Find out about the current investment priorities of investors and through the practical analysis of different variables create the portfolio that generates returns for you and your customers. This workshop will help you assess the most effective investment strategies and put them into practice.

·         The case for commodities in an institutional portfolio

o        Sources of returns

o        Correlation characteristics

o        Unique characteristics

·         Assessing investment vehicles-benefits and limitations

o        Direct investment in natural resources

o        A look at natural resource related equities, ETFs, and mutual funds

o        Investments in commodity Indices-A comparative review

o        Investments in actively managed futures strategies

·         Designing an institutional commodity portfolio

o        Integrating commodities into a strategic or tactical allocation program

o        Establishing a due diligence protocol

o        Developing a risk management process

o        Assessing product structures

Kathleen MacLaren, Managing Partner,
MacLaren Advisors LLC, US

Explore different tools for successful trading strategies that will help you generate more value. Learn about the most effective pricing tool, correlations and volatility and come to grips with all the technicalities of the modern trading.

• Getting the big picture – a macroeconomic perspective on the sector’s development
• Assessing current political and economic volatile situation and its impact on gold and other precious metals
• Understanding the correlation between precious metals and other commodities
• Is gold still gaining against currencies? How long will the trend remain?

• Global and local commodities market overview – a macroeconomic perspective
• How the world growth in paper money impacts precious metals and currency
• World trade, recycling petro dollars effects on currencies
• Central banks, gold leasing, and bullion – what does it mean for gold
• Energy reserves growth, supply and demand impacts on energy prices

• Examining the drivers behind local commodities and gold market growth and the role of the Middle East in global trends
• What is the best way to get exposure in the region? – Analysis of trends and most attractive products for investors
• Looking at the gold flow between the Middle East and India
• Assessing regulatory landscape, challenges and exploring opportunities in the region

• Assessing the impact of new exchanges on the Middle East development and dynamics
• Launching new products that successfully hedge the price exposure and
  arbitrage against other international markets
• What’s hot in the Middle East commodities and precious metals landscape?
• How investors can gain the best exposure to the local opportunities?

• Understanding political and macroeconomic trends influencing oil and gas markets
• Identifying key drivers behind energy supply and demand to optimise your investments
• Assessing the investment potential in oil, gas and other energy products
• Exploring the use of derivatives as a hedging instrument

• How Shari’ah compliant products are competing with conventional products
• What are the inherent advantages to investors?
• Strides made by Islamic funds in various asset classes
• Structuring and launching Tabarak’s commodities and trade finance backed funds

• Advantages of the RICI index and its performance
• Investing in commodities certificates and ETFs
• Analysing possibilities with ABN AMRO Islamic commodities index
• Effective tools for structuring Islamic products

Is a formal part of the conference proceedings where all conference delegates meet each other and exchange business cards. They then proceed to form meaningful conference and business relationships.

• Exciting, quick, no pressure
• For, long lasting and profitable business relationships
• The best 40-minutes networking session you’ve ever experienced

• Compound consumption and extreme weather patterns and their impact on commodities
• Food and fuel a volatile mix, the impact of ethanol
• Are we in a bull super cycle or some thing worse?

• Drivers of sugar consumption growth in the region
• Sugar prices in the context of booming ethanol production
• Increasing refining capacity at destination and its Implications

• Can alternative energy endanger traditional oil and energy markets?
• How much of the soft commodities crops from the Middle East are sold for bio-fuels production?
• Estimating long term development prognosis

• Analysing trends in the investment purchase of the physical metal
• Discussing recent boom in the investment purchase in the gold derivatives
• Outlook for the mines supply and net official supply

• Defining the role of gold as a commodity and a monetary asset
• Has gold really lost part of its glitter as an investment instrument?
• Assessing major industries and areas that will see significant growth
• Understanding the price patterns shifts and what stands behind it
• Is 2007 going to be a golden year?

Exciting, quick, no pressure

For, long lasting and profitable business relationships

The best 40-minutes networking session you’ve ever experienced

• Analysis of trends in supply and demand
• Platinum and palladium bullion stocks
• The role of investors    
  

• Analysing the monetary role of gold as a buffer against the inflation
• Who is going to be a major bullion seller this year?
• How do the central banks affect the markets with leasing activities?
• Assessing impact of bullion banks on the market balance

• The investment decisions of PGGM to add commodities to the portfolio
• Choosing an appropriate benchmark
• Choosing the appropriate investment vehicle to get exposure
• Active versus passive strategies

• Strategic rationale for implementing commodities in the portfolio
• How does the product fit in the risk scheme profile?
• Playing it long or short – which one meet best your investment objectives?

• What do CTAs do?
• How do CTAs compare to active commodity benchmarks?
• Analysing advantages and disadvantages of CTAs
• What you should take into account when choosing your CTA?
• How can you get the best exposure to the new products and markets?
  

