Asset managers and asset owners, such as pension funds, insurers, endowments and sovereign funds, hold a large share of the world’s savings on behalf of beneficiaries whose horizons run for decades. Modern portfolio theory teaches that diversification reduces risk, and for many risks it does. But some risks are systemic: they affect most assets at once and cannot be diversified away. Financial economists call this market or systematic risk.
Diverse forze rendono più urgente l'esposizione sistemica. L'investimento indicizzato e i benchmark comuni portano molti portafogli a detenere attività simili. I rischi climatici fisici minacciano le attività reali e le imprese che ne dipendono nelle varie regioni. Le transizioni in energia, tecnologia e demografia cambiano quali modelli di business restano sostenibili. E la liquidità può scomparire contemporaneamente sui mercati, quando molti investitori cercano di vendere insieme.
When such exposures materialise, effects cascade. Falling asset values affect pension funding and household wealth; forced selling by some investors depresses prices for others; and stress in funds can spill into banks and markets. Asset management is therefore part of the financial system’s stability, not only a set of individual investment choices.