Webcasts
Distinguished Speaker Series:
President Rob Arnott
June 10, 2021
Over his career Rob Arnott, founder and chairman of the board of Research Affiliates, has endeavored to bridge the worlds of academic theorists and financial markets, challenging conventional wisdom and searching for solutions that add value for investors. Arnott covered how the largest market cap companies tend to perform on a forward-looking basis, if value investing still work in today’s environment, if diversification still works and more.
LIBOR Cessation
February 2, 2021
Central banks around the world are making the shift away from IBOR based funding rates. In the US the Federal Reserve has put forth SOFR as a replacement for LIBOR, the current funding rate of over $200 trillion financial contracts. On February 2, 2021, CFA Society Chicago hosted a panel to discuss updated timelines, potential market impacts/concerns and what you should be doing to prepare for the end of LIBOR.
Education to Employment
April 16, 2021
Interested in working in finance after you graduate? Have you heard about the CFA designation but don’t know exactly what it is? CFA Society Chicago discusses becoming a CFA charterholder and how it can help you achieve your career goals. Hear guidance and advice from a panel of financial professionals that will be useful as you embark on your post college journey. The event closed with an informative discussion with on financial markets with Brian D. Singer, CFA.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
President Charles Evans
March 3, 2021
Charles Evans, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, joined us for our recent Distinguished Speaker Series event and covered a range of topics including the current state of the economy, a review of the Fed programs launched during the pandemic-induced volatility in March 2020, financial market stability, and his views on inflation risks. This year marks his 14th as president and 30th at the Chicago Fed.
Capital Markets Series:
Real Estate
February 18, 2021
Since 2000, the total market capitalization of all U.S. REITs has increased nearly tenfold reaching over $1.3 trillion. On February 18, 2021, CFA Society Chicago welcomed a panel to discuss the evolution of real estate capital markets, the growth of REITS, consolidation across service providers, why investors are targeting this sector and more.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
Ben Inker
January 26, 2021
Ben Inker, CFA, head of GMO’s Asset Allocation team, joined us to discuss why he believes the outlook for Value is exceedingly bright from here. Inker also addressed how GMO investors can profit from Value’s outperformance in both rising and falling markets using a long/short framework, how investors can make money, what drives returns and more!
POWER Series: Tricia Rothschild, CFA
February 10, 2021
With the rise of younger investors’ engagement in their money and the drastically changing fintech landscape, what are the implications for the wealth management industry today and in the future? Tricia Rothschild, CFA, president of Apex Clearing, joined us to discuss her career growth, lessons learned, the nuances of trading vs. investing, the influence and evolution of fintech, and where the industry is heading.
SPAC Investing: A Deeper Look at Blank Check Companies
December 15, 2020
SPACs have become an increasingly popular route for companies to achieve public listings. In the first nine months of this year, blank-check companies raised over $40B. Hear our panel discuss an overview of SPACs, discuss SPAC investment and portfolio management considerations, address the rapid rise in popularity, and debate their future role in capital markets.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
Ted Merz, CFA
December 1, 2020
Ted Merz, CFA, Bloomberg’s Global Head of News Product, joined CFA Society Chicago to talk about the biggest year for news in almost two decades. Merz discussed how the global pandemic is changing how many financial professionals monitor breaking news, how the surge in coverage is prompting traders and portfolio managers to turn to social media and methods used to translate and summarize content in order to keep up with the onslaught.
The Future of Oil & Gas
November 24, 2020
What’s in stock for the energy sector? Our panel discussed a variety of points including future oil consumption, the drivers behind the negative May WTI future, changes in the economics and strategic drivers for the oil and gas industry this year, opportunities in the energy transition away from fossil fuels, the best way for retail and institutional investors to get exposure to traditional energy markets and more!
Capital Market Series: Private Debt
November 18, 2020
Originally investing as mezzanine or special situation lenders, private debt now consists of lenders investing across the entire capital structure while boasting over $800 billion in assets under management. Chicago is recognized as a center for private debt, with the majority of the largest private debt funds headquartered here. Panelists discussed this emerging asset class for the third part of CFA Society Chicago’s Capital Market Series.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
Ed Wehmer
November 4, 2020
Edward J. Wehmer, CEO & founder of Wintrust, joined CFA Society to discuss the banking world and challenges related to COVID-19, including slowing loan growth (comparing residential vs commercial), defaults and subsequent increase of loan loss provisions. Wehmer also discussed growing the bank organically, Wintrust’s marketing strategy and his outlook for community banks.
Capital Market Series: Private Markets
October 20, 2020
The second part of CFA Society Chicago’s four-part Capital Market Series was held on October 20, 2020. Panelists discussed the differences in the variety and performance of the different asset classes within private markets, the impact of COVID-19 on this very broad asset class, and their outlook.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
Anthony Scaramucci
October 15, 2020
Anthony Scaramucci, founder and managing partner of SkyBridge, joined CFA Society Chicago on October 15, 2020, to discuss his short- and medium-term outlook for financial markets and the real economy, which he believes will start to sync up more closely under a President Biden.
