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Joseph Wickremasinghe

Joseph Wickremasinghe

Executive Director, MSCI Research

Joseph Wickremasinghe conducts research of interest to the wealth-management community, having written about tax-efficient investing and portfolio customization. He joined MSCI in 2014 as part of the client-coverage team and transferred to solutions research in 2022. Prior to joining MSCI, Joseph was on the model-validation team of Union Bank and was a risk manager on Cargill’s energy and petrochemicals trading desk. Joseph earned a master’s in physics from the University of Oxford. He is a CFA® charterholder.

Research and Insights

Articles by Joseph Wickremasinghe

    Redefining Portfolio Alignment for Wealth Managers

    Research Report | Oct 30, 2024 | Dhruv Sharma, Joseph Wickremasinghe, Raina Oberoi

    The MSCI Similarity Score represents a significant evolution in wealth-management practice, aiding firms in balancing individual client needs with scalable processes and shifting perspective from a holdings-based analysis to behavioral similarity. 

    Measuring Tax Alpha

    Research Report | Aug 15, 2024 | László Arany, Laszlo Hollo, Joseph Wickremasinghe, Raina Oberoi

    The concept of tax alpha can help a wealth manager explain a client’s after-tax performance. In a new article in the Journal of Wealth Management, we propose two frameworks for the after-tax calculation used to measure tax alpha. 

    The Power of Rules: Model Portfolios and Wealth Management

    Research Report | Aug 14, 2024 | Yuliya Plyakha Ferenc, Laszlo Hollo, Joseph Wickremasinghe, Raina Oberoi

    For wealth managers and financial advisers seeking customized solutions to meet growing client demand, rules-based management approaches for model portfolios may offer opportunities to improve on traditional management approaches.    

    Talking Taxes This Week? Plan Now for 2024

    2 mins read Quick Take | Apr 9, 2024 | Joseph Wickremasinghe

    Tax-loss harvesting is one strategy individual investors can use to help reduce tax liability and improve after-tax return. It may result, however, in high turnover and tracking error, lowering return. Balancing these factors for each taxpayer is key. 

    EAFE ADRs vs. Shares: How Do They Compare in Tax Efficiency?

    7 mins read Blog | Feb 13, 2024 | Joseph Wickremasinghe

    Wealth managers, interested in adding EAFE equity exposure to a U.S. client’s portfolio but concerned about the potential tax implications? We compared the tax efficiency of EAFE ADRs and shares of the underlying securities.  

    Householding: One Client, Many Accounts

    Research Report | Dec 7, 2023 | László Arany, Laszlo Hollo, Joseph Wickremasinghe, Raina Oberoi

    Householding applies one target asset allocation across all family assets and manages them holistically for the highest practicable after-tax return. We compare the outcomes of two use cases for householding vs. a single-portfolio approach. 

    The Apple-fication of Investing

    Podcast | Nov 22, 2023 | Raina Oberoi, Joseph Wickremasinghe

    Listen in on an in-depth discussion about the growing demand for and personalized tax-efficient strategies from wealth-management clients — driven by technological revolution and the coming, intergenerational transfer of wealth.

    Analyzing Tax Strategies Using Direct Indexing and ETFs

    2 mins read Quick Take | Oct 6, 2023 | Joseph Wickremasinghe, Yuliya Plyakha Ferenc

    Direct indexing and ETFs can both play a part in designing a tax-efficient investment strategy. We compare those roles in a U.S.-domiciled portfolio.  

    What Connects Correlation and Tax-Loss Harvesting?

    3 mins read Quick Take | Sep 28, 2023 | Joseph Wickremasinghe, Yuliya Plyakha Ferenc

    Selling a capital asset at a loss to reduce your tax liability is one side of the coin. The other side is thoughtfully selecting the security that replaces it.   

    The Impact of Tax Management on Client-Designed Portfolios

    Research Report | Jun 21, 2023 | Joseph Wickremasinghe, Raina Oberoi

    We analyze a framework for wealth managers considering the impact of managing their clients’ investment preferences alongside different tax-management approaches. 

    Wealth Managers, Direct Indexing and ADRs

    2 mins read Quick Take | May 31, 2023 | Joseph Wickremasinghe, Yuliya Plyakha Ferenc

    Wealth managers now have the option to complement domestic allocations with direct indexing using the 370 constituents of the MSCI EAFE Expanded ADR Index.

    The Efficacy of ESG Momentum

    2 mins read Quick Take | Aug 31, 2022 | Joseph Wickremasinghe

    Prior MSCI research has shown that ESG momentum — a measure of year-over-year changes to a company’s industry-adjusted ESG score — has been an impactful financial indicator, but it’s important to reassess its validity in the current market environment.

    Breaking Down the Direct Indexing Investment Process

    Research Report | Jul 28, 2022 | Abhishek Gupta, Joseph Wickremasinghe

    Direct indexing has prompted wealth managers to evaluate their implementation choices for individual clients. Our research focuses on aspects of the wealth manager’s implementation of direct indexing as well as tax optimization.

    Can Companies Push Other Companies to Reach Net-Zero by Degrees?

    Podcast | Jan 27, 2022 | Meggin Thwing Eastman, Joseph Wickremasinghe

    The largest source of many companies’ carbon emissions come from their suppliers. We look at how firms across industries approach this challenge as they work toward their net-zero goals, including the efforts of HP and MSCI.

    Are Your Clients Ready for US Tax Day?

    6 mins read Blog | May 10, 2021 | Raina Oberoi, Yuliya Plyakha Ferenc, Joseph Wickremasinghe, Paulina Serrano

    Given the complexity of U.S. tax regulation, wealth advisers continue to grapple with how to build tax-efficient portfolios while balancing clients’ other objectives. We propose a rules-based way of doing so and analyze its benefits and trade-offs.