Episodes

The data is in and investors are seeing the clouds of inflation roll in which for many investors is something they may not have anticipated or ever experienced. This may be creating stress for you as you help them navigate this rising storm in their portfolios and day-to-day lives. Learning what tools are available and effective can help you address your client’s concerns with inflation and may drive engagement with your clients. In this episode, David Partain and Christopher Huemmer sit down t...

As we ended 2021, everything looked so promising. Now more than ever with volatility seemingly on the rise, it is important to gain perspective from an experienced investment professional to help you navigate the months ahead and adjust your client’s portfolios appropriately. In this episode, David Partain and Chris Huemmer, senior investment strategist at FlexShares, sit down to discuss 2022 trends in the market in an effort to spot opportunities across various asset classes and explore the cri...

Infrastructure has taken some of the hardest hits during the global pandemic. But what does infrastructure actually mean? In this episode, we talk with Chris Huemmer, senior investment strategist, and Dan Phillips, director of asset allocation at Flexshares. They discuss how infrastructure has been impacted during the global pandemic, and the decisions that will soon have to be concluded in our rapid environment. Chris and Dan discuss: Key benefits infrastructure can offer investors The options...

There’s a shortage of supplies all across the global economy and prices continue to increase. Several factors are driving this crunch which has all eyes on inflation. In this episode, Mark Carlson, senior investment strategist, and Daniel Phillips, director of asset allocation strategy at Northern Trust Asset Management (NTAM). They discuss the hot natural resource sector and how FlexShares Morningstar global natural resource index ETF, ticker symbol, GUNR could offer investors economical balanc...

Factors can identify systematic ways to invest that have historically been tested and are tied to economic rationales. These can lead to statistically significant incremental returns over time. In this episode, Christopher Huemmer, senior investment strategist at FlexShares discusses how factors have performed in the U.S market. In this episode, you will learn: How to identify factors that fluctuate ETFs How to use different factors Insight on what factors performed well from 2020 to the first ...

Inflation continues to be top of mind for listeners and market participants alike with interest rates and inflation expectations on the rise this year. In this episode, we talk with Mark Carlson and Ellen Chenoweth, two of FlexShares Investment Strategists to share their perspectives on the impact of inflation on portfolios. In this episode you will learn: The key drivers when evaluating for potential inflation to portfolios Why investors often turn to “tips” as a first line of defense against ...

If investors thought ESG would go away, 2020 really caught them by surprise. In 2021, experts are still projecting ESG assets to reach more than one-third of global assets under management in 2025. In this episode, Evan McCall, Second VP investment strategist in asset management for FlexShares exchange traded funds, discusses one of the more attention-grabbing investment categories known as environmental, social, and governance. We’ll dive into how the market concentration has changed due to th...

Are you an investor using the low volatility approach in today’s environment? In this episode, Christopher Huemmer, senior investment strategist at FlexShares to discusses how to use low volatility strategies as a way to seek to offer some level of downside protection while delivering potential upside participation to stay exposed to the equity markets. In this episode you will learn: The low volatility factor and why some investors find it as an attractive way to invest Why low volatility exis...

The year 2020 has been universally challenging for all of us and has brought on so many surprises, certainly one for the history books. In this episode, we talk with Ellen Chenoweth, associate investment strategist for FlexShares exchange traded funds and Chris Huemmer, senior investment strategist at FlexShares. The two investment strategists share their perspective on the year ahead and three ideas to implement in portfolios. In this episode you will learn: What the key points that may impact...

There’s still a lot of uncertainty regarding the future of the marketplace, and investors are scrambling to generate income while some may feel high yield is too risky. In this episode Ellen Chenoweth, associate investment strategist for FlexShares exchange traded funds, explores some of the implications and market drivers, portfolio diversification, and contemporary ways to assess the high yield market. In this episode you will learn: How high yield can be used in a portfolio The market risks ...

Some Investors have seen this movie before and therefore they may possess a better understanding of the needed investment actions in response to ZIRP the remake. In this episode Mark Carlson, Senior Investment Strategist for Northern Trust FlexShares ETFs review of the remake edition of ZIRP and discussions of ideas investors can pursue to address their liquidity investing objectives during a ZIRP environment In this episode, you will learn: What is different this time with ZIRP 2020 What happe...

Welcome to the Funds in Focus podcast, the show that brings you thoughtful and informed conversations between leading subject-matter experts and members of the FlexShares investment strategy team about current market trends. In today’s episode Investment Strategist Ellen Chenoweth discusses the drivers behind the inflation debate and potential investment strategies to consider in this environment. In this episode, you will learn: Why investors are starting to pay closer attention to the risk of...

Welcome to the Funds in Focus podcast, the show that brings you thoughtful and informed conversations between leading subject-matter experts and members of the FlexShares investment strategy team about current market trends. In today’s episode Investment Strategist Mark Carlson discusses the natural resource/commodity sector currently being slightly out of favor with investors. Mark touches on how the U.S. and global economies will at some point recover and the demand for raw materials should re...

Welcome to the Funds in Focus podcast, the show that brings you thoughtful and informed conversations between leading subject-matter experts and members of the FlexShares investment strategy team about current market trends. In today’s episode, we talk to investment strategist Evan McCall about how one segment of real assets, global listed infrastructure, held up during the turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic. Evan unpacks how different sectors performed during the first and second quarter and w...