Episodes 262, 263, and 264 of the InsuranceAUM Podcast + 10 New Articles!
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Episodes 262, 263, and 264 of the InsuranceAUM Podcast + 10 New Articles!


Episode 262: Secondaries Offer Liquidity Opportunity for Well-Informed Investors With Competitive Edge

In this episode of the InsuranceAUM.com Podcast, host Stewart Foley, CFA , is joined by Jeff Akers , head of private equity secondaries at Adams Street Partners , to discuss the growing importance of private equity secondaries in insurance portfolios. Jeff shares his expertise on how this asset class helps investors avoid the J-curve, provides a shorter duration investment with predictable cash flows, and delivers fixed-income-like characteristics with equity-level upside.

Click HERE to listen to the podcast.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Pandora.


Episode 263: Navigating the Economic Landscape: Tariffs, Productivity, and the Future of US Growth

In this episode of the InsuranceAUM.com Podcast, host Stewart Foley, CFA sits down with Blerina Uruci , Chief US Economist in the Fixed Income Division of T. Rowe Price , for an in-depth conversation on the critical macroeconomic trends shaping the investment landscape. From the impact of US elections to the Fed's rate policy and the rising influence of productivity growth, Blerina offers expert perspectives on how these developments could influence investor sentiment and economic performance.

Click HERE to listen to the podcast.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Pandora.


Episode 264: The Future of Real Estate: Trends and Strategies with Maggie Coleman

In this episode of the InsuranceAUM.com Podcast, host Stewart Foley, CFA sits down with Maggie Coleman , Chief Investment Officer for North America Real Estate Equity at Manulife Investment Management , for a timely discussion on real estate investing. Maggie shares her insights on the current macroeconomic environment, the challenges and opportunities in today’s market, and the long-term trends shaping the real estate landscape.

Click HERE to listen to the podcast

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Pandora.


Save the date for InsuranceAUM.com’s 2025 events!

Join us for exclusive gatherings designed to explore key asset classes, such as ABF, Real Estate, Infrastructure, Private Credit, and more. Plus, don’t miss our flagship Insurance Investment Leaders' Annual Meeting in Chicago, featuring keynote speakers like Howard Marks and engaging industry discussions. These events are perfect for insurance asset investment professionals and their teams.

2025 Event Schedule:

  • Insurers’ Real Assets Forum – May 7-8, 2025, Philadelphia, PA
  • Insurance Investment Leaders' Annual Meeting – July 16-17, 2025, Chicago, IL
  • Insurers’ Private Credit Forum – November 2025, Austin, TX

Email us at events@insuranceaum.com for details and to secure your spot! **For asset owners and invited guests only*


Insurance Requires More than Asset Performance

Managers of credit assets for insurance portfolios must contend with the ‘living, breathing organism’ of liabilities.

In the insurance arena, asset-management performance is a necessary, but not sufficient, success factor.

The wave of private capital now flooding into the insurance space is driven by enthusiasm around the long-term opportunity to create value by outperforming underlying liabilities. However, what some market entrants fail to appreciate is that, in insurance, the underlying liabilities themselves are constantly changing and therefore require a flexible approach to matching them with assets.

Click HERE to read more from Ares Management Corporation


2025 Senior Loan & CLO Market Outlook

Summary

  • 2024 was a strong year-to-date for loan returns driven primarily by robust coupon, in line with our expectations. 
  • We expect approximately 7.5-8.0% loan returns in 2025,(1) again powered by high carry and price stability, partly offset by mild erosion in spread and base rates. 
  • We forecast a 3.25-3.75% default rate in 2025 driven primarily by opportunistic.

(1) There is no guarantee that the forecast will be realized.

Click HERE to read more from Invesco US


2025 Insurance Outlook: Don’t let recency bias get in the way of good investment ideas

In Wellington Managements 2025 Investment Outlook for insurance companies, Head of Insurance Multi-Asset Strategy and Portfolio Manager Tim Antonelli explains why insurers should be careful not to overlook a potentially larger and more immediate risk over which they have even more control: recency bias.

Click HERE to read more from Wellington Management


Trade Winds: December 2024

The Fed’s 25 basis point November rate cut, which took the benchmark range to 4.50%-4.75%, did not come as a surprise. The market had begun to embrace a slower pace of rate reductions of late, with stronger data on balance presenting itself since the last Fed meeting. In the post-meeting press conference, in which Powell took time to assert the Fed’s independence post-election and stated the Fed would not “guess, speculate or assume” with respect to potential policies of the new administration, the Fed referred to easing labor market conditions and progress on the inflation front, and its intention to fine tune its policy to keep on target with its dual mandate...

Click HERE to read more from New England Asset Management, Inc. (NEAM, Inc.)


Private credit: Investment-grade opportunities

On this latest episode, Head of Commercial Real Estate Lending, Private Credit Martin Barnewell joins host Vivian Tang to discuss “the three Rs” – regulation, reporting, and rating – from the perspective of an insurance investor.

Click HERE to listen to abrdn 's podcast


U.S. Private Commercial Real Estate Debt Opportunity

IN A NUTSHELL 

  • U.S. private commercial real estate (CRE) debt is a large and growing asset class that we believe can add value to a multi-asset portfolio. 
  • The market has generated strong risk-adjusted total returns, driven by income, that display low correlations with equity investments. These attributes warrant a strategic allocation for many investors, in our view. 
  • From a tactical perspective, we believe that comparatively high yields and spreads, reduced cyclical risks, and an expanding opportunity set add to the market’s attractiveness.

Click HERE to read more from DWS Group


Investment Grade Spreads: Tighter for Longer?

Key Takeaways

  • Since the end of 2023, the economy has been in the rarest stage of the credit cycle — overheating — which is characterized by tight spreads.
  • We anticipate spreads to remain tight for as long as it takes markets to become convinced that a soft landing has taken place.

Click HERE to read more from MetLife Investment Management


Reasons to believe: Time for fixed income

Despite recent challenges, a look at how the outlook for fixed income can be promising with lower inflation, rate cuts, and attractive yields – providing a compelling entry point for investors.

Click HERE to read more from abrdn


Stress testing equity markets with higher carbon prices

IN A NUTSHELL

  • European insurance supervisors have been highlighting the vulnerability of insurers to physical and transition climate risks, underscoring the need to strengthen consideration of climate risks and opportunities into insurers' governance and strategies.
  • Carbon prices are a key transition risk for public equities, as countries are increasingly implementing carbon tax or trading policies, driven in part by the European Union's carbon border tax.
  • This paper applies carbon price stress test scenarios to traditional and ESG equity indices.

Click HERE to read more from DWS Group


Central and Eastern Europe (CEE): Back on the EM radar

...We expect CEE countries to embark on fiscal consolidation paths, albeit at a slow pace, which will require multiple years of fiscal adjustment. All of these countries may face some ratings pressure but will we believe maintain their investment grade status throughout this transition period. Meanwhile, we view elevated issuance as a rare opportunity for investors to gain exposure to the CEE region and across the respective sovereign curves.

Click HERE to read more from MetLife Investment Management



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