. 18

Markets & Economy:
  • 2016 Was a Very Good Year for Stock Market Contrarians (Wall Street Journal)
  • How frackers beat OPEC (The Atlantic)
  • Reasons to Be Miserable Don’t Include Bond Yields (WSJ)
  • CEOs dumping stock during postelection rally (CNBC)
  • Corporate governance should blend PE and family firm models (Harvard Business Review)
  • Where to Invest in 2017 (Kiplinger’s Personal Finance)

Asset/Wealth Management:
  • CalPERS return cut would be small but notable (Reuters Breakingviews)
  • CalPERS rising pension warning bell (Bloomberg)
  • ESMA and The Invisible Whistleblower Hotline (Financial Times)
  • Prem Watsa: Bet on growth (Bloomberg)
  • Natixis launching 401(k) market's first ESG-focused target-date mutual funds (InvestmentNews)
  • Young Americans Piled Into Some Horrendous ETF Trades Right After the Election (Bloomberg)
  • N.Y. pension fund manager, brokers charged in pay-to-play scheme (Reuters)

Long Reads:
  • The secret history of Deloitte’s espionage practice (CNBC)
  • Chinese city claims it will outcompete U.S. in tech post tariffs (WSJ)
  • The world’s largest hedge fund is building an algorithmic model of its founder’s brain (WSJ)

Alternatives:
  • MetLife’s hedge fund chop (Bloomberg)
  • A billionaire retrenches in a tough year for hedge funds (WSJ)
  • A New Fund Seeks Both Financial and Social Returns (NY Times)
  • Hedge fund winners and losers emerge as year ends on a better note (Bloomberg)
  • Avaya: How a $9 billion buyout went wrong (WSJ)
  • Hedge fund math: Tails we win, heads you lose (NYTimes)

Media Industry and Journalism:
  • Journalists have to be tougher on everybody (ReCode)
  • 2016's most influential financial Twitter handles (Sentieo)
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My Weekly Financial News Roundup 

11/20/2016

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What We've Been Reading - Week of Nov. 13

Markets & Economy:
  • Bill Gross on the election (Janus)
  • Comprehensive chart from Davis Polk on how Dodd-Frank could look in the new administration (Davis Polk)
  • Will the new administration strengthen antitrust policies? (The Atlantic)
  • Ray Dalio’s bond shake-up scenario (Bloomberg)
Asset/Wealth Management:
  • Wall Street’s decade long firing spree seen winding down (Bloomberg)
  • Illinois pension fund moves further away from active management (WSJ)
  • Goldman Sachs makes its pitch to the masses (NYT)
  • A Concerned Billionaire Develops a Plan for Retirements (NYT)
Long Reads:
  • The only bank in a Yemeni town run by Al-Qaeda (NYT)
  • Professors peddling mega mergers (ProPublica)
  • Activist investors and the U.S. economy (The Atlantic)
Alternatives:
  • Survey: Most investors sticking with hedge funds (P&I)
  • Bill Ackman’s fortune - down, but not out (NYT)
  • Hedge fund with $2 billion bets on “crazy” in a Trump world (Bloomberg)
  • Trump victory sparks hedge fund bonanza (WSJ)
Media Industry and Journalism:
  • Facebook and Google won’t let fake news sites use their ad networks (The Atlantic)
  • Squawk Box moving to Nasdaq studio next year (Talking Biz News)
  • Bloomberg announces changes across its news operation (WSJ)
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Howard Marks Memo: Implications of the Election

11/7/2016

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 Read all of Howard Marks' Chairman's Memos Here
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My Weekly News Roundup 

10/23/2016

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What We've Been Reading - Week of Oct. 16

The debate over active vs. passive management dominated headlines this week, coinciding with the Wall Street Journal’s launch of ‘The Passivists’; a series of articles exploring the rise of passive investing. The following are some of the more prominent articles covering the subject:

  • Wall Street’s ‘Do Nothing’ Investing Revolution (WSJ)
  • The Dying Business of Picking Stocks (WSJ)
  • Some visual aids in support of the growth of passive management (WSJ)
  • Capital Group’s Timothy Armour in defense of activist investing (WSJ)
  • To succeed, Janus/Henderson merger will need to counter decline of active management (P&I)
  • Cliff Asness weighs in on (Cliff’s Perspective, AQR Blog)  

Markets & Economy:
  • Central banks’ balance sheets soar (Bloomberg)
  • A Nasdaq upgrade threatens IEX (WSJ)
  • Where will the next crisis come from? (Bloomberg Businessweek)
Asset Management:
  • Hedge funds using complex algorithms are gaining an edge (Financial Times)
  • How one Goldman trader made $100M profit for the firm (WSJ)
Long Reads:
  • Steve Cohen’s comeback (Fortune)
Alternatives:
  • Firms look for ways to skirt new CLO rules (WSJ)
  • Hedge funds cost New York state $3.8 billion (Bloomberg)
  • KPMG and MFA release results of their 2016 survey on the hedge fund industry (KPMG)
Media Industry and Journalism:
  • MetLife breaks it off with Snoopy (WSJ)
  • ​The Wall Street Journal is cutting newsroom jobs again (CNN)
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My weekly roundup of financial news

10/9/2016

0 Comments

 
What We've Been Reading - Week of Oct. 2
Markets & Economy:
  • Why did Google fall behind Amazon on home devices? (NYT)
  • On Jack Dorsey’s one year anniversary, Twitter remains a mess (Wired)
  • Only 22% of everyday investors know the basic principles of bonds (Business Insider)
  • Oil crosses $50 a barrel (Reuters)
  • How chaos broke loose during flash crash on Friday (FT)
Asset Management:
  • Janus Henderson merger - active managers get defensive together (WSJ)
  • The Culture Ate Our Corporate Reputation (WSJ)
  • Passive investing is on a tear and for a very good reason (CNBC)
  • How Fidelity’s owners get richer at everyday investors’ expense (Reuters)
  • Smart Beta - the next frontier in the fee fight? (WSJ)
  • Merrill to end commission-based option for retirement savers (WSJ)
Long Reads:
  • New Yorker profile of Y Combinator’s Sam Altman (New Yorker)
  • Mail Chimp and the Un-Silicon Valley Way to Make it As a Start-Up (New York Times)
  • The dizzying grandeur of 21st-century agriculture (NYT photo essay)
  • Florida’s Feud Over Zika-Fighting Mosquitoes Heats Up (Bloomberg)
  • The billionaires’ pawn (WSJ)
Alternatives:
  • Ides Capital targets companies’ weakness: the gender gap (NYT)
Media Industry and Journalism:
  • The Goldman Sachs-backed 'Bloomberg killer' has 116,000 customers a year after launch (Business Insider)
  • ​​Bloomberg moves to 24 hour schedule (TalkingBizNews)
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