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Heightened Market Demand for Agricultural Investments

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Extreme monetary policy across much of the developed world has distorted many asset classes. The stretched valuations of most stocks and bonds have propelled a shift into alternative assets as institutional investors search for yields in a world where the return is scarce. Concurrently, many investors are looking for ways to insulate their portfolios from the certain increased levels of inflation. Accordingly, agriculture assets have attracted greater investor demand as institutions seek to diversify their portfolios from what can best be described as a nervous and toppy market. While agriculture isn’t necessarily insulated from a scenario in which both the bond and stock markets are falling, interest in the sector remains strong due to some key attributes which this sector provides investors, including strong long-term fundamentals, attractive returns, and capital preservation. According to Jose Minaya, President of the new $100bn real assets division of TIAA Global Asset Management,...

Ben Funk, PhD - Founding Partner

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Ben Funk is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of RockBolt LLP.  Mr. Funk previously served as a Partner at the investment management firm  Tages Capital LLP . Prior to this, Mr. Funk was a Founding Member and Partner of  Liongate Capital Management  where he served as Managing Director, Portfolio Manager and Head of Research. Mr. Funk managed over 30 staff and was responsible for the portfolio management, investment research, risk management, and operational due diligence groups of the firm. The scope of investment activities included a broad range of financial instruments relating to equity, fixed income, commodities, foreign exchange and emerging markets. Ben, named by Institutional Investor as a "Rising Star of Hedge Funds”, has been a regular contributor to the financial press and has served as a Visiting Lecturer of Economics at DePaul University. He was formerly at  Morgan Stanley  and earlier worked on the...