When individuals have uncertainty about a specific product or idea, they will often look to what their peer group is doing to help them decide. Social proof is a behavioural bias that can lead to decision making errors. By embracing a process-driven research flow to guard against behavioural biases and data peeking, Viewpoint can distinguish between true and false alpha.
Tag: Commodities
How Commodities Can Give Your Portfolio a Fresh Start
The traditional 60/40 balanced portfolio is no stranger to coming under fire. Many pundits have decreed the death of the balanced portfolio, arguing that a low yield environment will prove insurmountable and bonds will no longer be able to provide necessary diversification for investor portfolios. This proclamation has yet to be proven correct, and in the investment management industry, being too early is the same thing as being wrong. That being said, is this time different?
The Investment Community is Underinvested in Commodities
The slow growth, disinflationary economic environment subsequent to the Global Financial Crisis has left investors under-invested in inflation-sensitive asset classes such as commodities. However, as this Bloomberg article points out, the investment community is beginning to take note.Commodities provide several notable benefits to portfolios:Should perform well during an inflationary cycleShould perform well during periods of…
Is the 60/40 Portfolio Dead?
Over the last decade, there have been many proclamations that the traditional 60/40 portfolio is dead, mainly due to the fact that bonds were supposedly overvalued and yields couldn’t go any lower. This article from Ben Carlson highlights that while a 60/40 portfolio has delivered outstanding returns as a result of falling real interest rates…