Understanding the concept of asset/liability management

MEANING OF ASSET/LIABILITY MANAGEMENT

The concept of Asset/liability management means the use of assets and cash flows towards reduction of risks of a company or body corporate from losing money because of its inability to pay a liability within the stipulated period. Assets and liabilities that are well-managed can help one increase the rate and chance of profitability. This method is used to assess the risk associated with bank loan portfolios and pension plans. The economic worth of equity is also included.

 

CONCEPT OF ASSET/LIABILITY MANAGEMENT

Asset and liability management is a business strategy that helps firms deal with risks that arise from a mismatch between liabilities and assets. Changes in the economic landscape, such as changing interest rates or liquidity requirements, might cause these differences.

The main goal of a robust ALM framework is long-term stability and profitability. They achieve this by carefully controlling credit quality, liquidity requirements, and the availability of sufficient operational capital. Unlike the other available techniques of risk management, this concept is a collaborative approach that employs frameworks to examine and analyse the complete balance sheet of an organization. It aids in ensuring that assets are invested to their full potential and liabilities are regulated over time.

 

RISK MITIGATION EXAMPLE OF ALM

Despite the fact that ALM frameworks varies substantially amongst companies, they all involve the mitigation of a wide range of risks. Interest rate risk and liquidity risk are two of the most basic hazards addressed by ALM.

·         Interest Rate Risk - The dangers of changing interest rates and the impact of unstable interest rates on future cash flows.

Deposits and loans are two examples. Interest rates have an impact on both, therefore altering rates might result in asset and liability mismatches.

·         The ability of a financial organisation to liquidate assets is known as liquidity risk. Its financial situation will suffer if it is unable to do so.

·         Other Risks - ALM can also be used to manage currency risk and capital market risk.

 

Various sorts of enterprises, such as banks, financial institutions in India, non-bank finance companies in India, insurance companies, asset management companies, and even non-financial companies, employ Asset Liability Management to meet regulatory or prudential criteria and are benefitted by this approach.

Why invest in hedge funds?

Hedge funds are a type of mutual funds that are unregistered private instruments partnerships that trade in different types of instruments like securities, non-securities, derivatives, etc. Hedge funds are not subject to the same regulatory requirements that mutual funds need to fulfill. These investments are not regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). All other types of mutual funds are required to follow such regulations.

Hedge funds are pooled money from individual investors, high net worth individuals (HNIs), banks, corporations, etc. that are collectively invested in different securities in the national and international markets. There are different strategies using which these funds are invested, and each of these strategies differ. Hedge fund managers invest their client’s funds based on their specific requirements.

In event driven hedge funds, the investors take advantage of the price movements in the market, for example, when a corporation is involved in a merger or acquisition, etc. Another strategy is long/short selling in which the funds of the portfolio are equally distributed among long and short positions in the market. This way, the portfolio has a better risk-return policy, as the risk is mitigated in such a way that even when the market is not performing well, the portfolio performs well. 

There are different types of hedge mutual funds like domestic, off shore, and fund of funds. Domestic hedge funds are those investments that are made within the country and are subject to taxation by the Government of India. Offshore funds are invested in countries outside the home country, preferably to reap the benefits of low taxation in such countries. Fund of funds are an entirely different type of funds that are invested in other hedge funds, instead of the securities. Hedge funds carry high risk as it does not fall under the regulation of SEBI, but it also earns high returns as it is a pooled investment vehicle. This type of investment is a highly suitable credit solution for high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), banks, corporations, etc.

Create a balanced financial portfolio

Investors have only one goal in mind - add value to the money they are investing. In these unprecedented times, it is of utmost importance for all investors to invest wisely, and in such a way that they make most of the fluctuations in the market. This is where long-short funds come into the picture. This is a specific type of mutual fund portfolio in which some investments are held long and some investments are shorted. The objective of this type of investment is to add value to the client regardless of how the market is performing. The fund managers do this by investing on behalf of the client in long and short positions in the market. When the manager feels that a certain investment will do poorly, he/she shorts that fund by selling. In most cases, only stocks that are overvalued at the moment are shorted. Long short funds in India are relatively new, but have been found to add value to the investors.

 

This investment portfolio is also referred to as the 130/30 fund strategy. For instance, a fund manager invests 100% of the client’s initial capital in long positions in the market, then goes on to invest 30% by shorting the stocks/securities. To explain it further, the initial investment of 100% will remain in the market, while any profits earned by shorting the 30% stocks/securities will be reinvested again in the market. Through this strategy, the fund managers are in a position to create a portfolio worth 160% from the initial investment of 100%.

 

Long-short mutual funds add value to the customers by giving them the opportunity to invest in a diversified portfolio. The investment does not depend entirely on the market conditions as the diversified investment helps in creating a stabilized financial portfolio. Unlike other investment portfolios, investors have the opportunity to take advantage of both rising and falling markets in case of long-short funds. Proper advantage can be taken from the volatility in the market. There are multiple top asset management companies in India that are involved in long-short funds. One of the major advantages of this type of portfolio being that short selling is permitted in this case, while it is not for other types of mutual fund investments.

Sustainable investment is the way forward

The world is changing drastically, and along with it the need for us to be aware of sustainable practices in all aspects of our lives. In the long run, it is important for all companies and governments to be more mindful of different factors affecting the environment and should actively look at giving back to the society that nurtures them. The concept of ESG (Environment, Social, and Government) funds is a sustainable investing act that measures a company’s score on different aspects like environment-friendliness, labor laws, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, human resource rights, etc. This is a means to create accountability for corporations to be responsible towards their environment and the people who work for them.

