Other Alternative Investments - Articles & White Papers

In this eleventh edition of Robeco's annual five-year outlook, they are incorporating climate change for the first time as a medium-term risk affecting return forecasts for asset classes. The effect that climate change policies, such as legislation following the European Green Deal, will have on asset prices is one of the…

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated several market trends, not least the use of cryptocurrencies and the incorporation of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors by investors. Mainstream financial institutions’ growing acceptance of cryptocurrencies as an investable and tradeable asset class has certainly played…

Things are heating up, in different senses of the phrase. Just like a century ago, we are emerging from an international crisis with the potential of an economic boom. But unlike the Roaring Twenties, the growing optimism is being tempered by the threat of an even greater crisis: climate change. Now in its 11th edition,…

How should investors begin to analyse crypto networks? Is the work of researching these firms by traditional measures a square peg/round hole exercise? Dave Egan, Senior Equity Analyst, thinks the answer is no. Crypto companies are worth paying attention to as many of them are now creating tangible value, and investors do…

This discussion applies quantitative finance methods and economic arguments to cryptocurrencies in general and bitcoin in particular – as there are about 10,000 cryptocurrencies, the authors focus (unless otherwise specified) on the most discussed crypto of those that claim to hew to the original protocol and the one with,…

Cryptocurrencies are moving towards becoming mainstream. A virtuous ‘crypto cycle of trust’ has evolved in recent years, with the rapid growth of early adopters prompting interventions by regulators that have introduced guardrails and early legitimacy to the crypto ecosystem. This has enabled easy access for retail investors…

This edition of Vista carries 10 articles. Highlights include: latest developments in finance and markets, CBDCs and government digital currencies, social ESG in portfolios, and the outlook for inflation.

Non-fungible Tokens are perhaps the most exciting innovation in crypto this year. For a deeper understanding of where the momentum is coming from, Kraken Intelligence has compiled a comprehensive report explaining what they are, how they work and why they are valuable.

Despite the importance and size of the global derivatives market, there has been little change to the actual structure of products, as most of them either split pooled assets or pooled cash flows. However, it is possible to create a new type of financial instrument that would tranche the value of a single asset or a single…

The past year has been particularly eventful in the crypto market, even by crypto standards. Price action has been spectacular in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crash. Bitcoin recovered quickly and then took flight in Q4 2020 and Q1 2021. Long-awaited institutional adoption became more tangible. The 'balance sheet trade…

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is a term used to refer to the latest craze in digital assets. In essence NFTs are non-physical digital collectibles – similar to baseball cards or stamps. At a technical level, NFTs have been possible for a long time. Ethereum Improvement Protocol 721 was released in 2017 and allowed people to…

Bitcoin is preparing for one of its biggest upgrades of all time, but what exactly should you know? Kraken discusses how Bitcoin’s first upgrade in four years will continue to advance the network as a global medium of exchange and potentially make Bitcoin a hub for Decentralised Finance (DeFi) applications.

Can the race to “net-zero” emissions help us respond to climate change in a meaningful way? Columbia Threadneedle examines how the race got started, where things stand now, and the role of carbon pricing in the process.

Polkadot and Kusama are two emerging blockchains with an exciting feature known as parachain auctions. Crypto enthusiasts and project developers are finding this to be a promising opportunity, but many wonder what exactly they are. Kraken Intelligence has compiled a deep dive, 'Polkadot & Kusama Parachains Primer…

Digital assets are generating significant market interest. In the unregulated crypto market, startups and early investors have enjoyed enormous value creation, while in the enterprise space, firms have taken technologies developed and tested in the crypto market and adapted it to payments and settlement, record keeping,…

How should investors reposition their portfolios in the face of heightened inflation risk?

In this month’s instalment of ‘What does the data say?’, Aviva Investors looks at the incredible rise of Dogecoin, Nike’s direct-to-consumer strategy and the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada.

Art has a long history as a transactable asset, with marketplaces and auction houses like Sotheby’s having existed for more than 275 years. The lack of quantitative research around the financial profile of art as an asset has prevented the broader investment community from participating in the asset class. However, with…

Digital asset ETFs have outperformed tech stocks in recent years, however, they provide no exposure to cryptocurrencies and it would seem that their returns are explained by market beta and equity factors.

In this extended summer podcast, Head of Multi Asset Ewout van Schaick and Marcel van de Hoef take a step back from the daily market grind to reflect on how 1.5 years of Covid has changed the game for investors. Joining them is Maarten Geerdink, NN IP’s Head of European Equities. They cover a wide range of topics including…