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Monika Szikszai

Monika Szikszai

Vice President, MSCI Research

Mónika Szikszai is a member of the MSCI research team focused on risk-management solutions. She specializes in stress testing, climate risk and the development of new risk methodologies. Mónika obtained her master’s degree in financial mathematics from Eötvös Loránd University and holds certificates as a financial risk manager and in sustainability and climate risk from the Global Association of Risk Professionals.

Research and Insights

Articles by Monika Szikszai

    A Historical Look at Market Downturns to Inform Scenario Analysis

    6 mins read Blog | Nov 26, 2024 | Rick Bookstaber, Thomas Verbraken, Monika Szikszai

    When investors assess risk, they construct narratives around the data. Investment managers and asset allocators can look to the long history of market sell-offs for context, to better anticipate future drawdowns and prepare portfolios for what the future may hold. 

    Sizing Up the Global-Market Portfolio

    6 mins read Blog | Nov 5, 2024 | Monika Szikszai, Keith Crouch

    The global-market portfolio represents the aggregate financial assets of all investors worldwide. Institutions can benefit by monitoring its composition and evolution, to shed light on investor preferences, as well as trends in asset-class weights. 

    Three Scenarios for Investors in European Credit

    5 mins read Blog | Nov 25, 2022 | Monika Szikszai, Thomas Verbraken

    We explore three scenarios of varying severity for European credit, with outcomes for a multi-asset European portfolio ranging from a 2% return in a “mild recession” scenario to an almost 11% drop in a “sharp global recession,” according to our model. 

    Decarbonizing Bond Portfolios: Risk Trade-Offs

    5 mins read Blog | Oct 21, 2022 | Juan Sampieri, Monika Szikszai

    Bond investors looking to reduce their portfolios’ carbon footprint may decide to shift capital from high to low emitters. Did a decarbonizing approach that preserves sector exposures significantly change the main portfolio risk characteristics? 

    Energy Crisis Looms Over European Equity Markets

    2 mins read Quick Take | Sep 28, 2022 | Monika Szikszai, Elchin Mammadov

    The unfolding European energy crisis is causing havoc among energy producers and utilities. How could soaring energy prices affect companies from the perspective of energy consumption? 

    Measuring Climate Impact with Total-Portfolio Carbon Footprinting

    7 mins read Blog | Jul 18, 2022 | Thomas Verbraken, Monika Szikszai

    Carbon footprinting across multi-asset-class portfolios allows investors to measure financed emissions and inform decarbonization decisions. We examine this important step toward managing the net-zero journey.

    Are Emissions Rising or Falling in Equity Indexes?

    7 mins read Blog | Jun 22, 2022 | Monika Szikszai, Zoltán Nagy

    Investors can use different metrics to track their portfolios’ carbon footprint. Regardless, they will increasingly need tools to better identify the sources of changes in whichever climate metrics they use. We present an attribution methodology.

    Net-Zero Alignment: Managing Portfolio Risk Along the Net-Zero Journey

    Research Report | Apr 25, 2022 | Donald Sze, Monika Szikszai, Thomas Verbraken

    Given climate risk’s multifaceted nature and the long time horizon on which climate change is unfolding, investors face an elevated level of uncertainty when making decisions. What approaches can they take as they seek to manage these risks?

    How Might Inflation Impact Funding Ratios?

    5 mins read Blog | Jul 14, 2021 | Monika Szikszai, Thomas Verbraken, Puneet Kumar

    We analyzed two multiperiod inflation scenarios to understand how the funding ratios of defined-benefit pension funds could evolve in each and what they could mean for a pension fund in terms of special contributions over the next 10 years.

    Long-Horizon Risk: The Past 50 Years

    4 mins read Blog | Apr 13, 2021 | Monika Szikszai, Thomas Verbraken

    For long-horizon investors that aim to ride out volatility, short-term risk measures may be insufficient. We used multiperiod stress testing to evaluate one- and five-year returns of hypothetical multi-asset-class portfolios using 50 years of history.

    Stress Testing Multiperiod Inflation Scenarios

    5 mins read Blog | Nov 19, 2020 | Monika Szikszai, Thomas Verbraken

    Will inflation rear its ugly head in the U.S.? Although the outcome of the U.S. elections might have lowered inflation expectations, investors can prepare for scenarios where inflation goes up. In this stress test, we examine three scenarios for inflation over varying time horizons.