 

ESG investing is the need of the hour because it benefits both the company and the investors in the long run. Now more than ever, it is evident that companies that do not adopt sustainable practices and pollute the environment will not be able to sustain in the long run. ESG funds in India is a subtle push in the right direction, which will in turn be a win-win situation for all the parties involved. Many investors are also actively looking into investing in more such companies that are considerate towards the environment and willing to give back to the community. Data also shows that companies that rate high on the ESG score have a good debt-equity ratio.

 

Nowadays it is common for companies to have strong values that help them in building a socially and environmentally responsible business model. ESG funds India are causing a change in the marketplace, it is a good practice to show both companies and stakeholders that the future is not only about profitability. This initiative also helps to align their personal values and goals with their investment practices, they can invest only in those companies that have a high rating of ESG score. Many large investors are already adapting to such practices, and since it is within their capability to make a difference through their investment, corporations, and governments must also be ready to take responsibility and accountability.

Everything you need to know about Wealth Management

Wealth management is a branch of financial advisory service that involves consulting affluent clients on their financial needs, goals and investments. In simple terms, a wealth manager acts as an advisor to their client in matters of investments and managing their wealth. They offer tailor-made and personalised financial strategies to their clients based on their individual financial needs. Wealth management involves a broad spectrum of services like legal and estate planning, tax services, retirement planning and more. Affluent clients can seek advice from an individual expert or even hire a bigger wealth management firm based on their business needs. Hiring a wealth management firm will give the clients access to a bigger team of experts as opposed to only one individual. 

 

Wealth managers usually charge a fee based on the services they provide. This fee can differ across each service provider. For example, some wealth managers charge an hourly rate for their advisory services, some charge a flat rate etc. Most of these managers charge a certain percentage of assets they manage. You can generally see this fee in the range of 0.50% to 1%, but this varies across different accounts. While this percentage can seem like a very small number, affluent clients usually have a very big portfolio that ranges in millions of dollars. Since affluent clients have a high net worth, it’s important for them to be able to trust their advisors and consultants. It’s because they’re dealing with a lot of money. This is why the designation and background of their advisors is crucial. The top 3 financial certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst, Certified Financial Planner and Personal Financial Specialist. Before you hire a professional service or an individual to manage your wealth, it’s also important to vet their credentials and past work in the market. This is to avoid getting stuck with a service provider you can’t trust. Just like there are many investment banking firms in India, there also exist many wealth management firms that specialise in this particular division. 

Investment Banking vs Asset Management: What is the better career choice for you?

Finance is a world full of opportunities for budding entrepreneurs and individuals with a financial background. It offers lucrative career paths to finance students because the jobs are high paying, and the benefits are endless. But new students can often find it daunting to choose a particular role or path because once you start working towards a particular career, you have to stick with your choice. To make your choices easier, let’s take a look at the two most common areas in the world of finance - investment banking and asset management. 

 

Investment banking

 

Investment banking is the process of creating or raising capital for companies, banks, governments and other entities. Investment banking companies are involved in mergers and acquisitions, new securities underwriting, stock purchases and more. An investment banker’s job can further offer specializations in consulting, banking analysis, capital market analyses, research, trading and more. 

 

Asset Management

 

Assets are an important part of any business, company or organization. In simple terms, it is any resource that is owned by a company or an individual in addition to receivables from others. Asset management is crucial for businesses, especially big companies who often struggle to keep full track of their assets. This is where asset managers come in and help companies stay on the right track, mitigate risks and manage their assets better. They help their clients reach their investment goals through personalised strategies. They work with various clients like individuals, insurance companies, pension funds, governments etc. Their job role includes analysing financial statements, estate planning, advising on complicated buying and selling strategies like investing in long-only funds and more. 

 

The basic education requirement for investment bankers and asset managers is a bachelor’s degree. Moreover, an advanced degree from a prestigious or an Ivy League university is often preferred by the big, reputed companies. Aspirants should often be good at crunching numbers, have good analytical skills, excel in accounting and be knowledgeable in economics. 

 

No matter which career you choose, getting started with a good internship is often beneficial and can help you build a strong network in the finance industry. 

Understanding the basics of hedge funds

A hedge fund is an investment partnership that is offered to accredited investors and institutional investors. In this type of fund, a variety of investors come together to pool their funds and the fund manager invests this money using a variety of sophisticated and aggressive strategies. A hedge fund requires investors to keep their money in the fund for a minimum of one year and nothing less. Investors can withdraw their hedge funds investments by giving their fund manager a narrow period of intimation. As compared to normal funds, these hedge funds are more aggressively managed in order to generate higher returns. This involves using leverage, holding short/long positions in derivatives in domestic as well as international markets. 

 

Understanding accredited and institutional investors

Accredited investors are individuals or entities that are allowed to invest in securities that may or may not be registered with financial authorities. They are individuals who have a net worth of more than one million dollars and earn a set amount of money year on year. 

 

Institutional investors on the other hand are non-bank individuals or companies that trade in securities worth a significant amount. These include pension funds, mutual fund companies, commercial banks, insurance companies and more. They are some of the biggest players in the market because of their financial status. 

 

Hedge funds are less strictly regulated by the SEC or Securities and Exchange Commission. Big investors usually entrust big financial advisory services to manage their hedge fund investments. Due to the high investment values, these investors also expect a significant return on their investments. This is why the main purpose of a hedge fund is to maximize profits and returns. These hedge fund managers employ a number of complex strategies to generate high returns on investments. The most common strategies are classified into event-driven strategies, relative value strategies, macro strategies and equity hedge strategies.