Posts by Simeon Wallis
The Pulse on the Economy and Capital Markets: May 9 – 13, 2022
At a glance: This year started out as one of the worst in decades for stock and bond markets as investors worried about growth and rising inflation. Riskier segments, such as the Nasdaq and the Russell 2000, experienced a few difficult weeks at the start of the quarter as several well-known companies missed growth targets.…
Read MoreGovernance: How Private Equity Firms Can Drive an ESG Focus from the Boardroom
At a glance Main Takeaway: In the final part of our series on ESG investing in private markets, we discuss how private equity firms can reduce turnover, ensure data is protected and allocate capital with a governance-driven boardroom approach. Invest with confidence: As more private equity firms take an active ESG-role in the boardroom; they…
Read MorePodcast: Inflation is Red Hot
Inflation is hotter than ever, but when will it cool down? We are excited to welcome Simeon Wallis, Chief Investment Officer of Aprio’s Wealth Management, back to the podcast. John and Simeon discuss how we are wading through uncharted territory with levels of inflation we have not dealt with in 40 years, coming out of…
Read MoreESG Impacting Levers: How Private Equity Firms Can Drive Value Creation
At a glance Main Takeaway: In part two of our series on ESG investing in private markets, we discuss how private equity firms can grow EBITDA, lower working capital and reduce the cost of financing. Invest with confidence: ESG is quickly reshaping the investment world and PE firms are well-positioned to be leaders in driving…
Read MoreThe Pulse on the Economy and Capital Markets: April 11–15, 2022
At a glance Stock and bond markets continued to struggle, as investors focused on and grew more concerned about rising interest rates. Global stock markets declined 1.7% and quality corporate bonds are down 11% year to date. More positively, oil and copper started to march higher after a difficult stretch of performance. Last month, the…
Read MoreHow to Implement an Inflation Playbook
Global economies are facing a major issue — inflation. Reaching multi-decade highs, inflation has dramatically impacted the costs of food, energy, materials, transportation and so much more. Most individuals have never managed a high inflationary environment and are struggling to adapt to how quickly it can change profitability, margins, cash flow and balance sheets.
Read MoreThe Pulse on the Economy and Capital Markets: April 4 – 8, 2022
At a glance: We’re seeing markets decline as investors shy away from risk-driven investments in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive response to combat inflation. Heading into 2022, expectations for the benchmark interest rate was around 1%, however, that has now jumped to over 2.5%. A new M&A trend to buy existing assets rather than…
Read MorePrivate Markets: It’s Time to Embrace ESG if You Want to Attract Assets
At a glance Main takeaway: Whether believers or skeptics, private markets need to embrace environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives in their operations if they want to increase their profitability to attract investors. Invest with confidence: In a three-part series, we will explore ESG investing in private markets from attracting assets, creating value and getting…
Read MoreThe Pulse on the Economy and Capital Markets: March 21–25, 2022
At a glance In the markets, we’re seeing a recurrent storyline play out, with stock markets performing well globally and increases in the cryptocurrency and commodities markets. On the other hand, bonds struggled under the weight of investors’ inflation and interest rate worries. Government and investment-grade bonds are now down 6% and 9% respectively for…
Read MoreThe Pulse on the Economy and Capital Markets: Mar 14 – 21, 2022
At a glance: The stock markets increased globally last week, even as the Fed announced the first of seven rate increases over the next year to combat inflation. This will bring the U.S. to a total increase of 1.75% to 2%. Investors embrace risk despite the announcement from the Fed, Nasdaq was up 8% and…
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