Convertible securities are hybrid investments that offer yields and the potential repayment of par value like bonds with the option of transforming the investor’s exposure to common equity. Index-tracking exchange traded funds targeting the convertibles market have been around for years, but have lately been fraught with concentration risk.

In this episode, Brad Zigler, WealthManagement’s Alternative Investment Editor, welcomes Edward Rosenberg, Senior Vice President and Head of ETFs at American Century Investments together with Rene Casis, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of the American Century Quality Convertibles ETF (QCON), to discuss the place actively managed convertibles exposure has in a well-diversified portfolio.

Brad and his guests discuss:

• How convertible securities provide equity market exposure at reduced risk.
• How active management of a converts portfolio can adjust for market conditions.
• How an investment in QCON can also benefit cancer patients.

Resources:

• American Century Investments

Connect with Brad Zigler:

• Brad Zigler

Connect with Edward Rosenberg:

• LinkedIn: Edward Rosenberg

Connect with Rene Casis:

• LinkedIn: Rene Casis

About our guests:

Edward Rosenberg is senior vice president and head of exchange-traded funds for American Century Investments®. Before joining American Century Investments in 2017, Edward was a senior vice president and head of ETF capital markets and analytics at Northern Trust’s FlexShares. Previously, he was director and head of capital markets and analytics at Russell Investments. Prior to that, Edward was an ETF product manager at Vanguard. Edward holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Muhlenberg College and a master’s degree in business administration from Pennsylvania State University.

Rene Casis is a Vice President, Portfolio Manager for American Century Investments®. Mr. Casis joined the company in 2018. Prior to joining American Century Investments, he was a partner at 55 Institutional Partners, where he was a member of the firm’s senior management team responsible for oversight of portfolio management and trading. Previously, he was a director for iShares, where he served as an investment strategist and senior portfolio manager. Casis worked at BlackRock for 19 years, including his tenure at Barclays Global Investors. Mr. Casis earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Gold has long been considered a background commodity for most investors. Often used tactically, gold’s rarely been utilized as a core or permanent asset class in portfolios. However, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine again sparking hedging interest and the release of compelling research on gold’s power to attenuate overall risk, investors and advisors are re-evaluating the metal’s role as a portfolio bulwark.

In this inaugural episode, Brad Zigler, WealthManagement’s Alternative Investment Editor, welcomes George Milling-Stanley, Chief Gold Strategist for State Street Global Advisors, to discuss the factors impacting gold’s value.

Brad and George discuss:

• What is contributing to the price hikes and inflows into gold investments today.
• How Russia’s actions and Federal Reserve policy are likely to influence the value of gold.
• The role of gold as a core diversifying asset in investors’ portfolios.

Resources:

The Role of Gold in Today’s Global Multi-Asset Portfolio

Connect with Brad Zigler:

Brad Zigler

Connect with George Milling-Stanley:

LinkedIn: George Milling-Stanley
State Street Global Advisors

About Our Guest:

Prior to joining State Street, George was a Managing Director at the World Gold Council, where he was a key member of the team responsible for the launch of the world’s first gold-backed ETF. Before that, George worked at Lehman Brothers where he developed customer business for the precious metals trading desk and was responsible for the firm’s research and analysis of the metals markets. All of this topped his career as Chief Precious Metals Analyst at Consolidated Gold Fields and ten years as a reporter and columnist for the Financial Times.