As credit spreads have gradually declined, investors have increasingly been focusing their attention on more complex instruments including synthetic Collateralized Debt Obligations in the search for yield. However, the risks of these investments — including the senior tranches — should not be overlooked.

Emerging-market (EM) equities have delivered unique risk and return characteristics over the last 30 years. Are futures on EM stocks a liquid enough means to gain exposure during normal and stressed conditions?

Momentum can be an important factor in sovereign-rates markets. But investors concerned with exposures to short-term rate movements in global bond markets may wish to ask themselves whether the trend is indeed their friend.

Standards can establish a common language and provide clarity among market participants. We examine three to see how they can help evaluate returns, quantify factor exposures and measure the impact of changes in sector and industry trends.

The integration of the eurozone’s economy may tempt investors to view corporate debt issued by European companies as undifferentiated. On average, this view has seemed correct — but not always durings times of market stress.

Property investors who invest across a broad region, like Europe, can use a peer-group benchmark to gauge relative performance. But to determine the specific drivers of returns, detailed asset-level performance attribution can help shed light.

For 21 years, MSCI and BNP Paribas Real Estate have assessed the robustness of income from commercial real estate. This research focuses on new leasing trends and the effect on income when a lease event, such as a break or expiry, occurs.

Asset allocators may consider lengthening the duration of their bond portfolios to prepare for a potential recession in the U.S. But could duration extension push risk above target thresholds? Maybe not.