Insights

These views and opinions are those of the authors at the time of writing, may be subject to change, are for informational purposes only, and they should not be construed as investment advice or a recommendation for the purchase or sale of securities by Conning. The information may not be current and Conning has no obligation to provide any updates or changes. Individual portfolio management teams for Conning may have views and opinions and/or make investment decisions that, in certain instance, may not always be consistent with the views and opinions expressed therein. While any third-party data used is considered reliable, its accuracy is not guaranteed.

Pension Funded Status Tracker - April 2019

05/15/2019

The funded status of the average U.S. corporate defined benefit pension plan improved by 2% to 87% funded during the month of April 2019.


Pension Funded Status Tracker - March 2019

04/11/2019

The funded status of the average U.S. corporate defined benefit pension plan fell 1% to 85% during the month of March. Learn more about the trends and drivers in our March Pension Funded Status Tracker.


Webinar: Portfolio Management Strategies in a Period of Higher Volatility

04/09/2019

Volatility returned to markets with a vengeance during the past 12 months, and the start of 2019 offers more questions than answers about what is coming next. 


Viewpoint - Convertibles: A Flexible Asset for Insurance Portfolios

04/02/2019

Rising market interest rates have piqued curiosity in convertible securities, but many insurers do not fully understand how convertibles work or what they can add to a portfolio. The fact that they can be converted into the issuer’s equity speaks to their value proposition: possible equity upside with a bond’s downside protection.


Viewpoint - Proposed New MBS Security Set for Mid-2019 Rollout, but Questions Remain

03/29/2019

The agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) market is preparing to introduce a new security, known as the Uniform MBS (UMBS), in June 2019. The security will be the first offered in an effort to unite issuance from the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae or Fannie) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. (Freddie Mac or Freddie).


Pension Funded Status Tracker - February 2019

03/14/2019

The funded level for the average U.S. corporate pension plan rose to 86% in February, up 1% for the month and 3% for the year. Strong U.S. equity performance led the growth in the asset portfolio, while liabilities slipped as the effective discount rate rose 5 basis points. Learn more about the trends and drivers in our February Pension Funded Status Tracker.


Learn More About Global Evolution's Impact Investing

03/12/2019

In this short video you will learn more about about Global Evolution's Impact Investing


Learn More About Global Evolution's ESG Integration

03/12/2019

In this short video you will learn more about about Global Evolution's ESG integration.


Pension Funded Status Tracker - January 2019

02/19/2019

The funded level for the average U.S. corporate pension plan rose to 85% in January, up 2% from the end of 2018. Positive performance across all asset classes led the improvement, tempered by a lower discount rate for liabilities. Learn more about the trends and drivers in our January Pension Funded Status Tracker.


Market Commentary - The 2019 US Growth Checklist

01/22/2019

The downturn that ended a volatile 2018 carried into the new year, but Conning thinks that 2019 will still be a year of growth, albeit at a lower rate than the previous two years