Prof. K. Geert Rouwenhorst, Professor of Finance and Deputy Director of the International Center of Finance, Yale School of Management

• Active vs. passive investment approach – what is the current trend and what
• stays behind it?
• Comparison of the major global benchmarks – how do the various indices differ?
• What do you have to look at when choosing the index right for you?
• Understanding the nature of commodity index returns
• Examining potential for developing local indices

• Analysing characteristics and advantages of using ETFs
• How ETFs reflect underlying commodity price and market behaviour?
• Examples of successful ETFs

• Are commodity equities an effective way of gaining exposure to commodities?
• Assessing the correlation between two asset classes and the risk-return profile assessment
• Exploring alternative ways of assessing commodities
• Can private equity give you exposure to commodities?  

• The evolution of commodity investments
  Why long-only investing may not be the answer
• Investment approach - directional or relative value?
• Correlation of commodity sectors and cross-sector opportunities

•     A unique approach: ability to draw instruments from the global macro universe
• Commodity views embedded in every trade; diverse and strategic themes
• Directional value-driven methodology supported by supply-demand fundamental analysis
• An active approach to exposure building and risk management, use of risk collars
• Illustrations: sample theme:  climate volatility; sample trades: gold, cocoa, Mexican peso

• How to structure successful portfolios that meet HNWIs expectations?
• What can commodities bring to HNWIs portfolio?
• Active vs. passive and equities vs. futures investment decisions
• Risk management in commodities investments

• Understanding how structured products can boosts your returns
• What do you have to take into account when choosing the product right for you?
• Exploring product characteristic and risk-return patterns

• Curve shape as a historical determinant of commodity returns
• Investment implications given today's curve shapes
• Normal versus eventful volatility
• Inadvertent correlations
• Constructing a risk adjusted portfolio

• Discussing the evolution of the jewellery sector, its seasonality and cycles
• Assessing impact of prices swings on the demand level and the sector’s development
• Where is the industry heading?

• Assessing the gold supply-demand balance in India
• How the booming silver jewellery market affects gold sector
• Discussing funds inflows and price volatility
• Where the gold sector in India is heading?

• Forecasting India and China’s appetites for precious metals
• Examining evolution of the jewellery sector in India
• Assessing growing demand from China – which sectors will be the biggest consumer of precious metals?

• Is silver the poor man’s precious metal?
• Discussing new industrial and medical appliance of silver impacting market including smartcards
• Supply and demand analysis and price forecasts

• Determining correlation between gold, oil and other commodities
• Assessing influence of currencies – US dollar and gold
• Gold and financial markets
• Other influences: credit spread and pricing of risk
• Look into the future: discussing various possible scenarios

• Assessing impact of the growing M&A trends 
• Do acquisitions really generate value or they only shift it? Estimating costs and the sources of potential returns
• How attracting larger monetary flows can boosts the production level
• Is growing M&A a result of coming out from the bear markets?

• Technical analysis of volatility skew
• Estimating market correlations
• How investing in gold can minimise a range of other risks including exposure to dollar fluctuations and inflation as well as great diversification and liquidity

• What is the place of gold and precious metals in the investments portfolios?
• Identifying risk vs. returns when implementing these metals
• Considering their impact on the overall portfolio
• Analysing various instruments and approaches

• What private clients are looking for in the precious metals markets?
• Forecasting risks vs. potential returns when pricing
• Which instruments and strategies are the most popular among HNWI
• Estimating future growth of the market and its trends

• Understanding hedge funds investment patterns
• Exploring alpha generation from the gold investments
• How to structure optimal alternative portfolio that meet the investors objectives?

• Highlighting the specifics and opportunities of investing in the shares of the gold mining versus futures and mining equities - which instrument is the best for you?
• Analysing returns and risks when investing in mining producers
• Assessing pros and cons of both approaches
• Choosing the strategy that matches your objectives

This workshop will demonstrate the portfolio construction techniques that can be successfully used in the gold and precious metals markets for private investors. Delegates will learn methods that will enable them to build an optimal portfolio focusing on recent market trends end high net worth clients’ needs.

• What private clients are looking for in the precious metals markets?
• Why are they interested in it now?
• Which instruments and strategies are the most popular among HNWI
• Estimating future growth of the market and its trends
• Building successful investment relations with HNWIs and ultra-HNWIs
• Understanding investing objectives and motivation of HNWIs
• Which strategies and products are currently popular among Middle East investors?
• Using the advisory process to assess the right risk-return profile
• Evaluating the commercial market segments for wealth management
• Developing a structured sales process to identifying, pitching, winning and retaining HNW clients

During this workshop you will learn how to successfully implement gold and precious metals in your investment portfolio the way it will match with your investment objectives. Through the analysis of various market aspects and correlations you will be able to elaborate the best risk-return scheme as well as pricing strategy and understand key factors for efficient volatility correlation.

• How precious metal can contribute to the diversification of your portfolio
• Discussing market characteristic and risk-return scheme of gold and other metals
• What do you have to take into account when portfolio that meets your investment objectives?
• Examining skewness and kurtosis
• Assessing right correlation and pricing – practical use of spreadsheets
• Understanding key factors for efficient volatility correlation