The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Alberta Investment Management Corp.'s chief investment officer is cautiously optimistic about the rest of 2024 after posting mixed results in the first half of the year. The Globe's James Bradshaw writes that monetary policy decisions are "the big variable" for markets in the coming months, according to CIO Marlene Puffer. Markets are now pricing in a U.S. September rate cut, with more to come. AIMCo reported a 5.4-per-cent return across its funds in the first half of 2024, according to a midyear update the pension fund released Tuesday. Its balanced fund, which reflects a typical mix of client assets, earned 5.6 per cent over the same six-month span. Though stock-market gains have been fuelled for some time by a collection of the tech giants, including Apple, Amazon, Tesla and Nvidia, Ms. Puffer cited a period in June when small-cap stocks outperformed their larger peers as a potential sign that the broader market is starting to reassert itself. Returns from private assets have been up and down, with real estate continuing to be a sore spot. Ms. Puffer said that in the more distressed pockets of the office and retail sectors, property values are still murky.