Methods of Analysis FTI seeks to build investment portfolios that are based on long-term strategic asset allocations that: • • • • •
Seek to achieve a target investment return while balancing risk, return and minimizing taxes; Are robust under foreseeable economic circumstances; Are well-diversified by type of market exposure and manager strategy; As and where requested, incorporate a client’s preference for impact or ESG strategies; and Incorporate both historical and forward-looking expectations of asset and sub-asset class risk/return characteristics.
FTI regards strategic asset allocations as the foundation to managing advisory client portfolios. Advisory client portfolios often vary from strategic weights based on tactical shifts (as discussed below) or clientdirected tilts to the portfolio. FTI then seeks to enhance advisory client portfolio returns by tactically adjusting asset class or sub-asset class exposures. For example, FTI may recommend overweighting exposures that FTI believes have attractive risk/return characteristics on a 6-18-month forward-looking basis. FTI implements asset allocation strategies using a mix of alpha and beta instruments, including long/short structures (i.e., hedge funds), active long-only managers and passive investment vehicles.
FTI also examines the experience, expertise, investment philosophies and past performance of independent third-party investment managers to determine if that manager has demonstrated an ability to invest over a period of time and in different economic conditions. FTI monitors the manager’s underlying holdings, strategies, concentrations and leverage as part of overall periodic risk assessment. Additionally, as part of the due diligence process, FTI surveys the manager’s compliance and business enterprise risks and diversity practices. Some FTI advisory clients request a preference for ESG or impact investing strategies. ESG and impact investing refer to the making of investments in companies, organizations, or funds with the goal of generating a social or environmental impact together with a financial return. FTI’s Research Team works with some advisory clients to build impact portfolios or sleeves of portfolios. FTI’s manager recommendations may be affected by a client’s preference for ESG or impact investing strategies.
Investment Strategies FTI’s core investment strategy and philosophy are based on the endowment model – structuring fully diversified portfolios that focus on strong and sustainable risk-adjusted returns over a long- term investment horizon. Of course, with unique investment objectives for each client, each portfolio is then highly customized to each client’s needs. FTI considers two broad factors when creating an investment strategy and portfolio: client-specific investment objectives and overall market research. Client-specific investment objectives include overall portfolio goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, cash flow requirements, tax, legal, and entity considerations and any other client specific circumstances (such as impact/social investing preferences, if any). FTI’s market research and quantitative analytics are then incorporated into the analysis of the portfolio. For new advisory clients, this process leads to the creation of an IPS, which typically provides specific guidelines for managing the portfolio, including any new entity structuring. For existing advisory clients, the focus during regular portfolio updates is on performance, sourcing, and tactical implementation. A core goal of FTI’s portfolio construction process is the optimization of risk-adjusted portfolio returns for a given amount of portfolio risk within the context of any client specific constraints. FTI incorporates qualitative and quantitative market research, which include factors such as the current economic environment, recent changes in liquidity, new market regulations and current efficiency in markets to generate expected returns. Then, by utilizing historical asset class volatilities and correlations to calculate a portfolio’s risk, FTI can then run an optimization to create a portfolio for a specified risk profile. Portfolio risk is regularly assessed along multiple dimensions of risk, including market risk, liquidity risk, concentration risk and franchise risk, among others. Diversification across risk factors is a key philosophy driving FTI’s investment process and is performed using a number of custom-built analytics that help expose to portfolio advisors the underlying risks in a client portfolio. FTI Private Funds The investment strategies that FTI may utilize for FTI Private Funds, as well as other information about an investment in a FTI Private Fund, including any investment restrictions, are described in the applicable Offering Documents as supplemented by information provided in this Brochure. Investors in those entities should refer to such materials and to information provided in this Brochure for a description of the investment strategy and related information.
