Robo-Advisors
What does the client want to see on the landing page of an automated wealth management website? Four panellists at the digital wealth management (a.k.a. robo-advisor) session of the Financial Technology conference held on June 17, 2016, had theories on how to connect with clients. The session was part of a one-day conference organized by the CFA Society Toronto and was held at the Toronto Board of Trade. Three of the panellists showed screen shots from their companies’ websites and spoke about underlying philosophies on client usage; the fourth panellist works for a company that provides “back end”, namely, the […]
Catch a Falling Knife. Part 2
Have you heard of “falling knife” securities? As the picturesque term suggests, buying into a market with strong downward momentum can be injurious to the portfolio. However, if timed correctly, just as the next upswing in prices begins, the purchase can be a clever way to buy underpriced stock. Nearly two years ago, oil & gas prices started falling, leading to a host of solvency issues for exploration & production (E&P) companies, also known as the upstream petroleum industry. Lending to companies within a distressed sector also is as tricky as catching a falling knife. However, there is a way […]
Catch a Falling Knife. Part 1
Who is taking advantage of the downturn in crude oil prices? “Most E&P assets are no longer economic to drill at today’s commodity prices,” said Curtis Flood, Vice President at the investment banking firm Evercore. He was the first of two speakers at a webinar “Catch a Falling Knife: Financial Repercussions of Current Crude Oil Prices” sponsored by the Global Association of Risk Professionals on June 7, 2016. (E&P refers to exploration & production, also known as the upstream petroleum industry.) The downturn in oil & gas prices is “the result of simple economics” caused by the “shale revolution” leading […]