AsianInvestor - Knowledge Hub

Real estate is racing to catch up as technology, regulation and capital costs accelerate obsolescence. Robert Balick and Frédéric Laurent of BauMont Real Estate Capital, in which M&G Investments holds a majority stake through its real estate platform, examine how value add strategies are evolving and why building portfolios around more than one market story is becoming increasingly important.

As investors rethink the role of fixed income in a more volatile and fragmented market environment, asset-based credit (ABC) is emerging as a differentiated source of shorter-duration income, structural downside protection and diversification beyond traditional corporate lending, says Sachin Patel, managing director at Neuberger.

Investor preferences are shifting quickly, but not always in the same direction. Asia Pacific (APAC) remains a region of sharply different market structures, distribution models and regulatory regimes, which means what works in one market may not translate cleanly to the next. Dan Watkins, CEO for Asia Pacific at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, says the job for asset managers is to stay close to how...

Global credit has reset – but the playbook has changed. Alpha will no longer come from simply accessing spread, but from integrating credit, rates and regional insights to navigate a more fragmented market, says Ian Hutchinson, Head of Global Bond Strategies – Benchmark, L&G.

Manulife is proposing a new framework to modernise retirement systems in the region, to make them fit for purpose in a world where people live longer, retire earlier than expected and face uncertain outcomes in volatile markets.

The commercial real estate (CRE) debt risk spectrum presents a range of opportunities for lenders. In this piece, Wellington Management examines the transitional lending market, highlighting what makes these assets attractive across market environments and how transitional CRE debt allocations fit within portfolios.

A survey in Q1 2026 of more than 80 senior executives from 65 leading asset owners by AsianInvestor, in collaboration with Aberdeen Investments, reveals how investors in Asia Pacific are balancing returns, liquidity and capital efficiency in a more complex environment.

A survey in Q1 2026 of more than 80 senior executives from 65 leading asset owners by AsianInvestor, in collaboration with Aberdeen Investments, reveals how investors in Asia Pacific are balancing returns, liquidity and capital efficiency in a more complex environment.

Geopolitical tension and a Middle East crisis have roiled fixed income markets. Slowing growth, soaring energy costs and fiscal pressures have sent mixed signals. Portfolios seek strategies that dampen volatility while preserving capital and providing flexible, unconstrained diversification, according to BNP Paribas Asset Management.

A weaker US dollar cycle is boosting the case for emerging markets (EM) debt, with stronger fundamentals enhancing resilience and elevated yields across hard and local currency bonds creating compelling entry points for investors seeking income and diversification, according to MFS Investment Management.

Nilang Mehta, Head of Asia Dividend & India Offshore Equity at HSBC Asset Management, says that for asset owners seeking income, resilience and long-term exposure to Asia’s dynamic equity landscape, the case for dividend investing is increasingly compelling.

Private credit has been one of the fastest growing asset classes over the past decade becoming a core allocation within many portfolios. However, recent events have ignited fears about emerging risks within this area of investment. Are these concerns justified, and what options do investors have?

Asia-based investors should consider the potential benefits of synthetic ETFs in the hunt for a practical, efficient way to capture opportunities.

Victor Ko, managing director at Neuberger Berman, explains why asset allocators should take a closer look at one of private markets' most compelling opportunities.

Rapid AUM growth has outpaced operational maturity across much of the Asia Pacific (APAC) pension fund sector, leaving many exposed as portfolios tilt further into illiquid assets. Strengthening collateral mobility, liquidity planning and connectivity with tri-party infrastructure is now central to long-term portfolio resilience, believe BNY’s Cherry Li and Nehal Mehra.

Rapid AUM growth has outpaced operational maturity across much of the Asia Pacific (APAC) pension fund sector, leaving many exposed as portfolios tilt further into illiquid assets. Strengthening collateral mobility, liquidity planning and connectivity with tri-party infrastructure is now central to long-term portfolio resilience, believe BNY’s Cherry Li and Nehal Mehra.

Rapid AUM growth has outpaced operational maturity across much of the Asia Pacific (APAC) pension fund sector, leaving many exposed as portfolios tilt further into illiquid assets. Strengthening collateral mobility, liquidity planning and connectivity with tri-party infrastructure is now central to long-term portfolio resilience, believe BNY’s Cherry Li and Nehal Mehra.

Rapid AUM growth has outpaced operational maturity across much of the Asia Pacific (APAC) pension fund sector, leaving many exposed as portfolios tilt further into illiquid assets. Strengthening collateral mobility, liquidity planning and connectivity with tri-party infrastructure is now central to long-term portfolio resilience, believe BNY’s Cherry Li and Nehal Mehra.

Rapid AUM growth has outpaced operational maturity across much of the Asia Pacific (APAC) pension fund sector, leaving many exposed as portfolios tilt further into illiquid assets. Strengthening collateral mobility, liquidity planning and connectivity with tri-party infrastructure is now central to long-term portfolio resilience, believe BNY’s Cherry Li and Nehal Mehra.

Some structural reallocation is underway in Asian insurance portfolios. Asset allocations are increasingly focused on illiquidity and complexity as sources of return enhancement. Rather than chasing yield however, many insurance allocators are thoughtfully implementing privates to diversify existing exposures, help mitigate downside risk, match liabilities and meet regulatory capital requirements....

There is a growing case for diversifying globally and across strategies with alternative credit, according to Nuveen. 

Business conduct risk management is rising up the agenda. Lisa Long, RepRisk head of product management, explains why, and what Asian investors need to know.

Asia’s life insurers are reshaping their product strategies as new index-linked solutions emerge as a powerful new growth engine for protection and wealth. A joint survey by AsianInvestor and FTSE Russell shows accelerating demand for diversified, multi-asset and risk-controlled exposures that can deliver smoother outcomes across market cycles and greater resilience under evolving regulatory regim...

2025 was a year of resilience and record-breaking returns − but also of extreme volatility. As 2026 gets underway, questions abound about the potential market drivers. Will further US rate cuts materialise, or will sticky inflation derail the script? Are today’s tech titans truly rewriting the productivity playbook, or are we witnessing the early tremors of an AI bubble? And could the reopening of...

Rapid AUM growth has outpaced operational maturity across much of the Asia Pacific (APAC) pension fund sector, leaving many exposed as portfolios tilt further into illiquid assets. Strengthening collateral mobility, liquidity planning and connectivity with tri-party infrastructure is now central to long-term portfolio resilience, believe BNY’s Cherry Li and Nehal Mehra.