Alternatives Symposium

November 28, 202311am ET / 8am PT

Overview

As 2022 demonstrated, allocating purely to equities and fixed income can produce disastrous results. Alternatives diversify those traditional asset classes, offering non-correlated returns with structures that protect against stock and bond market losses. The goal of the VettaFi Alternatives Symposium is to educate advisors about the range of solutions – many of which were historically available only to institutions – so that you can decide which products are appropriate for your clients. Our speakers will identify the risks and opportunities in each product type, providing guidance on what to expect under different market conditions.

Agenda

11:00 AM ET

Broad Commodities

Prices of commodities soared during the pandemic but have largely receded to pre-2020 levels. Now, geopolitical risks in the Middle East threaten to drive oil prices higher, which could trigger higher inflation. Our speakers will offer their assessments across the commodity markets, the likelihood of contango or backwardation, and the best opportunities for advisors and their clients with a broad approach.
11:20 AM ET

Investing in Crypto Currency Strategies

Cryptocurrency investments have started going mainstream and many of your clients are expressing interest in them. Come learn how these existing futures based ETFs and pending spot ETFs can fit into a portfolio. We will be joined by some of the industry experts ready to take your questions and ours.
11:40 AM ET

Private Equity

The number of public companies is shrinking, while global private equity has become an $8 trillion market, attracting more than $1 trillion in annual flows. Traditionally, private equity was available only to accredited investors through limited partnerships. Our speakers will look at the structure and quality of private-equity deals and the investment vehicles now available to advisors and their clients.
12:05 PM ET

CLOs

CLOs are a trillion-dollar-plus asset class but are largely misunderstood. CLOs act like banks, lending to corporate clients. They are funded by locked-in, long-term financing. CLOs typically hold a highly diversified loan portfolio and pay investors in a tranche-driven structure. CLOs are not CDOs, which were largely responsible for the financial crisis. Our speakers will explain how CLOs offer significantly higher yields than Treasury securities and will explore their risks.
12:25 PM ET

Gold, Silver & Agriculture

The prior session will cover broad commodities strategies, but advisors have access to ETFs offering more precise exposure to precious metals and agriculture. Advisors can gain access to individual commodities using futures based ETFs. We will review whether a targeted approach makes sense, including an assessment of the opportunities and the risks
12:45 PM ET

Real Estate

No sector of the economy was more disrupted because of the pandemic than real estate. Commercial real estate vacancy rates have soared, driving fears of bankruptcies. But home prices have remained strong, largely because high mortgage rates have deterred sellers. Our speakers will assess the strength of each component of the real estate market, with a focus on where opportunities lie.
1:10 PM ET

Go Anywhere Strategies: Managed Futures & Long/Short

Go anywhere strategies have an established history of protecting against equity-market losses. Most recently, when the stock market lost 33% from February to March 2020, managed futures lost only 3.17%. Meanwhile, long-short was down 7.5% These strategies are mostly used by institutional investors but has seen widespread retail adoption in the last three years. Our panel will discuss how trend following works, how to evaluate a prospective fund, and which strategies are likely to outperform over the coming year.
1:30 PM ET

Does the Future Belong to Crypto?

This panel will dig deeper into the current Crypto environment and where it may be going as we enter 2024. Advisors are more interested than ever in digital assets and how/when they can provide representation for their clients. Whether it’s specific allocation to Crypto or exploring fintech and blockchain allocations, these speakers will give strategy ideas that can be implemented today based on tools that are currently available.
1:50 PM ET

Recapping Alternative Strategies for Advisors

There are a range of alternatives that offer diversification benefits. Our moderators will recap the key messages that advisors should walk away from the day to share with their clients.