Walt Czaicki, CFA
17 Years at AB|38 Years of Experience
Walt Czaicki serves as a Senior Vice President and Senior Investment Strategist for Equities at AB. He rejoined the firm in 2015 and has been in the investment-management industry since 1986. Czaicki's roles have ranged from a fundamental equity research analyst and portfolio manager to chief investment officer. Prior to rejoining AB, he worked on the buy side for a Regions Financial predecessor organization, as well as at Commerce Trust Company and Bank of America. Czaicki holds a BSBA in finance and an MBA, both from Saint Louis University. He is a CFA charterholder. Location: Dallas
Published Work
Quality has become a popular buzzword in equity investing. But what does it really mean?
Equities have an important role to play in a diversified allocation today, to help hedge against inflation and to navigate a lower-growth environment.
In a world of structurally higher inflation and interest rates, there are good reasons for equity investors to consider active portfolios for equity allocations.
As US inflation expectations grow, many investors are concerned about the potential impact on stocks. Our research shows that US equities have delivered solid returns during periods of moderate inflation for more than seven decades.
Even if this US election has a bigger impact on markets than in the past, we would advise against building an investing strategy based on a potential political outcome for several reasons.
These are tricky days for the global economy. As growth downshifts and corporate earnings weaken, some investors are dusting off playbooks for late-cycle investing. That makes sense, but there are a few twists to today's market conditions that may require new responses.
US companies, lured by historically low interest rates, have taken on massive amounts of debt in recent years. As rates begin to rise, investors should beware of companies that might be vulnerable to increasing financing costs.
The active/passive debate has been raging for years, and both approaches have merit. But there's more to the story than meets the eye. Investors who commit too much to passive—and not enough to active—could face mounting risks.
Passive equity strategies have seen massive inflows over the last decade, in part owing to active management's struggles. But a closer look at the story within the story suggests that leaving active out of the equation could be leaving money on the table.