Asset Allocation Australia – Thursday 9 March 2017
Economic landscape – underlying factors driving the current markets and asset classes
- Discussing the low interest rate environment and trends for future
- Where is inflation going?
- Challenges and opportunities in a low-return world
- Perspectives and expectations for main asset classes
Brian Redican, Chief Economist, NSW Treasury Corporation
Panel discussion: Strategic priorities for superannuation funds
- What challenges are superannuation funds facing?
- Regulatory challenges as well as potential regulatory opportunities
- Aligning asset class implementation with asset allocation objectives
- Meeting obligations to members/customers
Panel discussion: Making effective portfolio allocation decisions
- Working collaboratively with the team to get the best outcomes
- Managing both up and down and getting delegations right
- Responding to volatility and rapid changes in market conditions
- Tolerating short term volatility and investing to achieve long-term objectives
- Exploring new strategies for accessing future investments and potential future directions
Ian Patrick, Chief Investment Officer, Sunsuper
Ross Etherington, Chief Investment Officer, Energy Industries Superannuation Scheme
Craig Turnbull, Chief Investment Officer, Local Government Super
Damian Lillicrap, Head of Investment Strategy, Qsuper
Brendan Casey, General Manager Investments, REST Industry Super
Michael Blayney, Head of Investment Strategy, First State Super
Finding long-term yield in a low return world
- Analysing the current low return market
- Setting a strategic asset allocation for long-term objectives
- Implementing investment strategies to deliver returns in a low yield environment
- Adjusting to market changes and taking advantages of market opportunities
- Discussing the increasing negative returns in fixed income
- Achieving CPI plus objectives in a low interest rate environment without up taking excessive risk
Using diversification to construct more robust portfolios
- Balancing multi-asset portfolios
- Finding diversifying assets in a challenging market environment
- Diversifying across multi asset categories and within asset categories
- Protecting your portfolio from downturns and steering investment goals
Case study: Allocating to alternative assets
- Do alternative investments fit your portfolio?
- What skills or fund characteristics are prerequisites to investing in alternative assets?
- When is the right time to buy alternative assets?
- What are the alternative portfolios for investors besides the traditional portfolio?
- How do you measure success of an alternative portfolio?
Andrew Fisher, Portfolio Manager, Sunsuper
Panel discussion: Exploring opportunities and challenges of Illiquid investments in a world of low prospective returns
- Role of Illiquid investments in a diversified portfolio
- How do different investors think about alternative investments?
- Defining success in alternative investments
- Valuation lags and member equity
- Opportunities in illiquid assets
David O’Sullivan, Chief Investment Officer, BUSSQ Building Super
Justin Ginnivan, Investment Manager, Infrastructure and Timberlands, Future Fund
Panel discussion: Using risk management strategies to customise your investments
- Exploring risk and return characteristics of major asset classes
- Defining your level of risk tolerance
- Increasing risk-return profile
- Responding to changing risk profiles
- Exploring the risk parity approach as a leverage investment strategy
Michael Winchester, Investment Strategist, StatePlus