3rd Annual Private Wealth DC Metro Forum Washington D.C. | April 6, 2022 Request Agenda

Opening Bell: Asset Allocation and Macroeconomic Outlook

Despite the deep impact of COVID-19 on the economy overall, investments and the financial markets have continued to outperform expectations. There were substantial changes in the movement of goods, services and people around the world, but the intrinsic characteristics of global markets have allowed economies to endure. The emerging disconnect between the real U.S. economic order and the financial markets as well as inflation risk, ESG trends and asset allocation strategies will be discussed in this session. 

How to Best Take Advantage of Opportunistic Alternative Investments

The market foresees an abundance of family offices, post-crisis regulation, technological developments, and macroeconomic shifts in demographics and economic policy. In the wake of COVID-19, market volatility is at an all-time high globally.

From Golden Age to ‘Return-Free Risk’

The golden age of fixed income is over. COVID-19 fueled bond divestment into a liquidity crunch, not to mention price dislocation---even for the U.S. Treasury market. The iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF returned negative 2 percent, while the U.S. Federal Reserve Board is expected to lift the short-term interest rate. Our fixed income panel will examine where to find return in the midstream energy and telecommunication sector, as well as convertible issuance and junk debt.

Did COVID-19 Help or Hurt Active Management? 

The decade of 2009 through 2019 coincided with the longest Bull Market in America: the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached 28,000, Netflix returned 4,000 percent and indexing outperformed active management. But the March 2020 stock market crash and COVID-19 global economic recession led to a substantial—though uneven—rebound. Our global equity panel will discuss the S&P 500 finishing at 18 percent and join the industry debate between passive investing versus active management, as well as sector fund selection and rotation.

Real Estate and Real Asset is Re-adapting to COVID-19

Is less office space—plus increased working from home—disrupting investment in the fourth major asset class, real estate? The aggregate value of private real estate (and private real estate debt) dropped to half in 2020, but as healthcare and retail continue to struggle in 2021, residential has become the leading sector with $17 billion in deal-flow. Our private real estate session will discuss how the industry can thrive despite the economic and social pressure.   

Opportunities in the Current Alternative Bucket

As allocations from investors continue to rise into alternative investments, such as private debt, infrastructure and real estate, the session addresses the best ways to access these markets.

High-Net-Worth Administration and Preservation

The high-net-worth (HNW) clientele have made environmental, social and governance (ESG) part of private wealth.  But how has ESG worked out in long-term estate and trust planning?  Our HNW roundtable will discuss the role of ESG as well as client demand and service.