Institutional Investors Knowledge Centre

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    • February 21, 2012
    • January 2012 Market and Performance Update
    • Credit rating downgrades and mixed economic news in Europe undercut optimism, but strong economic data releases from the U.S. and continued central bank support boosted sentiment. [... More]
    • January 16, 2012
    • Fourth Quarter 2011 Market Update
    • Stock and bond markets generally rallied in October, declined in November and were mixed in December. The quarter began on a strong note as reports that the eurozone was working on a plan to restructure the European banking sector and positive U.S. economic data releases helped to foster an optimistic mood. Troubles in the eurozone dominated the headlines for much of the period, but positive economic data releases from the U.S. helped ease investor fears. [... More]
    • December 15, 2011
    • November 2011 Market Update
    • Events in the eurozone and the U.S. resulted in a volatile month for global investments. Equity and fixed income markets declined, with risky assets among the weakest performers. Losses were partially offset by month end as news of intended joint central bank action buoyed sentiment. [... More]
    • December 13, 2011
    • The European Union’s ‘Fiscal Compact’—More of the Same
    • While the latest European Union framework for addressing the eurozone’s government debt crisis should buy more time, it does not solve the underlying problems. The summit exposed some interesting political rifts, but SEI believes that current speculation on the euro’s inevitable demise is overdone. [... More]
    • November 15, 2011
    • Eurozone Crisis—U.S. Investors Focused on Capital, Counterparty Risks
    • As government debt problems intensify in the European Monetary Union, financial firms outside of Europe have come under increasing pressure. The larger issue is not individual firms, but the risk of contagion from Europe to the global financial system and world economy.   [... More]
    • November 14, 2011
    • October 2011 Market Update
    • News of a eurozone deal and positive U.S. economic data releases were welcomed by investors, before the mood began to turn sour again towards the end of the month. The short-lived positive sentiment led October’s rebound in the global equity and bond markets. In a reversal of the summer’s fortunes, equity and riskier fixed income investments performed best. [... More]
    • November 10, 2011
    • Has Europe Finally Rescued Itself? Probably Not.
    • Hammered out during yet another contentious EU summit, the recently announced rescue plan for Greece is the most ambitious attempt yet to deal with the eurozone’s ongoing government debt challenges. The plan’s primary objective is to lower Greece’s gross government debt-to-GDP ratio from 160% to 120% by the year 2020. However, assuming all unfolds according to plan, the Greek government will still struggle to service its remaining debt burden. [... More]
    • October 14, 2011
    • Third Quarter 2011 Market Update
    • Global equity and bond markets experienced a dramatic and highly volatile quarter. The markets witnessed a strong flight to safety as equities sold off while government bonds benefited. Economic indicators continued to disappoint on the whole, but SEI does not anticipate a global recession. [... More]
    • October 11, 2011
    • A Closer Look at China
    • While investors remain focused on Europe and the U.S., China has been showing signs of distress. We take a closer look at what this could mean for the global economy, markets, and investors, and how our funds are positioned vis-à-vis China. [... More]
    • October 04, 2011
    • Emotional Decision Making Can Be Hazardous to Your Wealth
    • Hard-wired behavioural tendencies conferred on us by natural selection sometimes work against us. This is especially true in investing, where long-term success requires that we learn to manage our emotions and avoid panic-driven decision making. [... More]
    • September 14, 2011
    • August 2011 Market Update
    • Global equity and bond markets experienced a dramatic and highly volatile August, with investors shying away from risk in favour of defensive assets. In this environment, equities sold off seemingly indiscriminately, while gold and fixed income benefited. Already poor market sentiment was pushed lower by ongoing U.S. debt issues and renewed concerns about the eurozone. [... More]
    • September 02, 2011
    • Eurozone Turmoil Driving Global Market Volatility
    • SEI fund managers and analysts on both sides of the Atlantic agree that Europe is the main factor driving today’s market uncertainty and volatility, and that a recession there would be likely to precipitate a global downturn. We believe the eurozone’s long-term challenges could prove insurmountable without either a partial dissolution of the European Monetary Union or much tighter integration of its members’ fiscal operations. Find out why. 
