News
Each day, DailyAlts tracks major developments across the alternative investment world. Our content is procured from primary contacts in the industry and secondary sources across the web. Our goal is to give readers the most up-to-date news and engaging experience to open new doors and areas of knowledge. Our stories cover nine separate verticals of the alternative investment industry.
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Chipmaker AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) has unveiled a range of innovative AI solutions spanning from data centers to personal computers. The AMD Instinct MI300 Series features data center AI accelerators, while the ROCm 6 open software stack introduces new features supporting Large Language Models (LLMs). Additionally, the Ryzen 8040 Series processors come equipped with Ryzen AI capabilities.
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ESG: The SEC’s Scrutiny of ESG Investing Could Be a Blessing, Say Advisers
According to the Wall Street Journal, regulators are questioning the methodologies and criteria for the selection of companies by funds that tout ESG portfolios. ESG is an acronym for environmental-social-and governance observances. ESG investing is also known as impact, or socially responsible investing.
The SEC’s move may not be such a bad thing according to advisers, says InvestmentNews.
The DailyAlts Playbook: January 7, 2020
Today, the DailyAlts Playbook talks pension allocations in 2020, the cost of Carlos’ freedom, Blackstone Group’s 2020 Surprises, and a ridiculous valuation for TopGolf.
Artificial Intelligence: Using Augmented Reality (AR) to Record the Skills of Retiring Workers For Posterity
Could the skills of retiring workers be lost before the next generation learns from them?
That danger no longer exists with developing technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). PTC’s president and CEO Jim Heppelmann says the company has devised an innovative technology to train both existing employees and the next generation of workers.
PTC’s Vuforia Expert Capture system enables expert workers to record their performance of a task using a wearable AR device such as the Microsoft HoloLens.
Real Estate: Could Manufactured Homes Help Solve America’s Affordable Housing Crisis?
The country’s entire annual shortage of 300,000 homes is for low- and middle-priced housing.
Manufactured homes in blue-collar communities may alleviate the severe housing shortage for America’s working population. Consider this: Almost a quarter of home-owners, and half of those who rent their homes, pay about a third of their monthly income for housing.
FinTech: Ripple Targets SWIFT in Brazil
Ripple targets SWIFT in Brazil and wants to make inroads into Brazil’s remittances market.
Real Estate: M&G Continues Suspension of Its Real Estate Fund
M&G – the British insurer and asset manager – plans to continue the suspension of its 2.5 billion-pound property funds. The company made the announcement after it sold 70.4 million pounds in property to raise cash.
Pershing Square Capital Finishes 2019 Up 58.1%
Pershing Square 2019 performance came in at 58.1%. The huge windfall comes after four straight years of losses. That return was also double the return of the S&P 500. In a banner year for passive investors, Ackman showed that activist investing can work with the right formula.
Byron Wien And Joe Zidle Release Their Ten Surprises for 2020
Byron Wien, Vice Chairman of Blackstone Group, and Joe Zidle, Chief Investment Strategist in the Private Wealth Solutions group, released a list of “Ten Surprises for 2020.”
Hedge Fund Marshall Wace is Shorting Denmark’s Largest Lender
Marshall Wace has taken a short position against Danske Bank. The Danish FSA said that the firm has a short position that reaches the threshold of 0.5% of issued shares.
Tim Melvin: Expectations for REITs in 2020
NAREIT – the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts — explored REITs’ strong 2019 performance and linked the sector’s success to a bounceback from 2018’s lackluster performance. Last week’s commentary quoted Matt Werner, portfolio manager at Chilton Capital Management.
Broadcast Station M&A Hit $900 Million the Fourth Quarter
Broadcast M&A picked up last quarter. According to media research firm Kagan, broadcast station M&A hit $900.0 million in Q4 2019.
Artificial Intelligence: Do the Risks Outweigh the Recent Hype?
Artificial intelligence supremacy has become a hot topic in recent weeks in the medical community. This week, the journal Science Translational Medicine published research on the advancements of AI in the detection of bowel cancer.
