Commerce Street Investment Conference Speakers Advised on Financial Strategies for Uncertain Times

DALLAS - Nov. 9, 2016 - PRLog -- What investment strategies are most likely to be successful in today's uncertain financial climate? That was the question on the minds of more than 250 attendees at the 2016 Commerce Street Investment Conference held on Oct. 27, 2016 at The George W. Bush Institute (http://www.bushcenter.org/) at Southern Methodist University (http://www.smu.edu/) in Dallas.

"All of our speakers and panelists will discuss investment strategies for an increasingly volatile and complex marketplace," said Dory Wiley, President and CEO of Commerce Street Holdings, LLC (https://www.commercestreetcapital.com/) as he welcomed attendees to the fourth annual Commerce Street Investment Conference. "From real estate to hedge funds, today's conference speakers will provide a great diversity of opinion as well as engaging discussion about various investment philosophies, economic trends and influences."

Lead speaker Kenneth Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Institute, and Co-Founder and Chairman of NGP Energy Capital Management (http://ngpenergycapital.com/), predicted that the global market for oil and gas will rebalance. As evidence supporting his energy industry prognosis, he pointed to the decline in U.S. oil production while the oil price has improved year-over-year along with growing activity in oil industry mergers and acquisitions. Hersh explained that OPEC cannot afford to fill the future demand for oil at today's prices and its oil-funded social programs are under extreme stress. He concluded that countries dependent upon oil, such as Venezuela, Columbia and Nigeria, aren't able to meet growing demand because increasing production takes legislation, technology and massive amounts of capital, none of which they currently have.

John Mauldin, visionary thinker, noted financial expert, New York Times best-selling author and Chairman of Mauldin Economics (http://www.mauldineconomics.com/), observed that we are experiencing a bi-polar world where brilliant future possibilities driven by incredible advances in technology and communication are paired with a dark side as many people will be shut out of the economy growth as technology takes over their job functions.

Michael Lewitt was recognized in the Financial Times as having been one of the few investors and strategists to forecast the financial crisis of 2008, and also predicted the credit crisis of 2001-2002.  This allowed him to protect his clients from the large losses that hit many credit funds during those periods. He continues to write and publish The Credit Strategist, which he views as an essential tool in formulating his investment ideas and strategies. Lewitt advised strategically building cash in portfolios as he sees limited opportunities today that offer compelling risk-adjusted returns. He highly suggests that investors consider an investment in physical gold as a hedge against a possible, dire financial event.

Panelists discussing commercial real estate agreed that most markets are "…in the seventh or eighth inning…" of a favorable investing cycle.  Moderator Cliff Booth, CEO of Westmount Realty Capital, LLC (http://westmountrc.com/) shared his company's strategy of buying and improving infill industrial properties. Booth noted that new infill product isn't being built even though demand is increasing due to e-commerce and the need for "last mile distribution." Scott Sealy, Sr., Chairman of the Board of Sealy & Co. (http://www.sealynet.com/) was very positive about the outlook for 50,000 – 3000,000 square foot mid-size, industrial properties. Townsend Group Principal, Rob Kochis, whose firm advises institutional investors, noted that Swiss pension funds are looking to the U. S. for the first time and that 6-to-8 percent returns would often be acceptable in their business models.

Participants on a hedge fund panel moderated by Mark Whidby, Chief Investment Officer of Lee Financial (https://www.leefin.com/), noted that while the two-and-twenty compensation model seems dead, most institutional investors are willing to pay for alpha (to share profits) if hedge fund managers are successful. Other panelists included Diego Ferry Co-Chief Investment Officer with Greylock Capital Management, Inc (http://greylockcapital.com/), John Shearman, Partner with Albourne Partners (https://www-us.albourne.com/) and Mati Adler, Managing Director of Angelo Gordon (https://www.angelogordon.com/).

In moderating a Private Equity (PE) panel, Joncarlo Mark, Founder of Upwelling Capital Group (http://upwellingcapital.com/) said that most public pension funds have raised their PE allocation from 3 percent in 2000 to 10 percent in 2016. Neuberger Berman (http://www.nb.com/_layouts/www/index.aspx) Managing Director Brien Smith explained that he could determine a PE firm's style in both its investing history and its portfolio. Other panelists included Jack Sadden, Founder of Valesco Industries (http://www.valescoind.com/) and Mark Gormley, Partner in Lee Equity Partners (http://www.leeequity.com/).

In a summary presentation, Wiley discussed portfolio allocation issues in today's world and recommended diversification strategies to combat uncertainty in unprecedented times.

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About Commerce Street Holdings

Commerce Street Holdings, LLC ("CSH") , headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a premier investment banking firm serving and investing in financial institutions across the United States since 2007. CSH is comprised of the following entities:

Commerce Street Capital, LLC, (Member FINRA/SIPC) is a broker-dealer whose services include: Mergers & Acquisitions, Recapitalizations, Private Placement of Debt & Equity, Regulatory Advisory, Valuations & Fairness Opinions, Community Bank Capital Markets Services, Small Business Investment Company ("SBIC") Fund Raising, Corporate & Real Estate Finance, Due Diligence Services

Commerce Street Investment Advisor ("CSIA"), dba Commerce Street Investment Management ("CSIM"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Commerce Street Holdings LLC, a Texas limited liability company and is an SEC-registered Investment Adviser that provides asset management services for private equity and credit opportunity funds that invest in bank and financial institution related transactions.

This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or offer by Commerce Street Investment Management to buy or sell any securities, futures, options, foreign exchange or other financial instrument or to provide any investment advice or service.