Tag: AssetAllocation

With geopolitical conflict, elections, oil prices and inflation risks dominating headlines, it is easy to believe everything is beyond your control. However, that is not the case. The most important drivers of long-term investment success are often the factors you can control. They start with understanding how you behave when markets feel uncomfortable.

Despite recent diplomatic peace efforts from the US, the US-Israel war on Iran has now entered its fourth week. As a result, the situation remains extremely volatile. Moreover, ongoing Middle East tensions continue to heighten uncertainty across global markets. As the days pass, the risk of a stagflationary environment increases. In this scenario, low growth and high inflation occur simultaneously.

Despite the private capital industry’s proven track record, many investors still view Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC) as inherently risky investments. However, this perception does not fully reflect how private capital markets actually function. This conversation around risk in private capital markets is long overdue for reframing. Risk in private capital markets differs fundamentally from that experienced in public markets.

Over the course of my career - as a gold and bond trader, a portfolio manager running large global multi-asset and solutions portfolios - I’ve often been asked: What lessons have you learned?

For South Africans, investing has always been a global game. This is not only because Regulation 28 of the Pension Funds Act has allowed investors to include up to 45% offshore assets in their portfolios for the last three years. It is also because South Africa’s economy and stock market are small compared to the rest of the world. Furthermore, the JSE itself is becoming increasingly global in nature.