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    • August 18, 2011
    • July 2011 Market Update
    • Global equity and bond markets experienced a volatile July, with a general flight-to-safety driven by fears that the global economy could be pushed back into recession. Continued problems in the eurozone and ongoing U.S. debt issues along with weak economic data releases fuelled concerns for the month. [... More]
    • July 20, 2011
    • Second Quarter 2011 Market Update
    • Investors favoured defensive assets in the equity markets; global bond yields fell in response to growth concerns and eurozone debt fears. Economic indicators generally disappointed, but SEI remains optimistic in the longer-term.
      [... More]
    • June 13, 2011
    • May 2011 Market Update
    • Investors began to fret about disappointing economic data releases and the resurfacing of sovereign debt fears in the eurozone. However, corporate earnings results continued to exceed expectations and, on the whole, sentiment remained generally buoyant. [... More]
    • May 20, 2011
    • April 2011 Market Update
    • Sentiment remains solid despite rising oil prices and inflationary pressures. Investors favor defensive assets in equity and fixed-income markets. SEI’s outlook for global growth remains positive. [... More]
    • March 16, 2011
    • Japan: Too Early to Tell
    • Japan, the third-largest economy in the world, has endured earthquakes, a tsunami and multiple nuclear reactor failures. The long-term downstream consequences will not be clear for quite some time. Gross domestic product (GDP) will be negatively impacted in the short term, but rebuilding should help economic activity rebound. [... More]
    • February 10, 2011
    • Oil, Water, Food and Money: A Macro View of Political Tensions
    • Ongoing political turmoil in Egypt led to the temporary closure of that country’s stock market and banking system and sparked a short-term flight-to-quality move in the bond markets (with investors buying U.S. Treasury securities) reminiscent of the eurozone crisis. [... More]
    • October 05, 2010
    • Comparing Recessions: U.S. "Great Recession" vs. Japanese "Lost Decade"
    • A spate of economic data raised concerns that the U.S. economy is facing a “lost decade” like the one Japan experienced from 1991-2001. While we see similarities, a closer look reveals significant differences which we believe ultimately render them uncomparable. [... More]
    • September 27, 2010
    • Macro-Dominated Markets and Spiking Correlations: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities
    • A recent article in The Wall Street Journal focuses on how macroeconomic themes are currently a driving force in U.S. financial markets, much to the frustration of stock pickers. [... More]
    • May 07, 2010
    • An Update on the Greek Sovereign Debt Crisis
    • In the past few weeks, concerns about whether or not Greece will default on payments related to its sovereign debt have reached a fever pitch. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged nearly 1,000 points before recovering significantly, ending the day down just over 300 points. [... More]
    • October 31, 2009
    • Strategic Management
    • As a result of last year’s market turmoil, plan sponsors need to revisit their asset allocation and liabilities. [... More]
    • August 24, 2009
    • Market Turmoil Drives Change for DB Plans Around the World
    • The Pension Management Research Panel conducted a global Quick Poll with a goal of determining what changes pension executives are currently making and what the expectations are moving forward. [... More]
    • February 25, 2009
    • A Market Gone Bad: How Are Pensions Around the World Responding?
    • The Pension Management Research Panel recently conducted a global Quick Poll of pension executives from five markets, examining the extent of the impact last year had on organizations managing pensions and how they are responding to ongoing worldwide investment volatility. [... More]
    • February 23, 2009
    • How Market Turbulance is Impacting Jewish Affiliated Nonprofits
    • The Nonprofit Management Research Panel recently conducted a Quick Poll of executives and investment committee members responsible for overseeing investment portfolios for Jewish affiliated nonprofit organizations. The reality is that Jewish affiliated organizations face unique needs and challenges during an extremely demanding period for investment management. [... More]
    • October 27, 2008
    • Commentary: Presidential Elections and the Stock Market
    • As volatile as the markets and economy have been, investors wonder what a victory for either candidate might mean to them financially. While that is nearly impossible to predict with any sense of certainty, history can tell us a great deal about how the equity markets have reacted post election. [... More]

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