- Scroll to view all countries
Not your country? Please choose your country here.
This Website is intended solely for the use of wholesale clients in Australia and their professional consultants and investment advisers and is not for general public distribution.
This material on this website is not intended for distribution to, nor should it be relied upon by, retail clients. If you are a retail or individual investor, then please leave this Website.
Intech is permitted to provide certain financial services to wholesale clients in Australia pursuant to an exemption from the need to hold an Australian financial services licence under the Australian Corporations Act 2001. Intech is regulated by the Securities Exchange Commission of the U.S. under U.S. laws, which differ from Australian laws.
The words ‘Intech,’ ‘we,’ ‘us’ or ‘our’ used herein refer to Intech Investment Management LLC (“Intech”), an investment adviser registered with the United States Securities & Exchange Commission, and ‘you’ or ‘yourself’ may refer to an individual, Independent Financial Advisor, consultant, company, or other entity visiting this website. This website is issued by Intech Investment Management LLC (“Intech”).
Unless stated otherwise, information on this web site is provided by the issuer of the applicable financial product.
Information contained on this Website is published solely for general informative purposes and should not be relied upon as financial product advice. This content has been prepared without taking into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any person. Before making an investment decision you should consider the appropriateness of the information on this website having regard to these matters and where relevant read any disclosure document relating to a financial product. You should also consider obtaining independent advice before making any investment decisions.
This website is intended only for wholesale clients (as defined by section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001) in Australia and their professional consultants and investment advisers who are who are knowledgeable and experienced in the financial services market and in investment products of this nature.
Should you proceed to access this Website, you will be representing and warranting that you are a “wholesale client” as defined by section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001. The information is not authorized for use in a jurisdiction where distribution is not authorized and is not intended for distribution to retail clients.
In continuing to access or use Intech’s Website at intechinvestments.com (“Website”), you agree to be bound by the Terms of Use applicable to your use of this Website and any information obtained from it. If you do not agree to these Terms of Use, please do not use this Website or download or read content from it.
The information contained on this web site is believed to be accurate and current at the time of compilation and is provided in good faith. Intech does not accept any responsibility arising in any way (including negligence) for errors in or omissions from information contained on this web site or for any loss or damage (whether direct, indirect or otherwise) suffered by the recipient of the information contained on this web site, or any other person. Intech does not accept any legal responsibility for material published on third party linked sites.
What follows is not an offer or invitation to acquire an investment to, and should therefore not be relied upon by, any person anywhere other than Australia or any person in any jurisdiction where such an offer or invitation would be unlawful. Persons in respect of whom such prohibitions apply must not access this Website.
If you choose to access this Website from locations outside of Australia, you do so at your own initiative and risk, and are responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. Otherwise, please return to intechinvestments.com and choose the appropriate jurisdiction, where you will find investment products and services that are available to you.
This Website is reserved exclusively for non-U.S. persons and should not be accessed by any person in the United States. A “U.S. Person” is defined by U.S. laws and regulations in force from time to time. If you are resident in the U.S., or as a corporation or other entity are organised under U.S. law or administered by or operated for the benefit of a legal or natural U.S. person, you should take professional advice to determine whether you are a U.S. Person and you should not access this Website until you are sure that you are not a “U.S. Person”.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE INFORMATION THAT MAY BE VIEWED ON THIS WEBSITE IS ACCURATE AS AT THE DATE OF PUBLICATION, BUT WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OR CURRENTNESS OF THE DATA AND WE DISCLAIM ALL REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. FURTHERMORE, THE INFORMATION MAY BE AMENDED BY US AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. BY PROCEEDING YOU AGREE TO THE EXCLUSION BY US, SO FAR AS THIS IS PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, OF ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITVE, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE OR DATA ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF AND OUR PROVISION OF THIS WEBSITE AND CONTENT REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT (NEGLIGENCE), WARRANTY, STATUTE OR OTHERWISE, AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH ANY PORTION OF THIS WEBSITE, OR OF THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION, YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USE OF THIS WEBSITE.
If you are unsure about the meaning of any information provided on this Website, then please consult your financial or other professional adviser. We do not offer investment advice.
Cookies: This Website uses cookies to remember your preferences and to help us to improve this Website through the use of web analytics. By continuing without changing your cookie settings we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies for these two purposes. For full details on how to manage our cookies and how we use them, please see our Cookie Policy as well as the Cookies section within our Privacy Policy.
Decline - I am not a wholesale client
If history is any guide, we should be closer to the end than the beginning of a bull market in equities – the largest source of risk for most portfolios. This is particularly the case as the extreme measures used to stabilize the world economy as the throes of the Global Financial Crisis are winding down, while political risk is on the rise, including in major developed economies. Mitigating that risk over the next 10 years may be essential, but doing so without sacrificing the need for capital growth is the challenge. That’s the rationale behind defensive equity investing.
Case for Defensive Equity Investing
Most investors require the returns associated with equity allocations despite the resulting increased portfolio volatility. Even with a historically long equity bull market, many DB plans remain under pressure to close funding gaps. Portfolio returns are challenged to keep up with growing liabilities. DC plan participants face a similar dilemma. Today’s low interest rates and increasing life expectancy present challenges for all types of investors.
It’s no wonder we’ve seen surging interest in defensive equity strategies. An equity strategy that can deliver less risk and the same or more return changes the value proposition of equities – typically the largest contributor to overall portfolio volatility. Regardless of your investment objectives, adding defensive equity strategies has the potential to unlock several benefits (Figure 1).
Funding in a Low Return Environment
Whether you’re paying out benefits from a DB plan or helping DC plan participants generate retirement income, implementing defensive equity strategies potentially improves funding status, and that may be especially true in flat or down equity markets.
We’ve been in a 10-year equity bull market, but what if the next 10 years don’t look as rosy? What if they look like the first 10 years of the millennium instead? Imagine drawing down from an equity allocation between 2000 and 2009 when the annualized return for MSCI World Index was just 2.8%.
During this period, a simple 4% withdrawal rate adjusted for inflation each year by 3% would have cut a cap-weighted portfolio value by over 25%. In contrast, values for a hypothetical global low volatility portfolio actually increase by over 25% (Figure 2). Market drawdowns reduce the capital upon which to compound returns and that can have a significant impact on funding status for pension plans or individual investors.
Learn More
The current market environment is driving many investors to take a hard look at defensive equity investing. That’s why we’re offering a fresh look at the topic: How to Make Equity Allocations More Resilient.
The information expressed herein is subject to change based on market and other conditions. The views presented are for general informational purposes only and are not intended as investment advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to sell or buy, or as an endorsement, recommendation, or sponsorship of any company, security, advisory service, or fund nor do they purport to address the financial objectives or specific investment needs of any individual reader, investor, or organization. This information should not be used as the sole basis for investment decisions. All content is presented by the date(s) published or indicated only, and may be superseded by subsequent market events or other reasons. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal and fluctuation of value. Hypothetical performance results presented are for illustrative purposes only. Hypothetical performance is not real and has many inherent limitations. It does not reflect the results or risks associated with actual trading or the actual performance of any portfolio and has been prepared with the benefit of hindsight. Therefore, there is no guarantee that an actual portfolio would have achieved the results shown. In fact, there will be differences between hypothetical and actual results. No investor should assume that future performance will be profitable, or equal to the results shown. Hypothetical results do not reflect the deduction of advisory fees and other expenses incurred in the management of a portfolio.
Sign up today to receive the latest Intech® content in your inbox.
2025 Intech ©. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | California Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Cookie Policy