Institutional Investors Knowledge Center

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    • 17 August 2010
    • How Nonprofits Are Addressing Current Investment Challenges in Ongoing Volatility
    • Nonprofits face many concerns and challenges at a time when these organizations still need to meet spending  requirements to support their overall missions. This quick poll discusses some challenges and how nonprofits are addressing them. [... More]
    • 12 August 2010
    • July 2010 Market Update
    • During July, investors were able to look past much of the weak global economic data and instead focus on positive corporate earnings releases. [... More]
    • 06 August 2010
    • Investment Update: The Summer of Our Discontent
    • Bad news seems to be everywhere these days, affecting a majority of the drivers of economic growth. But the news isn't all bad. Solid companies are trading at reasonable valuation levels. The European sovereign debt crisis is looking less dire, and the “stress tests” conducted on banks in Europe were largely positive.  We believe the worst thing investors can do is take no action. [... More]
    • 20 July 2010
    • Second Quarter 2010 Market and Performance Update
    • Optimism in the first quarter turned to skepticism in the second quarter, as the sovereign debt crisis in peripheral Europe and a mixed bag of economic data raised questions about the sustainability of a global economic recovery. [... More]
    • 13 July 2010
    • Economic Outlook: Staying Upbeat in a Down Quarter
    • The Global Portfolio Strategies Team recently released a quarterly economic outlook report. [... More]
    • 06 July 2010
    • Summary of Defined Benefit Funding Relief for Multiemployer Plans
    • A one page summary detailing the two aspects of the new law passed by President Obama that will most significantly impact multiemployer pension plans. [... More]
    • 06 July 2010
    • Summary of Defined Benefit Funding Relief for Single Employer Pension Plan Sponsors
    • A one page summary outlining recent funding relief passed by President Obama that will most significantly impact single employer pension plan sponsors.   [... More]
    • 22 June 2010
    • Four Key Issues Impacting Multiemployer Pension Trustees in 2010
    • The Pension Management Research Panel conducted research to identify the most important issues facing multiemployer pension plan trustees in today's environment. [... More]
    • 17 June 2010
    • May 2010 Market and Performance Update
    • May was characterized by continued anxiety surrounding the Greek sovereign debt crisis. Although many global economic indicators continued to support the view that recovery has taken hold, worries about worldwide growth remained. In SEI's view, the global economy should continue to improve, but growth will not be uniform across all regions. [... More]
    • 03 June 2010
    • Investment Update: Why U.S. Investors Should Care About the Euro
    • Why should U.S. investors care about the sovereign debt troubles of Greece and other European countries? These issues can have a significant impact on domestic investments. [... More]
    • 02 June 2010
    • Investment Update: Market Volatility Continues
    • From a market perspective, the month of May had more than its fair share of challenges. In SEI’s view, the global economy should continue to fight its way forward, but it won’t be uniform across regions. [... More]
    • 18 May 2010
    • April 2010 Market Update
    • During April, investors displayed caution as tensions escalated regarding the Greek sovereign debt crisis. Economic data continued to be mixed, as global labor markets remained weak and the slow pace of growth stayed largely the same. [... More]
    • 07 May 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]
    • 20 April 2010
    • Commentary: First Quarter 2010 Market and Performance Update
    • In SEI’s view, the global economy should continue to improve, but growth will not be uniform across all regions. Emerging markets are the clear leaders so far. The key concern continues to be the exit from governmental stimulus packages. Read the full commentary. [... More]
    • 15 April 2010
    • Economic Outlook: The Emergence of Divergence?
