Investment management

Investment Management is a sector of the financial services industry that deals with the management of investment portfolios. It involves the professional management of various securities (shares, bonds, and other securities) and assets (e.g., real estate), to meet specified investment goals for the benefit of the investors.

Overview

Investment management services include asset allocation, financial statement analysis, stock selection, monitoring of existing investments, and plan implementation. The role of an investment manager is to help their clients meet their specific investment goals and obligations, by managing their pool of investment assets in the most efficient and effective way possible.

Types of Investment Management

Investment management can be divided into several types, including:

• Private banking: This involves managing assets for high-net-worth individuals or families. Private banking provides investment-related advice and aims at increasing the wealth of its clients.

• Mutual funds: These are investment vehicles that pool together funds from many investors and invests them in a diversified portfolio of securities. Mutual funds are managed by professional fund managers.

• Hedge funds': These are alternative investments using pooled funds that employ different strategies to earn active return, or alpha, for their investors.

• Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs): These are funds that track indexes like the S&P 500 or NASDAQ 100. ETFs trade like common stock on a stock exchange.

Investment Strategies

Investment managers use a range of strategies to maximize returns and minimize risk. These include:

• Diversification: This strategy involves spreading investments across various financial instruments, industries, and other categories to mitigate potential losses.

• Asset allocation: This involves dividing an investment portfolio among different asset categories, such as equities, fixed-income, and cash.

• Market timing: This strategy involves making buy or sell decisions of financial assets by attempting to predict future market price movements.

Regulatory Bodies

Investment management activities are regulated by various bodies to protect investors and maintain the integrity of the market. These include:

• Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): In the United States, the SEC regulates investment managers and mutual funds.

• Financial Conduct Authority (FCA): In the United Kingdom, the FCA is the regulatory body for the financial services industry.

See Also

• Financial market
• Portfolio (finance)
• Investment fund
• Financial adviser