12th Annual New England Institutional Forum

Opportunities in Securitized Credit Securitized credit provides more opportunities to achieve higher credit quality while maintaining a yield advantage, as compared to those invested in government or corporate credit-focused strategies. Panelists discuss how this strategy can allow investors an opportunity to diversify credit risk by moving to an asset class that has not been as distorted by capital flows driven by QE, and focuses on collateral backed by consumer, housing, or real estate related assets.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Investing in the Future Identifying strategies that consistently outperform the market continues to be an imperative for allocators and managers. Finding investment partners that incorporate inclusive and equitable practices in their operations and strategies has also become critical. Recent studies have found that companies with greater diversity in leadership ranks are more likely than those with less diverse leadership to perform better than industry average on margin growth.

Portfolio Construction: Opportunities Within the Current Markets In this unique economic environment, the status quo is continually being tested and challenged. Markets, the denominator effect, geopolitics, DEI, ESG and revised globalization have all created unique investment opportunities for investors who go beyond the traditional 60/40 portfolio construct. What will a “diversified” portfolio look like in 2024? And what will it look like over the next 5-10 years?

Asset Allocation & Macro Outlook Top thinkers and chief investment officers share their investment views about current US asset allocation strategies and their projected macroeconomic outlook for the next 12 months.

Fixed Income: Trends Shaping Today’s Landscape Federal Reserve rate cuts are undetermined, but what will result from the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet and the U.S. Government’s borrowing needs? Given this precarious moment in time, investors are left wondering what role bonds should play within their portfolios.

Real Estate in a Higher Rate Environment Surging inflation and interest rate shifts have led investors to look at real assets to help cushion their portfolios in times of volatility. Join our panel of experts as they examine investment strategies, trends, and risks for the year ahead.

Investments in Private Markets – How to Best Utilize Them As investors search for additional sources of revenue and methods for portfolio diversification in the volatile and changing environment, alternatives stand out as an area of opportunities. The panel brings together leading alternatives investors and allocators to share the role private equity, private debt, venture capital and commodities plays in their portfolios and what they look for in managers to meet their objectives in these asset classes.

The Equity Equation: Evaluating Impact on Portfolios The equities market faces substantial influence from earnings expectations, elections and policy considerations, sector bets, slowing economies and interest rates. Will the rally continue?

Alternatives – Time to Shine In 2024, interest rates stayed high as central banks around the work continued to fight inflation. Which alternatives offer the most meaningful diversification and how can the best managers be sourced?

The Best Upcoming Private Credit Opportunities Since ‘08 An allocation to credit can offer higher risk-adjusted returns, boost diversification, and provide new income streams. Factors such as Basel IV, the reduction of free capital, and the higher interest rate economy are changing the credit landscape.

An Evolution of Active Returns Despite public equities remaining the largest driver of risk and return within multi-asset portfolios, passive allocations have taken over as the preferred implementation route with cost as the significant driver.

Leadership Roundtable: Decision-Making in Disruptive Times In the midst of all this operational, cultural, and technological change, businesses must make strategic decisions on how to run and steer their firms in the face of these challenges. Leading institutional investors shed light on the most pressing investment and management issues facing their organizations for example, how have global developments shifted priorities and what are reasonable expectations for investment returns this year?