We’re halfway to the 2030 deadline to hit the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The world is only on track to meet 12% of its targets. In fact, we are going backwards, say 10 of the world’s leading accounting and finance bodies.
CFA UK and Heidrick & Struggles have recently partnered to create a report Learning from portfolio management principles in approaching DEI looking at insights into how six principles of portfolio management can be applied to fast-track DEI progress.
CFA Society UK (CFA UK) today welcomed the publication of the UK Government’s updated Mobilising Green Investment: 2023 Green Finance Strategy with its greater emphasis on the importance of education and training to support the UK’s net zero ambitions.
CFA Society of the UK (CFA UK) has today released the findings of its annual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Survey, measuring the views of investment professionals across the UK investment industry. The survey revealed that investment professionals are calling for increased diversity and inclusion efforts across the workplace.
CFA Society UK (CFA UK), the local society of investment professionals which works with members to build a better investment profession, today announces the appointment of four new Fellows.
The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) and the CFA Society United Kingdom, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to tackle climate change through sustainable finance education.
CFA Society of the UK (“CFA UK”) today announces formal supported training programmes for its Certificate in Climate and Investing (“CCI”) with the UK’s leading training providers and partners BPP, Fitch Learning and Quartic.
An initiative to raise awareness, generate interest and enable women to look to the investment management industry as a viable career option. 40 women will participate in an intensive financial training bootcamp followed by a period of selected paid internships in collaborating financial institutions.
CFA Society of the UK (CFA UK) has today released the findings of its annual Inclusion & Diversity Survey, measuring the views of members across the UK investment industry.
The certificate aims to give investment professionals a deeper understanding of the risk and opportunity that climate change represents for investments and investment organisations at every stage of the investment decision making process
Alongside our mission to educate investment professionals, CFA UK is also committed to promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional behaviour.
CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, announces today that it will market the Certificate in ESG Investing, created by CFA Society of the United Kingdom, in financial hubs across the globe.
New report from CFA UK urges investment professionals to manage client expectations and understanding of the risks and provides six key considerations for investment professionals.
CFA UK survey reveals that the top issues requiring progress are talent acquisition and retention, the pay gap, and representation at board and executive level.
The UK Government, the Green Finance Institute, and 12 leading financial professional bodies, including CFA UK, launch the first Green Finance Education Charter
CFA UK, the local society of investment professionals which works with members to build a better investment profession, today announced the appointment of five new Fellows
CFA UK has today released the findings of its annual Diversity Survey, which measures the views of members on inclusion and diversity in the UK investment profession.
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is a global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis.
CFA UK today released the results of its latest quarterly Valuations Index, measuring investors’ perceptions of the value of equities, bonds and gold in Q4 2018.
CFA UK and Brandes Investment Partners invite entries from young CFA UK member investment professionals to the 2019 essay competition in honour of Ben Graham - the father of both value investing and the CFA Program. There is a £5,000 prize on offer for the most compelling entry.
CFA UK new Board chair Daniel Murray, CFA is pleased to welcome the appointment of three new members to its Board following the Society’s AGM on 27 November 2018. The new members joining the board are Hilary Eastman, CFA, Gillian Elcock and Stephen Wackerle, CFA, FCA.
CFA UK has today released the findings of its second annual Gender Diversity Survey, which measures the views of members on inclusion and diversity in the investment profession.
23 August 2018 – CFA UK today released the results of its latest Valuations Index, which measures investors’ perceptions of the value of equities, bonds and gold.
31 May 2018 – CFA UK today released the results of its Q1 2018 Valuations Index, measuring investors’ perceptions of the value of equities, bonds and gold. The index reveals that confidence in developed market equities is slowly returning, after a high level of perceived overvaluation last quarter.
CFA UK has today published the results of its annual Ethics Survey, the only tracker of views on ethics across the UK’s investment profession. Now in its sixth year, the survey highlights the challenges experienced by investment professionals, as well as the issues they consider most important.
CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, today released the findings of its 2018 Brexit member survey, revealing the latest sentiment among investment professionals about the impact of Brexit on the asset management industry.
CFA UK announced today that University of Reading team have won the UK local competition of the CFA Institute Research Challenge and will now advance to next stage of the competition.
CFA UK today released the results of its latest quarterly Valuations Index, which measures investors’ perceptions of the values of bonds, equities and gold in Q4 2017
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) today announce the appointment of CFA UK Board member Marshall Bailey as Chair of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme Ltd (FSCS) with effect from 1 April 2018.
CFA UK is pleased to announce the finalists in the the 2018 CFA Institute Research Challenge. The Research Challenge was introduced to a global audience in 2006 and is considered to be the 'Investment Olympics' for university students. This year's finalists will present and take questions from the panel of expert judges on their presentation on this year’s subject company, WPP
Let's Measure Up global brand campaign challenges those working in the investment sector to work harder on diversity, on ethics, on putting our clients’ interest first.
