ReSolve’s Riffs on Leverage over Beverages: The Risk/Reward of Vol Targeting

This episode discussed:

Most pension plans and other institutional investors with long-term liabilities are faced with an enormous mismatch between the return assumptions in their actuarial models and the combination of sky-high equity valuations and rock-bottom bond yields. Some have chosen to address their funding gaps by adding leverage to their portfolios. Topics of this include:

  • Different types of leverage – Implicit vs explicit, recourse vs non-recourse
  • Hidden leverage in private investments
  • Volatility targeting – pro-cyclical vs counter-cyclical
  • Leverages towards concentrated vs diversified investments and market fragility

The conversation was greatly enhanced by a series of questions from our friend Mike Green (Logica Capital) – who we hope will join us in the coming weeks. Special thanks to Mike and others that have participated with their questions.

Thanks for watching and see you next week.

Latest

The Calm Before the Storm: A Volatility Pro’s Reflection on Markets at All-Time Highs

We’ve lived this movie before. Last August, AAII bullish sentiment struck a 52-week high right before the Fed launched its September rate cutting cycle.

The Ripple Effect: How Smart Money Uses the VIX to Beat Market Panic

An options trader’s perspective on why the “fear index” is actually your portfolio’s best friend

The Volatility Trader’s Reality Check: Markets Do What Markets Do

For those curious about how a volatility trader who also manages portfolios thinks, let me cut through the noise.

Navigating Trade Winds: HANDLS Indexes Showcase Resiliency in May 2025

The HANDLS Indexes Monthly Income Report for May 2025 underscores notable recoveries across sectors, propelled by easing tariff and trade uncertainties.

Newsletter

Don't miss

The Calm Before the Storm: A Volatility Pro’s Reflection on Markets at All-Time Highs

We’ve lived this movie before. Last August, AAII bullish sentiment struck a 52-week high right before the Fed launched its September rate cutting cycle.

The Ripple Effect: How Smart Money Uses the VIX to Beat Market Panic

An options trader’s perspective on why the “fear index” is actually your portfolio’s best friend

The Volatility Trader’s Reality Check: Markets Do What Markets Do

For those curious about how a volatility trader who also manages portfolios thinks, let me cut through the noise.

Navigating Trade Winds: HANDLS Indexes Showcase Resiliency in May 2025

The HANDLS Indexes Monthly Income Report for May 2025 underscores notable recoveries across sectors, propelled by easing tariff and trade uncertainties.

Navigating Multi-Factor Market Volatility: A Portfolio Manager’s Guide

Current market conditions present a complex web of interconnected risks that demand careful analysis and strategic positioning.
Adam Butler, CFA, CAIA
Adam Butler, CFA, CAIA
Adam Butler is Chief Investment Officer of ReSolve Asset Management, sub-advisor to an alternative allocation strategy at Rational Funds. He manages ETF and futures based strategies including a global risk parity ETF, two Adaptive Asset Allocation funds, and a multi-strategy hedge fund. Adam is also author of the book Adaptive Asset Allocation: Dynamic Global Portfolios to Profit in Good Times and is ranked in the top 1% of authors by paper downloads on SSRN. He has authored over a dozen papers and dozens of articles on asset allocation; factor investing; quantitative methods; and portfolio optimization. Adam holds both CFA and CAIA charters and appears on BNN Bloomberg and CNBC.

The Calm Before the Storm: A Volatility Pro’s Reflection on Markets at All-Time Highs

We’ve lived this movie before. Last August, AAII bullish sentiment struck a 52-week high right before the Fed launched its September rate cutting cycle.

The Ripple Effect: How Smart Money Uses the VIX to Beat Market Panic

An options trader’s perspective on why the “fear index” is actually your portfolio’s best friend

The Volatility Trader’s Reality Check: Markets Do What Markets Do

For those curious about how a volatility trader who also manages portfolios thinks, let me cut through the noise.