Capital Market Series: Public Allocations
October 7, 2020
The first part of CFA Society Chicago’s four-part Capital Market Series kicked off on October 7, 2020, with an event on public markets. Experts in both the equity and fixed-income arenas discussed how they have formulated their assumptions in their asset allocation, from both bottom-up and top-down perspective, as well as their public markets forecasts.
POWER Series:
Stephanie Cohen
September 29, 2020
Change is underway in the financial services industry and it’s disrupt or be disrupted. Stephanie Cohen, Goldman Sachs’ Chief Strategy Officer, joined CFA Society Chicago to discuss leading through challenging times, Goldman’s evolution to a platform business, and the firm’s commitment to diversity as a strategic imperative. This event is part of the Collaborative Women in Investment Management (WIM) Series.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
Suni Harford
July 19, 2020
Suni Harford, president of UBS Asset Management, and Thomas Digenan, CFA, head of US Intrinsic Value Equities for UBS Asset Management, discuss the future of the asset management business, how UBS is adapting to current industry trends, the broader impact of COVID-19, where they see opportunities for growth and UBS’s commitment to sustainability and how clients/investors are already adapting to an ESG world.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
Roy Swan
July 15, 2020
The Ford Foundation is carving out $1 billion of its endowment and committing resources over a ten-year period into investment opportunities that generate positive social returns and commercially appropriate risk-adjusted returns on capital. Hear what Roy Swan, director of Missions Investments for the Ford Foundation, had to say about investment strategy, rationale, impact, and measurements of success.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
Cathie Wood
June 8, 2020
Cathie Wood, founder, CEO and CIO of ARK Invest, joined the Society for an interactive discussion on the impact of rapidly changing market dynamics, breakthrough innovations and the opportunities investors can create. Hear her insights on the current environment, market volatility, and the role innovation plays during market extremes.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
Kristina Hooper
June 2, 2020
Kristina Hooper, chief global market strategist at Invesco, joined CFA Society Chicago for a webinar on the economic outlook in coming months, including various scenarios given fiscal, monetary and public health policy decisions. Hooper also discussed coverage of the inflation/deflation debate, as well as market implications.
The Impact of the Fed on the Corporate Bond ETF Market
May 27, 2020
In historic fashion the Fed has expanded the list of tools in its toolbox. This list includes many corporate bond ETFs as well. Portfolio managers from two of the biggest ETF providers – Invesco and State Street Global Advisors – joined us to discuss the positive, and potentially negative unintended impacts, the Fed’s presence is having on the ETF market, and the corporate bond market overall.
Gina Martin Adams, CFA, CMT
Equity Market Outlook: Virus Muddies Outlook, But Stocks Already Priced for Recession
May 20, 2020
Gina Martin Adams, CFA, CMT, chief equity strategist with Bloomberg Intelligence, joined us to discuss why the equity market appears to be detached from economic reality and how long it may last, her fair value model for stocks, factor and sector strategy, and a customized equity market playbook for Covid-19 recession and recovery.
Managing Wealth Through a Pandemic
May 7, 2020
Jenifer Aronson, CFA (Mosaic Fi, LLC), Elizabeth Martinez, CFA (Bank of America Private Bank), and Sunitha Thomas, CFA (Northern Trust), discuss managing wealth during Covid-19 and provide their insights into what investors should be doing now to minimize risks, manage consumer confidence, and leverage the resources introduced in the government stimulus package.
Modern Monetary Theory
April 22, 2020
Historic Monetary and Fiscal Stimulus: Savior or Destroyer?
Lotta Moberg, CFA, moderates a discussion on the implications of the stimulus measures put in place by the U.S. government and Federal Reserve. She’s joined by Stephen Moore, visiting senior fellow in economics at the Heritage Foundation, and Randall Wray, professor of economics and scholar of Modern Monetary Theory.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
Howard Marks, CFA
February 22, 2019
Since the formation of Oaktree in 1995, Howard Marks has been responsible for ensuring the firm’s adherence to its core investment philosophy; communicating closely with clients concerning products and strategies; and contributing his experience to big-picture decisions relating to investments and corporate direction.
Distinguished Speaker Series:
Joel Greenblatt
December 5, 2018
The shift to passive management is a powerful trend dominating the investment industry. However, active management is the only way to truly outperform the market as a whole over time. Gotham Asset Management founder and co-CIO Joel Greenblatt shares his thoughts on the debate and provide insights on ways to navigate the changing landscape.
Distinguished Speaker Series Breakfast: James Bullard
September 12, 2018
James Bullard, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, speaks about the U.S. Economy and Monetary Policy.
The Active vs. Passive Debate: Trends, Insights, and Case Studies Webcast
June 13, 2017
The active vs. passive debate continues to be one of the contentious topics in the investment management industry. A collection of the foremost experts including Eugene Fama, 2013 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, discuss the future of alpha, beta, and all things in-between. Watch Video