Franklin Real Asset Advisors - Beyond Bulls & Bears

Alternatives

Hired, Housed and Healthy: An Introduction to Our Social Infrastructure Strategy

Social infrastructure—the physical assets where social services are provided to communities—has a crucial role to play in society. Franklin Real Asset Advisors’ Raymond Jacobs, Riccardo Abello and John Levy share their thoughts on the topic here.

Raymond Jacobs | December 02, 2019

Alternatives

Beyond Alignment: Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals

Our Raymond Jacobs and John Levy from Franklin Real Asset Advisors explain why impact investment products labelled as “aligned with the SDGs” should move beyond just alignment and make a real contribution to positive social and environmental outcomes.

Raymond Jacobs | November 01, 2019

Alternatives

Meet the Manager: John Levy

Because an intern didn’t show up for work, John Levy, Director of Impact, Franklin Real Asset Advisors, got his foot in the door at Franklin Templeton. Now, 14 years later, he’s leading the firm’s efforts in impact investing, helping the company prove itself as a leader in the space. Get to know John.

John Levy, CFA | August 29, 2019

Alternatives

Impact Investing in Practice: Social Infrastructure

To understand how impact management can be applied in practice, our Franklin Real Asset Advisors team, in collaboration with consulting firm Tideline, took an example from the real estate sector and considered the specific demands of social infrastructure. The third post of this three-part series explores why social infrastructure can be seen as a natural fit for most impact investors.

John Levy, CFA | August 06, 2019

Alternatives

The Five Building Blocks of Effective Impact Management

No single, unified best practice has yet emerged for impact investing, and a proliferation of methodologies and metrics has introduced an element of confusion. Simply navigating through all the resources available to impact investors can be a challenge. In the second post in this three-part series, our Franklin Real Asset Advisors team, in collaboration with consulting firm Tideline, help guide us through what they call the “five building blocks” of effective impact management.

John Levy, CFA | July 31, 2019

Alternatives

An Introduction to Impact Investing

Interest in impact investing is growing within the asset management industry, but there is still some confusion about it. We view impact investing’s defining feature as the explicit intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental outcomes alongside a financial return. In the first of a three-part series, our Franklin Real Asset Advisors team, in collaboration with consulting firm Tideline, provide an overview of what impact investing is—and isn’t.

John Levy, CFA | July 25, 2019

Alternatives

Where Bricks Are Beating Clicks: Implications for Last-Mile Real Estate

Many observe the impacts of e-commerce growth as decimating commercial retail properties, leaving empty big-box warehouses and strip malls in its wake. While this may be true to a certain extent, it ignores the potential opportunity this new trend is creating in the industrial property sector. It seems that for every mall that closes, a distribution warehouse—or so-called last-mile logistics space—opens. Raymond Jacobs, Woon Pin Chong and Marc Weidner of Franklin Real Asset Advisors outline the opportunities they see, namely in new demand for logistics infrastructure.

Raymond Jacobs | July 10, 2019

Alternatives

Renewable Energy Gaining Steam

Renewable energy has been gaining steam for many reasons, as have the investment opportunities in the space. Ketul Sakhpara, portfolio manager and research analyst, Franklin Real Asset Advisors, outlines the three main drivers of interest, and where his team sees potential. You might be surprised to learn how emerging markets in particular are ramping up renewable energy.

Ketul Sakhpara, CFA | October 30, 2018

REITs in a Rising US Interest-Rate Environment

Like all yield-oriented investments, REITs will likely exhibit some sensitivity to interest-rate changes, and are not without risks. But unlike bonds, REITs can earn potential profits by making positive investment spreads both acquiring and developing additional properties.

March 26, 2015