AsianInvestor - Knowledge Hub

Investors can no longer overlook the performance and influence of emerging markets (EM) in the global economy. After delivering robust returns in 2025 despite global volatility, selective parts of the EM debt universe deserve a bigger role in global allocations, say L&G’s Ben Bennett, head of investment strategy for Asia, and Uday Patnaik, head of Asia fixed income and global EM debt.

Investors can no longer overlook the performance and influence of emerging markets (EM) in the global economy. After delivering robust returns in 2025 despite global volatility, selective parts of the EM debt universe deserve a bigger role in global allocations, say L&G’s Ben Bennett, head of investment strategy for Asia, and Uday Patnaik, head of Asia fixed income and global EM debt.

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.

In a fluctuating and, frankly, precarious US macro environment, investors are rethinking where in the fixed income landscape to allocate. With diversification essential, we believe US securitised assets and subordinated bank debt offer key opportunities for asset allocators in Asia, say L&G’s Ben Bennett, head of investment strategy for Asia, and Jason Shoup, global co-head of fixed income.

With private credit no longer a niche investment strategy, but a core component of institutional portfolios worldwide, Macquarie Asset Management explores direct lending and infrastructure debt, including their distinctive features, trends fuelling their growth and the reasons these approaches are gaining traction among investors in Asia.

There is growing potential for European credit to play an increasingly important part of global fixed income portfolios, as resilient corporate fundamentals, attractive yields and supportive policy underpin valuations. L&G’s Ben Bennett, head of investment strategy for Asia, and Marc Rovers, head of European credit, explore how investors in Asia and globally seek to selectively capture diversi...

Credit events can happen when monetary policy shifts from very accommodative to a more restrictive stance such as the case over the past few years. The key to distinguishing assets such as true private credit from the broadly syndicated loan market, is understanding structures, underwriting standards and manager incentives, according to Tim Warrick, managing director, and head of Principal Alterna...

Amid the new investment mantra of diversification of equity allocations, there is growing demand for exposure to China’s innovation and transformation journey, according to BlackRock’s Andy Ng and Emerald Yau of FTSE Russell.

With the US economy exhibiting higher inflation and interest rates, dynamic duration management is a powerful – and essential – tool for global bond portfolios, according to L&Gs Ben Bennett, head of investment strategy for Asia, and Ian Hutchinson, head of global bond strategies.

For structural and cyclical reasons ranging from yield to long duration cashflows to diversification to capital efficiency, investment grade (IG) private credit should be increasingly appealing to insurance portfolios in Asia, says James Hayes, head of the insurance client team for L&G Asset Management.

The rapid growth of the private credit market signals an asset class here to stay for institutional investors, say Laura Parrott, Head of Private Fixed Income, Nuveen.

Amid growing allocations globally to private markets, the focus has shifted to more transparent and liquid access to assets. The goal is making them more transparent and investable, with recent index innovations by S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) a key starting point, says Ari Rajendra, the firm’s head of private markets indices.

A new survey by BNP Paribas Asset Management shows Europe is gaining ground in 76% of APAC investors’ portfolios. Here’s why.

In a maturing private markets landscape, being selective counts. European real estate offers renewed opportunities for investors who take a disciplined, sector-specific approach as they eye assets with strong fundamentals and structural growth potential, according to specialists at Principal.

In the dynamic landscape of global fixed income (FI) markets, understanding the key drivers and effectively navigating volatility are crucial for achieving resilient returns – especially in today’s era, says Pilar Gomez-Bravo, co-chief investment officer, FI, at MFS Investment Management. 

For PineBridge Investments, one of the most consistent sources of alpha historically has been to use a company’s lifecycle stage as a more accurate way to spot mispricings and identify growth prospects over the next three to five years. 

Asia’s markets continue to demonstrate a resilience shaped by discipline, adaptation and a shift in investor mindset. Amidst a backdrop of policy uncertainty, trade disruptions and shifting sentiment, how should investors be approaching the region today? AsianInvestor speaks to Vikas Pershad, portfolio manager, Asian equities at M&G Investments for his take on what is changing – and what still...

Senior loans are enjoying renewed attention as high yields and floating rates attract global capital. Christopher Kempton, global head of client portfolio management, Credit Investments Group (CIG) at UBS Asset Management, explains how scale, stability and disciplined credit selection have helped his team capture more upside and less downside through decades of credit cycles — and why the opportun...

How can investors tackle a landscape of volatile markets, concentrated benchmarks and stock dispersion? Watch this video and read the views of Wellington Management’s Edward Baldini, portfolio manager, and Philip Li, investment director, on the importance of security selection in creating more potential for outperformance than sector allocation.

The challenges of modern liquidity management can mean investors are long cash one day and short the next. In response, BNY’s integrated platform gives the buyside a multi-dimensional way to optimise non-cash collateral, helping to save costs and increase operational efficiency.

As fixed income markets increasingly embrace electronic protocols, traders are gaining access to deeper liquidity, greater transparency, richer data and enhanced price discovery – all critical ingredients for more effective execution. Mark Bailey, head of product for Tradeweb in APAC, outlines how these evolving tools are reshaping trading behaviour and outcomes.

As we hit the mid-point of the year, uncertainty continues to shape sentiment in the current environment. Across asset classes and markets, investment and portfolio specialists from PineBridge Investments identify what to watch and where to allocate for the rest of 2025.

With financial assets at risk from more frequent and intense natural disasters, Christy Chan, head of APAC client development at ICE, explores the need for APAC investors to incorporate physical climate risk data into a portfolio-wide view of risk exposure and allocation opportunities.

Investors looking to access the China growth story can find targeted exposure through the top 50 domestically listed companies. Here, UOB Asset Management (UOBAM) explores the market positioning and outlook for the five most influential.