Beyond Bulls & Bears

Fasten your seatbelts
Alternatives

Fasten your seatbelts

Benefit Street Partners explores how best to capitalize on the bumps that are creating the beginnings of another fertile special situations investment environment.

Quick thoughts: Read, write, own—how Web3 can restore trust in markets and society
Alternatives

Quick thoughts: Read, write, own—how Web3 can restore trust in markets and society

“Web1” represents static websites, and “Web2” represents the shift in the delivery of the internet to user-centric, dynamic web offerings and platforms. Head of Franklin Templeton Institute Stephen Dover offers some perspective at the dawn of “Web3.”

Quick thoughts: An expanding universe in a volatile world—A focus on private real estate and private credit
Alternatives

Quick thoughts: An expanding universe in a volatile world—A focus on private real estate and private credit

According to a recent webinar hosted by the Franklin Templeton Institute, private markets offer opportunities in the current challenging environment. Stephen Dover, head of Franklin Templeton Institute, shares his key takeaways from the webinar.

Real estate investment opportunities amid macro uncertainties
Alternatives

Real estate investment opportunities amid macro uncertainties

Macro uncertainties and tightening financial conditions are pressuring the real estate investment market. Tim Wang, Head of Investment Research for Clarion Partners, discusses the challenges and opportunities in this current environment.

Inflation hedges: Fact and fantasy
Multi-Asset

Inflation hedges: Fact and fantasy

Equity markets have clearly taken notice of rising inflation—and not in a good way. Here, Gene Podkaminer and Chris Ratkovsky of Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions explore how different investments have performed during various inflation scenarios, which strategies or asset classes might provide an inflation hedge, and whether a “soft landing” economic scenario is possible.

Investing in infrastructure: Why now?
Alternatives

Investing in infrastructure: Why now?

Infrastructure has recently seen increased attention as broad equities have been weaker in 2022 due to inflation, rising interest rates, global supply chain disruptions from COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. Shane Hurst, Portfolio Manager with ClearBridge Investments, discusses the opportunities and potential income benefits for investors in the space today.

K2 hedge fund strategy outlook: Third quarter 2022
Alternatives

K2 hedge fund strategy outlook: Third quarter 2022

Economic growth, earnings, supply chains and inflation are factors our K2 Advisors team is monitoring for clues as to whether central banks can achieve the elusive “soft landing.” Read more in its third quarter hedge fund strategy outlook. 

PODCAST: Making Sense of the Recent Market Selloffs
Perspectives

PODCAST: Making Sense of the Recent Market Selloffs

Wylie Tollette, Head of Client Investment Solutions with Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions, joins the head of the Franklin Templeton Institute, Stephen Dover, for a conversation on the recent equity market selloff. They discuss why the pendulum has shifted so strongly negative, whether there is any bottom in sight, and where investors looking for diversification could go.

K2 Hedge-Fund Strategy Outlook: First Quarter 2022
Alternatives

K2 Hedge-Fund Strategy Outlook: First Quarter 2022

With both the pandemic and inflation proving longer lasting than many had anticipated, what does that mean for central bank policy in the months ahead? The K2 Advisors team ponders the implications for hedge-fund strategies in its first-quarter 2022 outlook.

K2 Hedge Fund Strategy Outlook: Fourth Quarter 2021
Alternatives

K2 Hedge Fund Strategy Outlook: Fourth Quarter 2021

Is inflation truly transitory? Will central banks start to tighten the policy reins? Will earnings continue to boost equity valuations? Heading into year end, the K2 Advisors team ponders these and other questions in its fourth quarter (Q4) hedge-fund strategy outlook.

Quick Thoughts: Are You Pricing in Water Risk?
Alternatives

Quick Thoughts: Are You Pricing in Water Risk?

Our Chief Market Strategist, Stephen Dover, believes that water risk is global now—devastating floods, unseasonal hurricanes, droughts, megafires, and more demonstrate this. The economic implications of risks related to water are significant and should be considered when investing.

Quick Thoughts: Financial and Infrastructure Cybersecurity
Perspectives

Quick Thoughts: Financial and Infrastructure Cybersecurity

Cyberattacks are projected to exceed US$6 trillion in 2021, with growing threats to our financial systems and infrastructure. We are now entering a new era of the internet with accelerated computing power and innovations, such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI), that threaten all current cybersecurity. Our Chief Market Strategist Stephen Dover offers his take.