Katie Koch’s Post

It was an honor to speak on the evolution of asset and wealth management at the Morningstar Investment Conference with Hightower Advisors Chairman & CEO Bob Oros and Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor.    Discussing what the past may tell us about the future, it’s clear that early entrants to key market shifts will continue to outperform – especially in down markets and when liquidity is not widely available. TCW has a long track record of investing with a focus on long-term asset value and diligent downside evaluation, and we are excited to keep delivering for our clients.

Let freedom ring!     As the United States celebrates its 248th anniversary, I want to wish everyone a very happy Independence Day. As many of us observe the day with cookouts and fireworks, the July 4th holiday also serves as a reminder that the U.S., while not perfect, is an extraordinary nation that is a beacon of hope, freedom, and opportunity for people around the world. My own family is getting ready to host friends and family to celebrate this special holiday.    Tomorrow is also another important anniversary. July 4, 2024 marks 135 years since the founding of Nippon Life which has been one of TCW’s largest shareholders and most important partners since 2017. Please join me in wishing Nippon Life Global Investors Americas, Inc. a very happy birthday and much continued success!   I hope all of you enjoy a relaxing day with family and friends.

At TCW we believe the credit cycle is mature, that aspects of the private and public credit market are converging, and that manager selection matters more than ever. We think some of the best investment opportunities in the coming years will be in providing access to liquidity when others can't or won't. Disclosure: https://tcwgrp.com/ushcty

The TCW Flexible Income ETF - our first actively managed Fixed Income strategy in the TCW ETFs lineup - leverages TCW’s strong, team-led approach with added transparency and trading flexibility through economic cycles. #FLXR https://etf.tcw.com/flxr/

Join me at #BloombergInvest on June 25th! I’m thrilled to discuss TCW’s macro-outlook with a deep focus on the exciting private credit opportunities we see across today’s market environment and why manager selection is more important than ever. Looking forward to connecting with you all.

I had a good week. I hope you did too. I started with a Saturday night journey to beautiful Astana which involved a long layover in Frankfurt. I met my husband at a very rowdy post-deployment party in Frankfurt more than 15 years ago, so while some girls may love Paris, my heart is always in Frankfurt. During the layover, I dragged my colleague Peter Moore, CFA to a delicious traditional German restaurant along the Main river. Schnitzel and Dunkelweizen! After Astana, we worked our way West (but also very much East) to Berlin for the #SuperReturn conference. I was able to spend an energizing day with our Private Credit teams and LPs and be interviewed by my friend and advisor Jennifer Prosek, CEO and founder of Prosek Partners. The best. I then turned my attention to making the most important meeting of the week - the First Grade community helper play for our #2 back in LA. I didn’t have time to change out of my dress on my flight from Berlin to London - but I did manage to lace up my sneakers for an epic intra-terminal sprint to make my Heathrow connection (last flight to LA) just as the doors were closing. I’m sure I looked perfectly insane. #dontcare #momscanmove. The dentist needed a uniform and we forgot about that until I was flying somewhere over Central Asia earlier this week. Dad was with his mom preparing for a scheduled surgery. However, because of the miracle of in-flight wi-fi and my extraordinary team, we got a child size lab coat - embroidered of course - because we are over-achievers at TCW. My exceptional senior counsel is also my friend, my neighbor, a dedicated father and grandfather, and he brought the coat home to us the night before the play. And as I took my seat (on time!) at the “community helpers” performance, I couldn’t help but think about how much help it truly takes for us all to show up in life the way we really want to. I feel profound gratitude for everyone that supports me at home and work. And folks, I’m delighted to report that the dentist absolutely killed it. Delivered her lines with confidence and perfection. Someone asked her if she was glad she got the role of being a dentist and she said “It was pretty good, but next time I want to be a CEO like my mom.” So yes friends, not every day is perfect, not every week is magical, but this was a good week and I am very much hoping that you had one as well. PS Grandma is doing great. PPS We love dentists. I’m rooting for all of us. Pun intended. 🦷 ❤️

It was great fun to be interviewed at #SuperReturn by my friend and advisor Jennifer Prosek of Prosek Partners. Speaking of super returns, at TCW we believe privately structured rescue investing could be an extraordinary opportunity for investors willing to commit long term capital. Regardless of how the macro plays out from here - the die has been cast for rescue - capital structures were put in place with an expectation that rates would stay zero forever. As the math takes over, there are a growing number of good companies with challenged liquidity, and our rescue capability allows us to step up and be a solutions and liquidity provider to those companies while delivering equity-like returns for our clients. Disclosure: https://tcwgrp.com/0qcnuq

At the Investment Company Institute Leadership Summit, my colleague Jennifer Grancio and I had the opportunity to reconnect with great leaders across our industry and highlight TCW's strong heritage of investment-led culture and how we're carefully evolving our differentiated, active approach to meet client demands with public and private credit strategies, TCW ETFs and more. For more disclosures, holdings and more information on TCW ETFs, please visit https://etf.tcw.com/

As we celebrate #MemorialDay, let’s remember the #midcontinent investment opportunities right here at home. It was great fun and an honor to be able to show up for my friend and fellow alum of The Forum of Young Global Leaders, Nathaniel Harding, Cortado Ventures, at the Midcon VC Summit in stunning Bentonville, Arkansas. Nathaniel and his team at Cortado Ventures are venture investors focused on the #midcontinent. Middle America is a high-return opportunity because it's often overlooked and capital-starved and therein lies the opportunity.    Must see in Bentonville: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Favorite pieces: Durand's Kindred Spirits and Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter. Extraordinary! Must do: Bike around Bentonville, the "Mountain Biking Capital of the World." Must stay: 21c Museum Hotels of Bentonville. I'm going back with the family this summer.    When we moved from New York to Los Angeles last summer, my husband drove three of our four kids coast to coast and visited five national parks along the way. As a veteran from Lubbock, Texas, he understands how important the mid-continent is economically, politically, culturally, and of course for our military. He wanted the kids to experience all of America. When I greeted them in the driveway of our new home in LA my 9-year-old rejoiced "Mommy, America is so big and so beautiful!" I couldn't agree more.    I am a huge supporter of looking around the world for the best investment opportunities, but let's also support the underinvested markets right here at home. Photo Credit: Iron Lotus Creative