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 - January 2018

02/15/2018

Conning’s Funded Status Tracker is a monthly publication that tracks the performance of the average defined benefit pension plan (the “Plan”) of corporate sponsors comprising the Russell 3000 Index.


Viewpoint - Energy Markets 2040: Alternatives Have Growing Cachet but Hydrocarbons Still Rule the Day

01/18/2018

How should investors position themselves in a world that is increasingly concerned about emissions and climate change? The short answer is, they should prepare for continued growth in demand for hydrocarbons.


Viewpoint - P&C Portfolio Alternatives to Tax-Exempt Municipal Bonds Post Tax Reform

01/16/2018

Conning’s view is that the recently passed U.S. tax plan should drive significant capital expenditure and increase take-home pay, providing a meaningful boost to U.S. growth via the consumer. However, its immediate impact on the municipal bond market may also cause investors such as property and casualty (P&C) insurers to revisit their portfolio strategies and allocation.


Q4 State of the States Report

10/25/2017

Conning released the Q4 edition of the semi-annual State of the States municipal credit research report. This update for the second half of the year retains Conning’s declining outlook on aggregate state credit quality. State revenue growth has improved, but not enough to meet state expenditure growth, placing aggregate state reserves under immense pressure. However, Conning has improving outlooks on many revenue bond sectors as these credits benefit from more people driving, flying, attending college and spending money. 


Viewpoint - Income Equities - A Desirable Portfolio Asset as Interest Rates Turn

10/10/2017

The extended period of historically low U.S. interest rates has been a headache for yield-challenged fixed-income investors such as insurance companies.


Asset TV Masterclass: Liability Driven Investing - October 2017

10/02/2017

In a recent interview with Asset TV, Erin Spalsbury, Head of LDI Fixed Income Portfolio Management shares her insights on the current landscape of liability driven investing and the future of corporate pension plans.


Asset TV: Why Investors Should Consider MLPs

09/18/2017

In a recent interview with Asset TV, Marcus McGregor, Head of MLP Strategy explains why institutional investors should consider allocating for direct ownership of underlining MLPs.


The Pension Plan Underfunding Dilemma: Analyzing the Trends

09/01/2017

The funding status of corporate defined benefit (DB) pension plans remains a subject of concern for many company officers and is not going away soon. Surprises requiring unexpected (and sometimes sizeable) contributions to pension plans can have a significant impact on a company’s financial position.