CFA UK is pleased to welcome the appointment of three new members to its Board following the Society’s AGM on 28 November 2017. The new members joining the board are Marshall Bailey, CFA, Lindsey Matthews, CFA and Fraser Lundie, CFA.
CFA UK has today announced the launch of its Gender Diversity Partner Programme. The programme, led by the society’s Gender Diversity Network, launches with founding partners Allianz Global Investors, Fidelity International, PIMCO, Royal London Asset Management and Vanguard and will support investment firms in the development and delivery of their gender diversity strategies.
CFA UK has today released the results of its latest quarterly Valuations Index, measuring members’ perceptions of the values of bonds, equities and gold in Q3 2017. The results point to a more positive outlook for investments, with perceptions of bond overvaluation decreasing from previous heights.
CFA UK welcomes the publication of the report on Growing a Culture of Social Impact Investing in the UK. The report, published today, has been developed by a government Advisory Group, chaired by Elizabeth Corley – a Fellow of CFA UK and a member of CFA Institute’s Board of Governors – and in which Will Goodhart, CFA UK’s chief executive was involved.
CFA UK has released the results of a survey analysing the impact of Brexit for investment management professionals currently working in the UK. The survey of more than 1,100 respondents reveals that the industry is likely to lose many of its European investment management professionals following Britain’s exit from the European Union. 91% of EU nationals say Brexit has deteriorated the competitiveness of the City. Only 42% of EU nationals are confident they will continue working in the UK investment management industry post-Brexit.
Three new Fellows announced in recognition of their services to the investment profession by CFA UK. The prestigious CFA UK Fellowship designation recognises leading investment professionals for exceptional service. Open to CFA UK members and non-members alike, the accolade is awarded every two years to people who are judged by the Society’s Fellowship Committee to have made an outstanding contribution to the profession or the aims and objectives of the Society.
The CFA Society of the UK and Brandes Investment Partners are delighted to announce the winner from young investment professionals to its essay competition in honour of Ben Graham.
CFA UK welcome the FCA report into asset management sector issued in June 2017. The final findings of the market study announce a package of remedies to take forward to address the concerns identified in the FCA interim report into the sector. CFA UK believe the report as will help to protect consumers’ interests, drive competition and addresses root causes of issues sector faces.
The CFA Society of the UK and Brandes Investment Partners are delighted to announce the winner from young investment professionals to its essay competition in honour of Ben Graham.
CFA UK has published its annual Ethics Survey results for 2017 - revealing the latest attitudes to ethics and professionalism in the investment profession. The survey is designed to assess progress and discover the key challenges experienced by investment professionals. It is the only tracker of views on ethics across the UK investment profession and, now in its fifth year, provides a view on how trends have developed over the last half decade.
The Future State of the Investment Profession study released by CFA Institute describes an industry at an existential crossroads. It warns that investment industry leaders who fail to transform their business models may jeopardise the future of their firms.
CFA UK is pleased to announce the winner in the the 2017 CFA Institute Research Challenge as Cranfield University. The Research Challenge was introduced to a global audience in 2006 and is considered to be the 'Investment Olympics' for university students. This year's finalists presented and took questions from the panel of expert judges on their presentation on this year’s subject company, G4S.
CFA UK is one of six leading professional bodies in the banking and financial services industry who have lent their support to a new Apprenticeship Standard, the Financial Services Professional.
Perceptions of overvalued developed markets equities remain high; emerging market equities broadly seen as undervalued. Results taken from CFA UK survey of its membership between 10th February and 7th March 2017 (2017/Q1), and received 219 responses from analysts and investors. The respondents were asked how they would rate a selection of markets in terms of representing fair value on a one-year time horizon.
CFA UK believes that UK corporate governance standards are relatively high, but CEO compensation is not well aligned with value creation. In particular, we would welcome a strengthening of the corporate governance framework for the UK’s largest, privately-held businesses in order to level the playing field between public and private equity capital markets.
In CFA UK's response to the FCA interim report, we agree that transparency of charges and clarity of objectives could be improved and it should be easier to switch between funds. However we note the weakness of some of the evidence on which the FCA’s findings are based and do not find that the report provides strong evidence of a failure of price competition.
CFA UK is pleased to announce the finalists in the the 2017 CFA Institute Research Challenge. The Research Challenge was introduced to a global audience in 2006 and is considered to be the 'Investment Olympics' for university students. This year's finalists will present and take questions from the panel of expert judges on their presentation on this year’s subject company, G4S.
CFA UK and Brandes Investment Partners invite entries from young CFA UK member investment professionals to the 2017 essay competition in honour of Ben Graham - the father of both value investing and the CFA Program. There is a £5,000 prize on offer for the most compelling entry.
From 18th century ‘structured finance’ and currency speculation in the Middle Ages, to stock market performance in the 20th and 21st centuries. A new book edited by two University of Cambridge academics chronicles the historical development of asset returns, stock exchanges, financial bubbles and innovation.