Risk of Loss Investing in securities and other financial instruments involves risk of loss that advisory clients should be prepared to bear. All investments in securities involve substantial risk of volatility arising from numerous factors that are beyond the control of FTI, and investment managers utilized by FTI, including market conditions, changing domestic or international economic or political conditions, changes in tax laws and government regulation and other factors. Different parts of the market can react differently to these developments and the value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than, and can perform differently from, the market as a whole. Below is a summary of potential material risks for the most common investment strategies used and/or the particular types of investments typically held in advisory client accounts. The risks noted below in most instances also are applicable to FTI Private Funds and separate accounts managed by third parties. The following risk factors do not purport to be a complete list or explanation of the risks involved in an investment. All investing involves a risk of loss, including the risk that the entire amount invested can be lost. The investment strategies offered by FTI could lose money over short or long periods of time. There are no assurances that FTI’s investment strategies will succeed, and FTI cannot, and does not, give any guarantee that it will achieve the investment objectives it establishes or return capital. Economic Conditions: Changes in economic conditions, including, for example, interest rates, inflation rates, currency and exchange rates, industry conditions, competition, technological developments, trade relationships, political and diplomatic events and trends, tax laws and innumerable other factors, can affect substantially and adversely the investment performance of a client’s account. None of these conditions is or will be within the control of FTI, and no assurances can be given that FTI will anticipate these developments. Equity Investments: Advisory clients can participate in equity securities investments. Stock market prices of securities can be adversely affected by many factors, such as an issuer’s having experienced losses, the lack of earnings or the issuer’s failure to meet the market’s expectations with respect to new products or services. Stock prices can even be affected by factors wholly unrelated to the value or condition of the issuer. If the stock market declines in value, client portfolios are likely to decline in value. Furthermore, a focus on certain types of stocks (such as small or large capitalization) and styles of investing (such as value or growth) subjects client portfolios to the risk that their performance can be lower than the performance of portfolios that focus on other types of stocks or that have a broader investment style (such as the general market). Debt Securities: Advisory clients can participate in the purchase and/or sale of unrated or below investment grade debt securities, which are subject to greater risk of loss of principal and interest than higher rated debt securities. These investments can include debt securities that rank junior to other outstanding securities and obligations of the issuer, which can have a superior claim for repayment from that issuer’s assets. Further, some debt securities are not protected by financial covenants or limitations on additional indebtedness. In addition, evaluating credit risk for foreign debt securities involves greater uncertainty because credit rating agencies throughout the world have different standards, making comparison across countries difficult. Fixed-income securities are also subject to the risk that the securities could lose value because of interest rate changes. For example, bonds tend to decrease in value if interest rates rise. Fixed income securities
with longer maturities sometimes offer higher yields but are subject to greater price shifts as a result of interest rate changes than fixed-income securities with shorter maturities. Real Estate Risk: Historically, real estate has experienced significant fluctuations and cycles in value and local market conditions which has in the past and likely will in the future result in reductions in real estate opportunities, value of real property interests and, possibly, the amount of income generated by real property. All real estate-related investments are subject to the risk attributable to, but not limited to: (i) inability to consummate investments on favorable terms; (ii) inability to complete renovation, expansion or development on advantageous terms; (iii) adverse government, environmental and tax regulations; (iv) leasing delays, tenant bankruptcies and low occupancy levels and lease rates; and (v) changes in the liquidity of real estate markets. Real estate investment strategies that employ leverage are subject to risks normally associated with debt financing, including the risk that: (a) cash flow after debt service will be insufficient to accumulate sufficient cash for distributions; (b) existing indebtedness (which is unlikely to be fully amortized at maturity) will not be able to be refinanced; (c) terms of available refinancing will not be as favorable as the terms of existing indebtedness; or (d) the loan covenants will not be complied with. It is possible that property could be foreclosed upon or otherwise transferred to the mortgagee, with a consequent loss of income and asset value. Mutual Funds and ETFs: An investment in a mutual fund or ETF involves risk, including the loss of principal. Mutual fund and ETF shareholders are necessarily subject to the risks stemming from the individual issuers of the fund’s underlying portfolio securities. Such shareholders are also liable for taxes on any fund-level capital gains, as mutual funds and ETFs are required to distribute capital gains in the event they sell securities for a profit that cannot be offset by a corresponding loss. Shares of open-end mutual funds are generally distributed and redeemed on an ongoing basis by the fund itself or by a broker acting on a fund’s behalf. The trading price at which a share is transacted is equal to a fund’s stated daily per share net asset value (“NAV”), plus any shareholder fees (e.g., sales loads, purchase fees, redemption fees). The per share NAV of a mutual fund is calculated at the end of each business day, although the actual NAV fluctuates with intraday changes to the market value of the fund’s holdings. The trading prices of a mutual fund’s shares may differ significantly from the NAV during periods of market volatility, which may, among other factors, lead to the mutual fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to actual NAV. Shares of ETFs are listed on securities exchanges and transacted at negotiated prices in the secondary market. Generally, ETF shares trade at or near their most recent NAV, which is generally calculated at least once daily for indexed based ETFs and potentially more frequently for actively managed ETFs. However, certain inefficiencies may cause the shares to trade at a premium or discount to their pro rata NAV. There is also no guarantee that an active secondary market for such shares will develop or continue to exist. Generally, an ETF only redeems shares when aggregated as creation units (usually 20,000 shares or more). Therefore, if a liquid secondary market ceases to exist for shares of a particular ETF, a shareholder may have no way to dispose of such shares. Shares of closed-end funds have different risks than open-end funds. Like ETFs, closed-end funds trade on the market, generally not at NAV. Like a more typical security, the price may diverge from the NAV and sell at a discount or premium. In addition, closed-end funds are able to use more leverage than open-end funds and, therefore, may take on additional risk. Short Sales: Some of the private investment funds and separate accounts that FTI recommends participate in short sales. A short sale involves the sale of a security that is not held in an account in the expectation of purchasing the same security (or a security exchangeable therefor) at a later date at a lower price. To make delivery to the buyer, the seller must borrow the security and the seller is obligated to return the security to the lender, which is accomplished by a later purchase of the security by the seller. A short sale involves the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the market price of the security sold short, which could result
Read the rest in the brochure