October 26, 2007 | Union League of Philadelphia
Wharton Investment Management Conference 2007Investment Management

Wharton Investment Management Conference 2007

Panels

 

Business of Investing

Challenging financial markets, global competition and the continuous pressure to perform have always been (and will continue to be) the catalysts for innovation and change within the investment management process. But in the last ten years, firm management has emerged as a crucial determinant of success. While performance continues to be the required "ante" for a seat at the investment management table, the industry has come to recognize that business management practices are equally essential to long term success. This panel of investment management executives and industry experts will discuss the current state of affairs in investment firm management including:

  • Current strategic landscape of the investment management industry
  • The importance of culture within the investment management firm
  • Outlook for "traditional" vs. "alternative" strategies
  • Differences in business models including "specialist vs. generalist", "manufacturer vs. distributor", "focus vs. scale", "public vs. employee-owned"
  • Moderator: Bruce Herring, Chief Investment Officer, Fidelity Investments
  • David Antonelli, Executive Vice President, MFS Investment Management
  • Avi Nachmany, Director of Research, Executive Vice President, Strategic Insight Mutual Fund Research & Consulting
  • Paige Scott, Partner, Sextant Search Partners
  • David Silvera, Managing Director, Rosemont Investment Partners

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Investing In Emerging Markets

Emerging markets is one of the most exciting areas in the investment world. These are the countries with the fastest growing economies in the world. The rapid emergence of these nations and the development of the local financial market have made them a source of tremendous investment opportunities. The movement toward free markets, rule of law, property rights and technological advances has also minimized emerging markets’ isolation and distance. However, the countries all have different economic models and unique characteristics.

How do the nations compare with each other? To what extend does the US economy affect each of the markets? Are the markets over-valued or under-valued? Are there bubbles in emerging markets? The panel discussions will likely focus on the risks and rewards, challenges and futures of investing in emerging markets and beyond.

  • Moderator: Richard Marston, James R.F. Guy Professor of Finance and Economics, Director, Weiss Center for International Financial Research
  • Seth Freeman, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, EM Capital Management
  • Andy Sassine, Portfolio Manager, Fidelity Investments
  • Harvey Sawikin, Co-founder, Firebird Management

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Value Investing

"Investing is allocating capital."
"Keep it simple, and cheap."
"Small is beautiful, especially when it’s ugly."

Many successful investors have had their own definitions of what Value Investing is, and despite being considered the most successful investing strategy of all times, Value Investing can be performed in many different ways. Join us in The Value Investing panel and learn what Value Investing means to five successful value investors, their strategies, methods and investment philosophies.

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Growth Investing

During the last six years, investors have grown used to value stocks outperforming growth stocks. Now, as we experience the first signs of a shift in the economic and monetary environments, the debate about value versus growth has resurfaced. While many believe that growth investing is poised for a comeback, this much is certain – growth investing is not for the faint of heart. This panel discussion will focus on the return of growth investing and the keys to successfully capitalizing on the current market opportunity.

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Hedge Funds

The number of hedge funds in the U.S. and abroad has continued to grow exponentially since 2003 with approximately 10,000 funds now managing over $1.8 trillion. However, this rise in the number of funds has led to new issues facing the industry as a whole. As the space becomes more mature, managers are facing heightened scrutiny from the media, government and sophisticated investor. In this increasingly competitive and dynamic environment, how will managers continue to provide superior returns to investors and maintain their traditionally reticent status?

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Fixed Income

Understanding developments in fixed income arena is critical for investors looking to identify opportunities and asses risk in global capital markets. The panel is held for the first time in the history of the Wharton Investment Management Conference. This year, the panel’s discussion focuses on "Credit Market Turmoil and the Fallout for Related Asset Classes." Including the recent trends such as, explosive growth of credit derivatives instruments, credit crunch, sub-prime mortgage turmoil, the participants will offer their credit perspectives and investment strategy.

  • Moderator: Jeff Meli, Director, Head of US Credit Strategy, Barclays Capital
  • David Beers, High Yield Analyst, T. Rowe Price
  • Roger Lehman, Managing Director, Merrill Lynch
  • Edward B. Marrinan, Director North America Credit Strategy, JP Morgan Securities
  • Valerie Mosley, Senior Vice President, Fixed Income Portfolio Manager, Wellington Management

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Quantitative Investing

A great variety of quantitative strategies have emerged in the last decade, providing an alternative alpha resource for portfolio managers and building an impressive track record of success. Often misperceived as a “black box” approach to investing, quantitative models are a powerful tool for stock selection, portfolio construction, trading, and risk management. The Quantitative Investing panel will discuss different ways in which quantitative strategies can add value to the investment process and will cover topics such as quantitative equity research, global quantitative portfolio management, and 130/30 strategies.

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Platinum Sponsor

Fidelity

Additional Sponsors:

The Capital Group

Legg Mason

Lehman Brothers

MFS

Wellington Management