COP 26: The End Game
“The first week is usually a disappointment,” said Catherine Brahic, environment editor at the Economist magazine, “but this [second] week, the attendees are pushing ahead the goals. Now we are in the end game.” On November 11, 2021, the Economist magazine sponsored a webinar featuring two panellists: an editor and a science writer. Before an audience of thousands, each gave a firsthand account of what they had been seeing while they attended the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference, commonly referred to as COP 26, in Glasgow, Scotland. “The drafts of the papers have come out—they look simple for starters,” Brahic said, […]
The Decisive Decade
Raging, uncontrollable forest fires. Prolonged heat domes, causing hundreds of deaths. Catastrophic storms. Flash floods. These are just a few of the effects of climate change being felt this year. Are the countries of the world acting quickly enough to prevent irreversible damage? Two months ahead of the upcoming COP26 negotiations in Glasgow, two editors from the magazine the Economist discussed their expectations of this crucial conference in a webinar on September 23, 2021, before an audience of hundreds. Oliver Morton, the Economist’s Briefings senior editor, and Catherine Brahic, Environment editor, discussed the recent findings of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate […]
Update on the Jab
It’s a truism: bad health of the population, bad economy. What then is happening globally in the Covid-19 pandemic? When will things return to normal? The pandemic continues to rage in various parts of the world, affecting both developed and emerging markets. On July 7, 2021, The Economist, a magazine that has been running stories on vaccines and the Covid-19 pandemic each week, sponsored a webinar featuring an editor and correspondent on the pandemic beat. Natasha Lode, health policy editor at the Economist, highlighted some recent issues. She is also host of the Economist’s podcast The Jab, whose tagline reads, […]
Net-Zero Buildings
How do we build our homes and cities for a sustainable future? Climate change is such a huge, complex problem that tackling it can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, many organizations are addressing various parts of this colossal puzzle. One aspect is the “built environment.” Can existing buildings be modified to cope with climate change? Can buildings be redesigned to have net zero effect on the environment? On July 1, 2021, a panel of experts gave their thoughts on matters relating to climate change and buildings, as part of the New York Times Climate Hub series of webinars. This is the “Built […]
Future trends in science
After the pandemic, then what? What are the next breakthroughs in science and technology? “Science can save the world. As proof, look what is happening with the pandemic,” said Tom Standage, deputy editor and head of digital strategy at The Economist. “However, scientific breakthroughs can’t save us all on their own.” He was welcoming the audience and panellists to a webinar co-sponsored by The Economist and CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research) held on May 18, 2021. Standage began by surveying the four panellists on what new scientific breakthroughs are on the horizon. There will be great strides forward in […]
Death of Fundamental Analysis?
Have you been following the market frenzy around stocks for GameStop, AMC and Bed Bath & Beyond? Or the news on Wall Street Bets and Robinhood? How disruptive are these events for traditional valuation methods? What new factors must be considered when investing and allocating capital? Recent shifts in market dynamics have altered the perception of capital markets in meaningful ways. On April 8, 2021, the Corporate Finance Committee of the CFA Society of Toronto convened a panel of experts to discuss the reasons market valuations are so out of synch with fundamental analysis. Moderator Stephen Foerster, Professor of Finance […]
Who’s Minding the Bots?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented in nearly all sectors of the economy at an increasing rate. A 2019 survey by Gartner showed that 37 percent of organizations had already implemented AI in some form. When it comes to integrating AI into your company, what are the risks? What are the opportunities? On March 12, 2021, the Industry Relations and Corporate Governance Committee of the CFA Society Toronto convened a panel of experts to look at how effectively a company’s corporate governance can provide proper oversight and avoid mistakes. In other words, “who and how we will mind the bots.” […]
Embrace the Alternative
In the world of finance, investors are constantly searching for new sources of information that could help them generate alpha. Many of them have recently turned to alternative data. But what, exactly, is alternative data? And why should investors (and those seeking a career in finance) care about it? On February 17, 2021, the Professional Development Committee at CFA Society Toronto convened a panel discussion to demystify the alternative data industry. Alexandra Zvarich, representing the committee, questioned the panellists about insights they could share, and how to prepare for a career in this area. “We worked with alternative data before […]
From Ideas to Action
Climate change will reshape how financial organizations and investors think about climate-related events. But how will we deal with climate change risk? How will financial organizations respond to increasing demands for transparency, measurement, and action? On February 2, 2021, the Institutional Asset Management Committee of the CFA Society of Toronto convened a webinar with three seasoned experts who discussed how best to move into a world of green initiatives. The session was opened by Brandon Gill, Senior Portfolio Manager, Capital Markets Group, External Public Investments and Credit at OPTrust, the pension trust fund of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. […]
The Achilles Heel of Banking
After last decade’s financial crisis, regulators introduced several new measures to reduce systemic risk in the financial system. How are the new safeguards working? What are the implications for future balance sheet structure? The CFA Society Toronto convened a panel of three experts on November 25, 2020, to discuss the new regulatory capital and liquidity frameworks and how they are reshaping the way Canadian banks approach the market. The webinar, including a Q&A session, was moderated by Nigel D’Souza, Investment Analyst, Veritas Investment Research. “There’s no doubt the financial crisis changed balance sheets,” said Bruce Choy, Managing Director (Former Risk […]