    • It is evident that the world’s economies are no longer marching in tandem. Instead, it has become a three-track world. Read a summary from our Global Portfolio Strategies Team and request the full-length paper. [... More]
    • 18 March 2010
    • Commentary: February 2010 Market and Performance Update
    • Although the tone for February was cautious due to concerns about possible government bond defaults and mixed economic data, investors pushed equity markets higher on hopes of further economic recovery. Market activity for the month reflected our view that the global economy is on the path to recovery but still faces hurdles along the way. [... More]
    • 02 March 2010
    • CFO Summary: The Implications of the FASB Pension Disclosure Guidelines
    • Financial executives overseeing pension plans were thrown yet another challenge in plan management. [... More]
    • 24 February 2010
    • Commentary: January 2010 Market and Performance Update
    • Global equity markets fell on concerns that tighter regulations will stymie growth, Greek government bonds were downgraded and Japanese government bonds were warned of a possible downgrade, and the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar strengthened against sterling and the euro. [... More]
    • 11 February 2010
    • Quick Poll: The Top 10 Priorities for Pension Plan Sponsors in 2010
    • In January 2010, the Pension Management Research Panel conducted a Quick Poll asking executives to identify their organization’s top ten pension priorities for the year. The poll was completed by 54 executives overseeing pensions ranging from US $250 million to US $10 billion in assets. None of the poll respondents were from institutional clients of SEI. [... More]
    • 03 February 2010
    • 2010 Economic Outlook
    • We expect a sustained economic recovery in 2010, although there remain obvious areas of weakness — the household sector, small business, state and local governments and construction. Download our 13-page commentary. [... More]
    • 18 January 2010
    • Commentary: Fourth Quarter 2009 Market and Performance Update
    • SEI believes there have been continued signs of improvement in the world economy during the past quarter, which should keep the recovery in the global financial markets on track, although the pace of gains is likely to be more tempered in the months ahead. [... More]
    • 06 January 2010
    • Outlook 2010: How Nonprofits Are Responding to Investment Challenges
    • Nonprofit executives respond to a poll regarding the challenges that resulted from recent events on the alternative markets. [... More]
    • 18 December 2009
    • Commentary: November 2009 Market and Performance Update
    • SEI believes there have been sufficient signs of improvement in the world economy in recent months to keep the recovery in the global financial markets on track, although the pace of gains is likely to be more tempered in the months ahead. [... More]
    • 16 December 2009
    • SEI 2009 FAS 87 Research Series
    • The volatility of the capital markets and interest rates over the past two years has continued to wreak havoc on the funded status of corporate defined benefit plans in the United States. [... More]
    • 11 December 2009
    • Commentary: What About Gold?
    • Gold is now trading at a record high, and interest in the commodity continues to grow. This is a typical pattern seen during difficult economic times when investors seek a hedge against financial uncertainty, which can be found in abundance as 2009 draws to a close. [... More]
    • 18 November 2009
    • Commentary: October 2009 Market and Performance Update
    • We believe there have been sufficient signs of improvement in the world economy in recent months to keep the recovery in the global financial markets on track, although the pace of gains is likely to be more tempered in the months ahead. In particular, we would expect to see a more balanced performance between high- and low-quality stocks, large versus small companies and developed versus emerging markets. [... More]
    • 28 October 2009
    • Commentary: Third Quarter 2009 Market and Performance Update
    • A combination of improvement in economic indicators and an increasing appetite among investors to take on additional risk continued to drive stock and bond markets higher over the third quarter. [... More]
    • 12 October 2009
    • Commentary: Debt Deleveraging and the Economy: The “Morning After” in America
    • Ronald Reagan’s successful 1984 campaign slogan, “It’s morning again in America,” summed up the mood of a nation emerging from a deep recession. A quarter of a century later, America is at another major turning point, but this time it feels more like the morning after. SEI’s Global Portfolio Strategies Team has published a paper looking at potential economic changes. [... More]
    • 01 October 2009
    • CFO Summary: Benefits of Recent IRS Pension Funding Relief
    • Many defined benefit plan sponsors continue to determine the long-term impact that the investment downturn of 2008 and early 2009 had on their defined benefit plans. [... More]
    • 28 September 2009
    • Commentary: Oil Prices and the Economy
    • The Global Portfolio Strategies Team has published an article exploring the prospect for a longer-term trend of rising oil prices to create headwinds for U.S. economic growth. [... More]
    • 24 August 2009
    • Taking Back Control of Pensions
