Unveiling Insights from Changes in Active Risk Exposure, Sectors, and Companies During the Annual Style Rebalance | The significant surge in index turnover during 2022 prompted an investigation into the underlying catalysts. By examining alterations in active exposure, sector dynamics, and the most notable movements of companies, valuable insights can be gleaned regarding the evolving nature of the index.
In a report presented to Congress in 1790, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton described the “punctual performance of contracts”—that is, meeting all financial commitments on time—as a matter of national honor. It was also critical, Hamilton argued, to build confidence in a financial system and a national currency that could underwrite his fledgling country’s industrial development and provide “security against foreign attack”.
In an ever-evolving investment landscape, the success of active managers extends beyond traditional fundamentals and analyst outlooks. Macro and geopolitical risks have taken center stage, transforming manager evaluation and portfolio construction.
The graveyard of once legendary business franchises has just added one more new member to its ignominious fraternity. The hastily arranged acquisition of Credit Suisse by its chief Swiss rival UBS in March 2023, ended the 166-year run of the global symbol of Swiss banking largesse. Credit Suisse was once the 15th largest bank in the world with offices in 50 countries and assets of over $1 trillion USD.
US equities were generally higher in the first quarter of 2023, but intra-quarter performance was mixed. The S&P 500 gained for a second straight quarter and got off to a strong start with over 6% returns in January, its best January since 2019.
For fixed income markets, volatility remains the recurring theme across fixed income markets. We have discussed this for more than a year, and we are once again left to contemplate volatility around the market direction narrative versus realized volatility in fixed income markets.