CFA UK announces the winners of its 2017 Journalism Awards. The awards are determined by reviews of multiple, anonymised submissions from leading national and investment publications and aim to reward publications and journalists whose work helps consumers and understand the investment profession better. To do so, their work should be explanatory, relevant, easy to read and backed up by data.
CFA UK Valuations Index Q4 found that perceptions of developed market equities as overvalued rises to record high for third consecutive quarter and the views around government and corporate bonds being overvalued have risen steadily for the last four years and remain at record levels.
CFA UK have supported the development of a research paper on the link between executive remuneration and economic value creation by Weijia Li and Steven Young of Lancaster University Management School. Li and Young’s study and is intended to contribute to the debate on this topic and might inform future consideration of remuneration committee reports on the design of executive compensations structures.
CFA UK research has highlighted aspects of financial reporting which investors feel need to be improved. The most important parts of the annual report are deemed to be the areas that require the greatest need for improvement and there is a continuing perception that financial reports contain too much irrelevant information.
Research by CFA UK, polling the views of more than 450 investment professionals, has highlighted a number of emerging trends and developments within the evolution of buy and sell-side fundamental research.
CFA UK announced the appointment of its new chairman, Gerry Fowler, CFA. Gerry takes over from Natalie WinterFrost, CFA, FIA, and his nomination was ratified at the society’s Annual General Meeting on 29 November 2016.
The achievements of the CFA UK Gender Diversity Network have been recognised by the Global Diversity List 2016 in the Top 10 Women's Employee Networks category - celebrating employee network groups established to work on gender diversity within organisations.
"Fees and charges matter. They have a material impact on investor returns. We have always been clear that investors should be able to see the costs that relate to the management or administration of their assets. These should be comprehensively disclosed. The difficult question that has arisen is whether to show an estimate of trading costs ex ante or the actual figure ex post - and who should bear those costs."
"More for us to do to promote investment as a valued profession. Much for us to learn from other professions – notably medicine. Our progress will depend on our ability to draw on our members' support."
The perception of developed market equities as overpriced has reached new highs, with the proportion of respondents to the CFA UK’s Valuations Index viewing them as overvalued climbing from 40% at the beginning of 2016 to 67% in Q3. Whereas 27% considered developed market equities to be undervalued at the outset of 2016, only 10% now hold that view.
Perceptions of Developed Market equities as overpriced saw their sharpest rise in four years, climbing from 40% to 62% in the last quarter: a 22% increase.
Findings show further exits from the EU thought to be quite likely, though wholesale EU disintegration seen as unlikely, UK fragmentation also seen as likely and strong belief that ‘Brexit means Brexit’ and most expect uncertainty to last a year, but 44% expect it to last more than a year
Liam Nunn, CFA, equity analyst at Old Mutual Global Investors, was awarded the £5,000 prize for his essay on how Graham’s principles of investing safely and successfully reflect the way he practices today.
More than 1,750 investment professionals participated in a survey by CFA UK and CFA Institute, with more than 75% of respondents based outside the UK; 71% of respondents believe that a British exit from the EU would have a negative impact on UK portfolios over a one-year timeframe.
CFA UK’s new report into the “Value of the Investment Profession” finds that fairly positive view of profession by clients is not shared by wider society.
The latest Valuations Index from CFA UK saw a significant drop in the proportion of investors who view bonds as being overpriced and a similar sharp fall in those who regard corporate bonds as overvalued.
In conjunction with CFA UK's Finance is for Girls event on 8 March 2016, the CFA UK Women’s Network conducted the first of a series of surveys to capture a snapshot of current market dynamics in place around the issue of gender diversity.
Anne Richards, outgoing global chief investment officer at Aberdeen Asset Manager, gave a talk to CFA UK members on why mixed teams make better decisions. At the event she drew upon recent research to argue that diverse teams perform better than homogenous ones.
The CFA Society of the UK and Brandes Investment Partners are delighted to invite entries from young investment professionals to a new essay competition in honour of Ben Graham.
CFA UK announced today that Stirling Management School, University of Stirling has won the UK local competition of the CFA Institute Research Challenge and now advances to next stage of the competition.
The growing popularity of mindfulness has been fuelled by several scientific studies which have shown regular practice can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, among other benefits. Indeed CFA UK recently ran an event looking at the science behind mindfulness.
CFA UK Valuations Index shows investor perception of overvalued bond market pervades against backdrop of rising interest rates and developed market equities viewed as increasingly overvalued.
Not many professional investors can compare themselves to Morpheus from the cult film The Matrix and get away with it, but James Montier isn’t like most investors.
Professor Charles Goodhart CBE, a leading global expert on monetary policy, banking and financial regulation, addressed CFA UK members last week on the outlook for policy rates.
The ability to think long term is one of the attributes Virginie Maisonneuve – Chair of CFA UK Women’s Network– credits for her three decade career in asset management. French-born Ms Maisonneuve has worked as CIO-Equities, MD and portfolio manager at PIMCO, head of global equities, director and portfolio manager at Schroders and Co-CIO and portfolio manager at Clay Finlay.