Vanguard Joins the Crowd and Eliminates Trading Commissions
Vanguard ETF commissions and stock commissions don’t exist anymore. The firm has expanded its commission-free online trading for stocks and options to all Vanguard Brokerage clients.
The DailyAlts Playbook – January 6, 2020
Today, the DailyAlts Playbook talks zero-fee hedge funds, where REITs go from here, our chat with Daniel Rasmussen, and the CFTC manhunt for a crypto manager and his client’s $147 million.
Alternative Investments: The Ford Mustang Steve McQueen Drove in Bullitt Could Fetch A Record Price
Remember grim-faced, dogged Steve McQueen chasing a couple of goons up and down the streets of San Francisco in that iconic car chase in Bullitt?
The car McQueen drove in that chase, a green 1968 Ford Mustang, is up for auction at Mecum and may command a record price of as much as $4 million for Sean Kiernan, its owner.
Green Street Advisors: Data Center REITs Will See More Demand
Green Street Advisors analyst David Guarino says that data consumption trends will accelerate in the future. This provides support to his thesis that data center demand will increase. It also signals that investors will continue to pour capital into associated real estate assets like data center REITs.
The DailyAlts Interview With Daniel Rasmussen of Verdad Advisors
Today, we’re chatting with Daniel Rasmussen, a founding partner at Verdad Advisors. Daniel was a member of Forbes 30 under 30 at Forbes. His fund aims to replicate private equity returns in the public markets by using research and quantitative methods to build a portfolio of leveraged companies.
MIG Capital Pushes Groupon for a Board Seat
MIG Capital is pushing Groupon to push its CEO Richard Merage on the shopping-deal provider’s board of directors. The activist fund with $1 billion in AUM owns 5% of Groupon stock. It wants to push Merage on the docket for a vote Groupon’s 2020 annual meeting.
Digital Assets: South Korea Backtracks on its Central Bank Digital Currency
South Korea may consider a central bank digital currency (CBDC) after all.
Contrary to indications it gave in January 2019, the Bank of Korea said on December 1 that “we are considering issuing digital currency (CBDC).”
That’s a huge about-turn from its January stance when it said in a report: “There is no plan to issue a CBDC in the near future because CBDC is not incentive to respond to the reduction of cash use or to increase financial inclusion.” (translated)
Digital Assets: Fraudulent, Unregistered Crypto Firm That Stole from Investment Advisors Shut Down
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division issued a final order to cease and desist against unregistered firm Mavixbtc Limited.
Mavixbtc had fraudulently represented itself as registered with both the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. To do this the firm used false registration numbers.
Digital Assets: A Chinese Blockchain ETF May Soon See The Light of Day
Shenzen-based fund manager Penghua Fund applied to China’s Securities Regulatory Commission for approval to launch an ETF tracking listed stocks related to blockchain. Penghua applied on December 24 for the ETF. It would be China’s first blockchain-based ETF.
Alternative Investments: More Finger-pointing in NMC Health’s Spat With Muddy Waters
In mid-December, famed activist and short-seller fund Muddy Waters threw the book at Abu-Dhabi based NMC Healthcare. NMC is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its shares plunged from 2585 pence on December 16 to 1300.50 pence on December 20, a fall of about 50%. Carson Block’s Muddy Waters said it had “serious doubts” on NMC Health’s financial statements. Further, it alleged the healthcare company had manipulated these documents.
The DailyAlts Playbook – January 3, 2020
Today, the DailyAlts Playbook talks about tensions in the Middle East, the fall of hedge fund fees, capitalists without capitalism, and the rise of Boise, Idaho.
Alternative Investments: Willow Oak and Focused Compounding Launch New Private Investment Fund
Willow Oak and Focused Compounding will launch a new private investment partnership. They have called it the Focused Compounding Fund. The fund will invest in what Portfolio Managers Geoff Gannon and Andrew Kuhn call the 1% of stocks everyone else overlooks. The PMs are seeking what they call wonderful businesses that trade at reasonable valuation multiples.