    • 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]
    • 16 July 2009
    • Commentary: Stop Bashing the Buck
    • In our opinion, deficit spending and aggressive monetary easing have been appropriate responses to the crisis, preventing an even steeper downturn (and the associated revenue drain from the government’s coffers) than might have otherwise occurred. [... More]
    • 30 June 2009
    • Healthcare Executives Looking to Align Financial Management Process with Expectations
    • The Financial Management Research Panel recently conducted a Quick Poll specific to healthcare finance executives and investment committee members responsible for overseeing invested assets. [... More]
    • 31 March 2009
    • Liability Driven Investing (LDI) - Three Reasons For Caution in Today's Implementation
    • As financial executives consider LDI strategies as a possible response to a volatile market environment, there are three considerations as to why the timing requires a judicious approach. [... More]
    • 16 March 2009
    • Why CFOs Need More Funding Relief to Limit the Impact of Pensions on Financial Statements
    • The Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act (WRERA) was signed into law in December 2008, providing modest funding relief for pension plan sponsors. [... More]
    • 13 March 2009
    • Stimulus Package: An Overview and Outlook
    • At the present time, we see nothing in the stimulus package that would lead to changes in our asset allocation recommendations. Active managers can be expected to find opportunities in this environment. [... More]
    • 10 March 2009
    • Rebalancing Reset: A New Approach in a New World of Institutional Investing
    • While rebalancing is an important strategy that should continue to remain in place, institutions should consider revisiting their policies and implementing a less static approach. [... More]
    • 05 March 2009
    • Higher Education Concerned About Impact of Investment Portfolios on Credit Ratings
    • This poll, conducted by the Nonprofit Management Research Panel, reveals that higher education institutions are concerned not just about potential credit downgrades, but the overall management of organizational finances. [... More]
    • 25 February 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]
    • 23 February 2009
    • How Market Turbulance is Impacting Jewish Affiliated Nonprofits
    • A recent poll reveals that Jewish affiliated organizations face unique needs and challenges during an extremely demanding period for investment management. [... More]
    • 19 February 2009
    • Commentary: Reading the Tea Leaves — Fed Policy and Economic Recovery
    • The need to navigate and assess short-term interest rate policy through a new paradigm is a part of the legacy created by the financial upheavals that occurred in 2008. [... More]
    • 30 December 2008
    • Commentary: Money Market Update
    • Over the last few months, the short term markets have been roiled by a severe deterioration in economic conditions and the ongoing instability and illiquidity in the credit market. [... More]
    • 19 December 2008
    • Commentary: Fed Rates and SDIT
    • Fed takes historic action, cuts key interest rate to near zero; SEI SDIT Treasury and Treasury II funds close to new investors.
      [... More]
    • 10 December 2008
    • Commentary: Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities
    • The recent spread widening in the commercial mortgage-backed securities sector has been driven more by technical conditions, rather than a real deterioration of credit fundamentals. That is not to say that the fundamental credit outlook for the commercial real estate sector is positive. [... More]
    • 10 December 2008
    • Commentary: A Brief History of US Economic Crises: 1929 - Present
    • While no two economic crises have been alike, one factor that they share is that they have all ultimately ushered in a new age of economic growth and prosperity of varying length—hopefully with many lessons learned. [... More]
    • 10 December 2008
    • Why are Taft-Hartley Plans Turning to SEI's Manager of Managers Program?
    • Unions have traditionally relied on a combination of in-house capabilities and professional expertise to manage pension assets. [... More]
    • 08 December 2008
    • SEI 2008 FAS 87 Research Series
    • Without question, 2008 was one of the most volatile and loss ridden years for pension investments in recent history. [... More]
    • 10 November 2008
    • Commentary: Timeline of Central Bank and Government Action During Credit Crisis
    • SEI has created a timeline of action taken by governments and central banks of the US, UK and Europe to deal with the continuing credit crisis. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of every action taken, but should include all significant steps taken through November 7, 2008. [... More]
    • 27 October 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]
    • 10 September 2008
    • Commentary: Staying Focused on Long-Term Investment Opportunities
    • With stories of financial mayhem dominating the news, investors’ minds are focused on the here and now (which doesn’t look very rosy) and thoughts of the long-term can easily get pushed to the background. “What next?” seems to be the question on every investor’s mind. [... More]
    • 07 August 2008
    • Liability Driven Investing: What Has Changed Over the Past Year?
