The 2026 Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index is released by Marsh in partnership with the CFA Institute and the Monash Centre for Financial Studies, covering 55 retirement income systems worldwide. It uses adequacy (40% weight), sustainability (35% weight), and integrity (25% weight) as core evaluation dimensions.
Read originalA study based on 2.8 million EU ETS trades and compliance records from 2005 to 2022 shows that 37% of regulated operators in the world’s largest carbon market do not participate in trading each year, and this phenomenon persists. Trading concentrates in the April compliance month, when returns are systematically higher, operator order flow can predict returns, and this effect is concentrated among frequent traders. A model incorporating market entry costs, limited intermediation, and heterogeneous information can explain these features. Staggering compliance deadlines into four groups can reduce the compliance-month premium by 58% without changing the overall cap.
Read originalResearchers used proprietary panel data of commercial mortgages from 1998 to 2021 and adopted deep neural networks (DNN) to distinguish liquidity-constrained default from strategic default. The study found that, under delinquency conditions, property net operating income (NOI) has a more significant impact on default rates than loan-to-value ratio (LTV), and the threshold for dividing the two types of defaults remained stable during the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020-2021 COVID-19 commercial real estate shock.
Read originalThis paper proposes a generalized variance framework based on the determinant of the instantaneous covariance matrix of asset log returns for pricing multi-asset discrete swaps, which captures the joint discreteness of multivariate asset returns while accounting for their dependence structure. The framework is constructed under Heston and Barndorff-Nielsen-Shephard (BNS) stochastic volatility models, deriving analytical pricing expressions for the three-asset Heston model and tractable approximations for the corresponding BNS model.
Read originalThe Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has released a working paper examining the role of Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) regulation for large U.S. banks in driving the growth of private credit markets.
Read originalThe Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has released a working paper that studies the transmission effects of offshore NDF markets on onshore spot exchange rates, using centralized clearing NDF transaction-level data for 10 emerging market currencies from 2013 to 2025. The study shows that a $1 billion long USD order flow causes the onshore spot exchange rate to depreciate by approximately 10 basis points, while the offshore NDF exchange rate moves by about 18 basis points, and offshore transactions widen the spread between offshore and onshore rates; when dealer balance sheets are strained, the impact on the spot exchange rate is larger.
Read originalThis research paper, published by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), is based on the credit theory of money. Starting from payment as a fundamental monetary behavior, it outlines four core tensions in the operation of the monetary system and proposes that money is essentially an institutional achievement sustained by trust. The paper applies this framework to the analysis of gold, Bitcoin, and stablecoins. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the BIS or its member central banks.
Read originalAnalysis of 401(k) plan filings from 2013 to 2023 by the CFA Institute Research and Policy Center shows that the average expense ratio of 401(k) investment menus fell from 0.69% to 0.39%, with declines in both active and index fund fees, and the fee gap between small and large plans has essentially closed. Fund quality also improved over the same period, with the weighted average of Morningstar Medalist ratings rising from 3.45 to 3.85, and lower-cost funds often receiving higher ratings.
Read originalQuantpedia analyst Cyril Dujava released a study based on a sample of 13 US federal elections from 2000 to 2024, covering XLK, SPY, IYR, IEF, EEM, and GLD.
Read originalAlpha Architect interprets the paper "Competition, complexity, and security design: evidence from retail investment products" published in the Review of Finance in 2026. This study takes yield-enhancement products in the Swiss market as a sample and finds that issuers deliberately increase product complexity to weaken price competition when competition intensifies.
Read originalThe Financial Analysts Journal, Volume 82, Issue 3 (Q3 2026), pages 5 to 14, published a tribute to Martin Leibowitz, reviewing his relevant contributions to the financial field. This content is a commemorative article recently released by the journal.
Read originalBridgewater released a study on November 13, 2025, analyzing Canada's response path under U.S. high tariffs and USMCA uncertainty. The report notes that Canada's GDP contracted in Q2 2025, after which it adopted a three-pillar strategy of trade diversification, fiscal expansion, and loose monetary policy, aiming to double non-U.S. exports within a decade and add over CAD 300 billion in trade volume. The fiscal deficit for FY2025-26 reached CAD 78 billion, accounting for 2.5% of GDP. The Bank of Canada maintains an accommodative stance, and initial signs of stabilization have emerged in manufacturing orders, residential construction, and the labor market.
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