AsianInvestor - Knowledge Hub

In just 18 months, Amy Cho has reshaped M&G Investments’ trajectory in Asia Pacific - deepening institutional partnerships, securing flagship mandates and laying the groundwork for long-term regional growth. Her focus on clarity, client alignment and market expansion has earned her recognition as AsianInvestor’s ‘Best CEO’, spotlighting a leader who is not only accelerating performance, but al...

As Asia’s asset management landscape evolves, Taiwan and Japan have clear ambitions to become the region’s next major hubs. Christy Chan, senior director, relationship management at ICE in Asia Pacific, explores each market’s path to achieving this goal and compares their strategies with those of the US, the world’s leading wealth management hub.

In response to multiple, concurrent crises, MFS believes investors should look beyond external factors like interest rates and geopolitical risks that are out of their control – and instead adopt an approach that enables them to not just cope, but rise above the current noise and build resilience, says Carol Geremia, President of MFS and Co-Head of Global Distribution.

Multi-asset credit represents an interesting investment opportunity in today’s environment, with global geopolitics and inflationary concerns making European credit a potentially attractive choice, says Richard Ryan at M&G Investments.

The results from survey point to a growing risk-on sentiment among investors, with plans to expand into niche areas of private fixed income.

As private credit becomes more common in portfolios amid greater exposure to alternatives, investors want new, satellite allocations with extra alpha and diversification in mind. Growth lending can deliver these goals, according to Xiaying Zhang, Wellington Management’s director of private investments, APAC.

Reverting to voice trading in times of crisis will mean credit traders miss out on key benefits of electronic protocols.

We consider how alternative credit has evolved, and what these asset classes can provide investors in uncertain times.

At a time of flux in markets and with investors planning their allocations for the year ahead amid a cautious outlook for US interest rates, the modular construction of the Russell US Indexes can enable portfolios to diversify exposure to the US economy’s growth potential with greater precision.

Greater appetite for fixed income exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and products with exposure to forces that could reshape the world economy - like artificial intelligence (AI) and automation - are underpinning demand, says Magnus Cattan, vice president, head of client development for ICE in Asia Pacific.

Asset owners and managers in Asia Pacific (APAC) are looking to domestic and regional bond markets for portfolio diversification and income, reveals a survey commissioned by State Street Global Advisors’ ABF Pan Asia Bond Index Fund (PAIF).

Exposure to a range of public and private companies across diverse sectors from renewables and energy efficiency, to sustainable agriculture, water supply and waste management, can provide attractive returns amid the growing urgency for environmental solutions, believe Pictet Asset Management along with executives from family offices and endowments in Asia.

With the US election results in and policy uncertainties largely resolved, we expect a return to fundamentals in 2025 with ongoing innovations and supply chain changes create a ripe hunting ground for global equities, particularly for companies poised to benefit from longer-term secular trends

With growth topping the agenda for investors in 2025, M&G Investments’ CIOs share their outlook amid several macroeconomic factors at play. Fabiana Fedeli, Emmanuel Deblanc, and David Knee deliberate on growth, the Trump presidency, and tariffs given the potential implications for global geopolitics, inflation — and prospective market opportunities.

State Street Global Advisors retains its favourable outlook for fixed income assets in 2025. As fiscal, trade and monetary policies evolve, likely swings in sentiment and bouts of volatility will potentially create opportunities for investors to manage or extend duration.

Trends in several segments of the region’s financial landscape look set to drive demand for data over the coming year, says Magnus Cattan, vice president, head of client development for ICE in Asia Pacific.

The growth of index-based or passive investing is transforming the way investors approach markets, bolstering liquidity and widening access to global markets – marking a pivotal moment for the financial industry.

As investors in Hong Kong and Singapore look to put cash to work despite rollercoaster markets and lingering uncertainty, diversification via resilient assets is a priority. This is also giving gold a bigger role in portfolios, finds a recent sentiment poll by AsianInvestor and State Street Global Advisors.

The cyclical nature of financial markets presents ongoing challenges for investors. While evidence shows that investing can effectively build wealth over the long term, bear markets often lead many to exit or sell an inopportune time. However, taking a long-term view and learning from history can lead to successful outcomes for those investors who are prepared, says MFS.

Market and investment specialists at MFS explore what’s behind recent market ups and downs, and how a normalised environment for interest rates and earnings will impact global equities and fixed income.

The growth prospects, diversity and innovations across Asia Pacific (Apac) offer investors with global portfolios compelling opportunities to enhance their risk-reward balance – both today and over the next 20 years, according to new research from Franklin Templeton.

Alternative credit strategies such as direct lending, energy infrastructure credit, real estate debt, and collateralised loan obligations can provide shelter for portfolios during uncertain times.

In this outlook, M&G Investments’ Fabiana Fedeli, Jim Leaviss, Richard Woolnough, Emmanuel Deblanc and others explore the potential implications of the evolving interest-rate backdrop for financial markets.

Against the new macroeconomic backdrop, institutional investors are reassessing many of the well-established assumptions and practices that allowed their portfolios to flourish during the great moderation, says Nathan Shetty, CFA®, FRM, head of multi-asset at Nuveen.

In seeking out companies that provide essential products or services to society, EQT is focused on investing in high-quality businesses with significant and sustainable growth potential in attractive industries.