Financial Services - Press Releases

Through the second half of 2025, markets have delivered a curious mix of surface tranquillity and instability beneath. August brought low index volatility alongside rising single-stock dispersion. September reinforced this divergence as concentration risk increased. October saw option markets quietly reprice protection even as headline indices stayed calm.

The Limits of Traditional Diversification

Even as global equity indices remain near record highs, the pricing of risk is shifting quietly beneath the surface. In the United States, volatility, measured by the VIX, continues to hover in the mid-teens to low-20s, with a wider range and short-term spikes over the past month. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Volatility Index (HVIX) has remained consistently higher, reflecting structurally greater market uncertainty. This divergence highlights a simple truth: risk may be universal, but its price is profoundly local.

The Behavioural Crossover: Why Risk Management Fades When We Need It Most

Retirement Income and Sequencing Risk

Volatility remains muted, and equity indices continue to trade at elevated levels. History reminds us, however, that such calm is seldom permanent. Periods of stability often precede sharp and unexpected change.

Absolute Return Income Equity Funds: A Structural Solution For Liquidity, Defence, and Income

Why Over-Relying on AI in Investment Models Can Expose Portfolios to Hidden Risks-And What To Do Instead.

Volatility remains subdued, and equity markets are elevated; yet history teaches us that this calm rarely endures. With protection still relatively inexpensive, investors today have a rare opportunity to strengthen resilience before conditions shift. 

Traditional portfolio construction for retirees often relies on flawed foundations inherited from accumulation-phase investing. Mean-variance optimisation, normally distributed returns, and stable risk premiums fail to reflect the lived experience of markets in drawdown-heavy retirement periods. The consequences are severe: capital loss early in retirement can permanently reduce lifestyle sustainability. This article explores the disconnect and proposes to incorporate a structured, risk-managed alternative - Absolute Return Income Equity Funds within retirement portfolios. Portfolio structure beats prediction, incorporating investments that generate absolute returns, which increase with volatility (when long only funds perform poorly), through all stages of the investment cycle.

How Absolute Return Equity Income Funds Can Defend Against It 

Ridgeline, the cloud-native investment management platform founded by software visionary David A. Duffield, has been honoured with the Best Use of AI in Finance USA 2025 award by Global Financial Market Review. This top accolade recognises Ridgeline's exceptional use of AI to unite front, middle and backoffice workflows and empower firms with operational efficiency.

WealthCo, a leading integrated financial services group, has been awarded Best Estate Planning Advisory Canada 2025 by Global Financial Market Review (GFM Review). This recognition celebrates WealthCo's continued excellence in estate planning, placing clients' financial futures at the forefront through its unique Integrated Advisory model.

There remains considerable uncertainty in the market outlook, with a broad range of potential outcomes. Our focus is on leveraging current market conditions-including the relatively low cost of portfolio protection-to construct strategies that offer peace of mind, regardless of equity market direction.

Why Downside Protection Matters More in Retirement

There remains considerable uncertainty about the market outlook, with a wide range of possible outcomes. Recent minutes from both the US Federal Reserve and the Reserve Bank of Australia illustrate this uncertainty.

Traditional portfolios built for a decades-long accumulation journey do not fit the realities faced by investors who are approaching, or already drawing, retirement income. Large drawdowns and persistent volatility occur often enough to erase years of savings. Once paid work stops, there is no fresh salary to rebuild capital and the sequencing risk of suffering a heavy loss early in retirement becomes acute. Investors in this stage therefore need an investment design that starts with risk control, not with a growth target. 

Whilst we make no attempt to "predict" markets, history teaches that extended periods of low volatility often precede sharp drawdowns. Our allocation framework therefore begins with the probability weighted range of macro outcomes, not with a central forecast. On that evidence, current conditions warrant heightened attention to downside protection.

Global Financial Market Review (GFM) is a dedicated online news aggregation portal specializing in financial market news and industry updates. It combines original editorials with curated content from global news providers, reaching over 14 million readers annually. With a focus on reliability and depth, GFM has positioned itself as a trusted source in the financial sector, boasting a strong social media presence with over 180,000 Twitter followers.

Excent Capital, a leading global financial services provider, has been honoured with two prestigious awards from GFM Review: Best Forex CFD Broker in Seychelles 2025 and Best Forex Trading Platform in Seychelles 2025. These accolades reinforce the company's dedication to innovation, transparency, and customer-centric services in the financial trading industry.

Global Financial Market Review (GFM) is a dedicated online news aggregation portal specializing in financial market news and industry updates. It combines original editorials with curated content from global news providers, reaching over 14 million readers annually. With a focus on reliability and depth, GFM has positioned itself as a trusted source in the financial sector, boasting a strong social media presence with over 180,000 Twitter followers.

In this edition of Leaders InFocus, we speak with the team behind ButcherJoseph & Co., winner of both the Best Investment Banking Deal USA 2025 and Best Boutique Investment Bank USA 2025. These dual accolades highlight the firm's unique ability to navigate complex transactions with a combination of institutional-grade expertise and the bespoke, client-centric service expected of a boutique advisor.

Comistar Estonia has been named Best Formation Advisors Estonia 2025 by Global Financial Market Review (GFM Review), recognising the firm's outstanding expertise in supporting digital and cross-border businesses with company formation and regulatory services.

Factor Exprs, a leading financial institution dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has been named Best Alternative Finance Provider Mexico 2025 and Best Revolving Credit Mexico 2025 by Global Financial Market Review (GFM Review). These prestigious accolades recognise the company's commitment to providing innovative and accessible financial solutions that help businesses maintain liquidity and drive growth.

Global Financial Market Review (GFM) is a dedicated online news aggregation portal specializing in financial market news and industry updates. It combines original editorials with curated content from global news providers, reaching over 14 million readers annually. With a focus on reliability and depth, GFM has positioned itself as a trusted source in the financial sector, boasting a strong social media presence with over 180,000 Twitter followers.