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With half of 2009 behind us, the economy showing signs of stabilization, and the Fed appearing to be on-hold, it is a good time to review the path just traveled and look ahead. In this update, Fran Scott will give his thoughts on the economy, markets, and Fed policy. He will recap all of the latest economic indicators, Fed statements, and more. The webinar will run approximately 60 minutes plus Q&A. Speaker: Fran Scott Basic Bond Investing – Agency Securities Tuesday, July 14, 2009 – 10:00am The webinar will begin with a quick review of bond terms and mechanics. You will learn the relationship between various investment alternatives and the Treasury curve. Agency securities will be introduced and some of the more popular structures (such as callable securities) will be analyzed. You will also be introduced to the concept of duration and its use in managing portfolios. The webinar will run approximately 60 minutes. Speaker: Randy Wade Agency Market Update Thursday, July 16, 2009 – 10:00am It has been a tumultuous year for agency securities including the Fannie/Freddie conservatorship; the financial crisis of 2008; the Fed’s purchase programs; and more. This webinar will briefly recap the events before turning attention to the future outlook for issuance, calls, and structures. It will provide a current market update and cover strategies for managing your agency portfolio in this environment. The webinar will run approximately 60 minutes. Speaker: Craig Dismuke Benchmarking & Policy Update for Public Funds Thursday, July 23, 2009 – 10:00am This webinar will cover two topics of importance to public fund managers in the current environment – benchmarking and policy changes. Benchmarking is an important component of many public funds’ investment processes. Despite its importance, many benchmarks do not match their investment portfolios or their goals, especially after the market unrest of the past year. In other situations, the benchmarks may be appropriate but the basis of computing and comparing the benchmark to the portfolio is flawed. On the policy side, this webinar will discuss recent market events’ potential impacts on policy and process considerations including diversification, credit risk, and counterparty risk. The webinar will run approximately 60-75 minutes. Speaker: Mark Evans |
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Mark Evans has been with Vining Sparks since 1994 and is currently Director of Investment Strategies, a group that provides research and technical assistance to the firm’s customers and sales representatives. Mark has written research reports and developed models for fixed income securities, portfolio management, leveraging strategies, accounting, and regulatory issues. Fran Scott is the Head Trader at Vining Sparks and is responsible for all trading activities. He has served as a member of the Public Securities Association Mortgage Securities Regional/Primary Dealers Committee. He has appeared as an expert witness before various US Government Agencies and is recognized as a securities expert by numerous federal, district and local courts. Randy Wade is the Director of Sales for Vining Sparks. Randy began his career with KPMG Peat Marwick where he provided accounting and audit services to banks, broker-dealers and savings and loan institutions. Subsequent to that, he headed Vining Sparks’ Portfolio Strategies Department which is responsible for product research and specific customer recommendations based on stated strategic objectives. He serves as a frequent speaker for industry seminars and has authored numerous articles for trade magazines.
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