Asset Allocation Strategy Review: Private Debt Series 1: Real Estate Investing As investment professionals seek to navigate an increasingly complex and volatile market landscape, the allure of real estate debt becomes ever more prominent. It stands as a testament to the sophisticated investor's toolkit, providing a structured approach to earning stable returns while mitigating risk. The real estate debt market is burgeoning, with investor interest surging, especially in the

Asset Allocation Strategy Review: Private Debt Series 1: Real Estate Investing In the face of growing economic uncertainty, accentuated by the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, real estate debt has emerged as a sanctuary, blending the reliability of fixed income with the substance of real assets. It promises not just a shield against volatility but also a compelling return potential, positioning it as a strategic portfolio allocation. Traditionally, the domain of banks,

State of the Industry series: Asset Allocator Talk II: Active vs. Passive Fund Selection Active fund selection, which entails choosing individual investment funds with the objective of outperforming the market, presents its own set of challenges. The reality is that most active funds struggle to consistently beat the market. Nevertheless, it is essential to recognize that active funds can play a valuable role in asset allocation strategies and portfolio construction, partic

State of the Industry series: Asset Allocator Talk I: Beyond the Obvious. One of the most crucial decisions for investors when constructing a portfolio is choosing the underlying managers. While many investors evaluate a fund manager's track record quantitatively, it's important to remember that numbers don't tell the whole story. Investors should also look at qualitative evidence to identify a manager capable of executing a proposed strategy and achieving success in the fu

Climate Investing Series Part II: Carbon & Your Portfolio From carbon footprint to carbon credits, the concept of decarbonization is fundamentally changing the way investors approach investment strategies. As the world shifts towards a low-carbon economy, companies are being pressured to reduce their carbon footprint, and investors are looking to prioritize investment in companies that are making progress in this area. In recent years, environmental, social and governance (

About Cleantech Investing: Climate Series Part I: Carbon As global leaders strive to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and shift towards sustainable energy sources, technology is anticipated to be a crucial enabler. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has emerged as a promising technology that could help reduce emissions. Nevertheless, there are several obstacles that prevent CCS from gaining widespread adoption, including economic challenges and potential safety concerns. CCS

A decade ago, asset managers could rely on building their own distribution channels to reach a wide range of investors. To do this, their fundraising strategies relied heavily on selling their performance and track record, as well as maintaining relationships with third-party marketers. The fund distribution industry has become increasingly complex due to various regulatory requirements, such as taxonomy, cross-border distribution MiFID II, IDD, ESG, PRIIPS, AML, KYC and man

About Tech Investing Series, Part I: Investment Outlook The recent market turmoil has left investors wondering whether it's a sign of opportunity or a warning. Technology companies have dominated the investment landscape for much of the past decade, but the post-pandemic market has brought significant volatility, causing them to fall behind. Now, these companies are facing their first major test since the dot-com bubble, raising questions about their resilience and potential

Real asset Investment Series. Part I: Green Real-Estate In the report "Environmental Sustainability Principles for the Real Estate Industry", the World Economic Forum ("WEF") concludes that the construction sector, which in 2020 was responsible for approximately 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions, must be placed at the centre of climate change mitigation efforts. As environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles continue to gain traction in the financial world, in

Discovery Path: ESG & Impact – Faith-Based Investing Part I To become a better steward it is important to follow the financial wisdom in the Bible. In 1 Timothy 6:17-21, Paul emphasises the believer's stewardship of two riches: God's wealth and His Word . In the current context of impact investing, biblically responsible investing (BRI) is a way of relaying the apostle Paul's call to investors to consider the management of their capital as an extension of their faith and a p

We are very honoured to be ranked among the top 3 fund selectors by SharingAlpha as of September 1, 2022. The rankings are based partly on how well the selectors’ assessed the future performance of the funds they chose against the returns of a comparable ETF. We would like to congratulate our entire team for their work in achieving a triple alpha ranking, which reflects our commitment to identifying high-conviction funds across all asset classes Along with asset allocation,

It is a great pleasure for the Alfinas team to contribute to the success of the next edition of the Swiss Institutional Investor Forum Join us at the Markets Group Fall Forum 2022 for an insightful panel discussion. Along with her co-panellists, our founding partner, Marie-Laure Mikkelsen, will address the topic of evaluating investment strategies in real assets, infrastructure and real estate, and seek to shed light on the current state and trends of tangible asset markets.

Beware of imposters posing as Alfinas and Songhai Capital Partners' officers or claiming to represent the companies or company group affiliates. members and principals. Alfinas Investment Group, Ltd has recently learned through Linked-in and Zoominfo.com of a group of persons mainly based in Africa involved in posing as the company officers or falsely claiming to represent the company or company group affiliates while soliciting or offering business opportunities, employme

Capital inflows into the hedge funds sector have reached record levels, but the emerging managers are still finding it harder than ever to raise capital. While much of the empirical research suggests that smaller fund managers have outperformed their larger counterparts, most new allocations have been concentrated in a handful of funds and strategies with assets in excess of $4 billion. Smaller and emerging fund managers often go unnoticed by investors because they lack trac

Reflection Series - Inflation and your portfolio: Part III Numerous economic indicators and heightened geopolitical risks point to increased market volatility and recession risks for the second half of 2022 and the year ahead. Investors are well advised to switch to an all-weather portfolio framework for smoother navigation through the vagaries of economic, business and asset cycles. The all-weather or all-season portfolio concept is an asset allocation approach that aims to

Reflection Series - Inflation and your portfolio: Part Ii For a generation of investors who have rarely had to worry about their wealth being eroded by inflation, the surge seen since the beginning of the year will mark a major change in their investment habits and should lead them to consider some strategic adjustments, particularly in some of the asset classes in which they have underinvested over the past decade. There are many ways for investors to protect themselves agai

Reflection Series - Inflation and your portfolio: Part I Understanding the mechanics of inflation is essential for investing, as inflation can reduce the value of investment returns. After several years of relative calm, inflation is expected to reach its highest level in four decades. Investors need to be aware of the causes of inflation, how it affects their portfolios, and what to do when the investment landscape changes so that they can protect their portfolios, and maint

Despite a record level of green bond issuance, the African market accounts for less than 1% of global issuance. Unfortunately, this type of financing remains largely under-utilised in Africa, even though it has the potential to foster a just transition and achieve development goals, particularly in the under-resourced infrastructure sector . Africa is urbanising at a high rate, creating a growing demand for public services and infrastructure for cities and transportation. Th

It is a great pleasure for the Alfinas team to contribute to the success of the next edition of Emex Europe 2022. Wednesday, June 1, 2022, 14 at 9:10 am, CET/CEST (Cent Europe Summer, GMT + 2). Join us at Emex Europe for an insightful panel discussion. Together with our co-panellists, we will debate the crucial topic of communication, and strive to shed some light on what the perfect pitch might be from an allocator's perspective, https://informaconnect.com/emex-europe/speake

Discovery Path - DeFi Investing Series: Part III Since the beginning of 2020, the global value locked up in DeFi contracts has grown from $650 million to $66 billion. DeFi yield contracts have opened the door to a higher level of sophistication and a more diverse set of investment opportunities for crypto investors to add new dimensions to their investment and trading strategy. DeFi refers to a set of smart contracts used to perform transactions and services in cryptofinanc