Alternative investments

This list identifies 15 women influencing the broader fund provider industry and making a substantial impact on their organizations. All stand out for their unique leadership positions and for their propensity to help others rise in the field.

Funding for startups hit a high of $17.7 billion in the quarter, from $15.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014, because hedge funds, mutual funds and private equity firms all put money on the line.

Lattice Strategies founder, Theodore Lucas, and Darek Wojnar, head of single-asset strategies at Lattice, discuss the separately-managed account provider's first ETF offerings and investment focus on risk.

Carlyle Group will shut a pair of mutual funds started last year in the latest setback to private equity firms’ pursuit of individual investors.

Retirement product providers say that they continue to struggle with reluctant employers and misinformed employees about the benefits of their offerings.

While market trends indicate an attractive environment for new entrants in the ETF space, fund managers need to make sure they are prepared from an operational standpoint.

Howard Marks said the impact on liquidity of ETFs, liquid alternatives and new rules designed to stop banks from trading with their own money has yet to be tested.

This week's notable news from the asset management industry includes a recent SEC roundtable meeting where some participants discussed the potential "unintended consequences" of universal proxy ballots, global ETP flows in February reached a record $50 billion, the fastest start to any year on record, and leadership at Vanguard were tasked with new roles within the firm.

This week's highlights includes how competition is forcing ETF providers to cut fees on products; research on how corporate bond ETFs can help institutional investors manage investment flows; and Chinese demand for portfolio managers.

Nasdaq OMX is making a push to grab more ETN listings, challenging long- time market leader NYSE Arca for what can be lucrative listing and trading fees.

Gold extended a rebound from the lowest level in six weeks after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting signaled many officials were inclined to keep interest rates near record lows for longer.

This past week, the industry saw Pimco suffer more redemptions despite the climbing performance of its Total Return Fund, a BlackRock bond ETF receiving a record $2 billion deposit, Virtus Investment Partners announced an agreement to acquire a majority interest in ETF Issuer Solutions, and a report from Cerulli Associates noting that socially responsible investing has become a frequent request of asset managers from institutional clients.

Salient Partners, a $21.5 billion investment firm, plans to buy Forward Management to expand its liquid alternatives business, a fast-growing product that offers hedge fund-like strategies to individual investors.

Jerry Murphey recalls trying to apply tactical risk management solutions after the 2001 market shocks. "It was clear that financial markets would continue to move faster than investor expectations and financial advisors would need tactical risk management."

Kevin Carter's passion for emerging markets quickly put him at odds with the available ETF options for investors. Even in the largest offerings from established providers, he says the problem was apparent: investors weren't getting exposure to the innovative companies garnering global attention, such as Baidu, but rather staid, government-owned entities.

Deborah Fuhr, a veteran ETF industry observer, says the explosive growth of ETFs is vindication for a product once dismissed by some investment professionals. In a discussion with Money Management Executive, Fuhr outlines factors that have led to the market's enthusiastic acceptance of ETFs.

The top regulator of mutual funds, private equity and hedge funds at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will step down later this month.

A group of nine fund managers is said to be planning to start a dark pool dedicated to large stock trades later this year. The new market -- named Luminex -- will admit asset managers who bet on prices to increase, sources said.

The industry in 2014 saw Pimco bleed billions after the abrupt departure of Bill Gross in September, while BlackRock reaped the benefits of that disarray. BlackRock's iShares ETFs captured $102.8 billion in investments in 2014. Also, Vanguard announced it would offer its first ETF focused on the $3.6 trillion U.S. municipal bond market, and a Cerulli study detailed the state of the annuities market.

Acadian Asset Management, the Boston-based quant fund that says it shares its investment secrets with clients, has set up in Japan as the nation starts to embrace smart beta strategies.