    • Liability Driven Investing (LDI) became a new and common “buzz” phrase around the world when discussing strategies for managing the pension’s assets and liabilities. However, LDI also carried some criticism. [... More]
    • 11 October 2007
    • Four Key Considerations in Developing a Formal Liquidity Policy for Nonprofits
    • As an aspect of the investment policy statement, nonprofit institutions should consider incorporating a framework for governing the accessibility of the portfolio by establishing a target allocation to illiquid investments. [... More]
    • 12 September 2007
    • Healthcare Organizations Address the Future of the Defined Benefit Plan
    • Healthcare has recently been forced to manage the pension's impact on corporate finances. As a result, it is no different than other industries, judiciously reviewing the long-term future of this benefit.
      [... More]
    • 08 August 2007
    • Multiemployer Pension Plans Can Grow Assets While Limiting Risk Through Increased Diversification
    • Multiemployer plan trustees have long weighed the pros and cons of the traditional conservative nature required to protect plan assets with the growth possibilities increased diversification can bring. [... More]
    • 13 July 2007
    • CFO Summary on How Funding and Accounting Rules Impact Interest Rate Risk Management
    • While absolute return measurement of fixed income investments will not disappear, it will take a back seat to the measurement of the plan's funded status (surplus or deficit) and its volatility. [... More]
    • 20 June 2007
    • Liability Driven Investing: The Global Truth On Use of These Strategies
    • SEI recently completed research on how organizations around the world are defining liability driven investing (LDI), whether or not LDI strategies are being implemented, and some of the factors driving these decisions. [... More]
    • 16 May 2007
    • How Nonprofit Investment Committees Can Take Advantage of Illiquid Asset Classes
    • A high-level outline of the advantages of these asset classes as a means to obtain additional sources of return and diversification. [... More]
    • 16 May 2007
    • Nonprofit Investment Committees Challenged When Implementing Inflation Protection Strategies
    • Given the challenge investment committees face in best managing against inflation when determining asset allocations, this poll investigated factors limiting them from successfully accomplishing that goal. [... More]
    • 18 April 2007
    • Healthcare Balance Sheet Asset Pools Can Impact Credit Rating
    • Healthcare systems need to effectively manage the impact that balance sheet asset pools have on the organization’s credit rating and debt capacity. [... More]
    • 14 November 2006
    • Community Foundation Investment Committees Look for Ways to Best Support Organizational Needs
    • Rising healthcare and insurance costs, increased competition for donations, overworked staffs and low brand awareness continue to have a negative impact on community foundations' overall operations. [... More]
    • 14 September 2006
    • The Future of Pensions: Companies Changing How Plans Are Managed to Address Growing Complexity
    • Plan sponsors across the US and Canada view the continuously changing pension climate as an opportunity to evaluate and determine long-term strategies for their organizations' plans. [... More]
    • 10 August 2006
    • Pension Freeze Frame: Design Studies Need to be Expanded
    • Today's pension environment marked by funding and accounting reform and relatively high pension costs, is prompting many plan sponsors to reconsider the benefit all together. [... More]
    • 09 February 2006
    • Nonprofit Executives Want More Strategic Direction from Investment Committees
    • Investment Committees are dedicating significant time and resources to the tactical details of the investment process, with relatively little time leftover to devote to strategic direction. [... More]
    • 15 December 2005
    • Risks in Managing a Frozen Pension Plan
    • A growing trend has plan sponsors responding to the uncertain pension environment by “freezing” their pension plans, which means that participants immediately stop accruing benefits. [... More]