AsianInvestor - Knowledge Hub

The rest of this year should produce a dynamic market environment that will offer alternative credit investors many opportunities to access attractive returns while improving overall diversification levels, according to new research from Nuveen.

Asia investment grade (IG) credit should benefit from both the end of the US hiking cycle and potential global economic slowdown, with structural demand likely from burgeoning investor interest, explains Omar Slim, co-head of Asia ex-Japan fixed income at PineBridge Investments.

Investors in search of diversified performance and income amid today’s volatile market are seeing the potential benefits of dividend index strategies of different types, says Jason Ye, director of factors and thematics indices in APAC at S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI).

Strong credit fundamentals across Asia are expected to continue to bode well in 2024 but selectivity remains key. PineBridge’s co-heads of Asia ex Japan fixed income, Omar Slim and Andy Suen, share their convictions for Asia investment grade and high yield this year.

As we enter 2024, financial markets are at a major crossroads. With inflation coming down and central banks’ rate hikes on hold, the big question for investors is: what happens next? With views ranging from a ‘soft landing’ to recession, and from ‘higher for longer’ interest rates to rate cuts, the path ahead is uncertain.

The rapid growth of private credit as an asset class in the US and Europe reflects attractive investment characteristics that could make it well-suited to address recent macro challenges, says Randy Schwimmer, senior managing director and co-head of senior lending at Churchill from Nuveen, and Mattis Poetter, co-chief investment officer of Arcmont from Nuveen.

As Asia Pacific insurance companies increasingly recognise the importance of assessing climate risk across all aspects of the business, MSCI believes they need a three-pronged approach: measure and manage climate risks, pursue sustainability goals, and tap potential growth opportunities presented by climate change. 

Projections of weaker US growth in 2024 coupled with a robust economic outlook for Asia bode well for more active and diverse portfolios, including quality and safe-haven assets, according to a recent AsianInvestor webinar, in conjunction with State Street Global Advisors.

APAC may have arrived slightly late when it comes to automated trading, but now a wide variety of market participants including hedge funds and sovereign wealth funds are taking advantage of the speed, convenience and time saved.

Most asset classes offer opportunities to make an impact, but getting started can be daunting, explains Sarah Wilson, head of ESG integration at Nuveen.

Megatrends such as climate change create commercial opportunities for companies with well-adapted business models, but risks for others, making such trends central to the thematic and impact investing strategies of Pictet Asset Management.

The global themes of decarbonisation, deglobalisation, evolving demographics and the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution continue to create new opportunities to invest in private assets, according to Nils Rode, chief investment officer of Schroders Capital.

As Asia’s growing ETP market presents more opportunities, selecting the optimal products involves navigating issues beyond expense ratios. Institutional investors must consider an array of factors such as thematic exposure, taxation, and market liquidity to make fully informed choices.

Megatrends are a group of powerful social, demographic, environmental and technological forces of change that are reshaping our world and the future. They are also one of the success factors behind Pictet AM, one of the world's largest thematic equities managers.

The answer to the long-running debate between growth and value, is not either or, but in using both inputs to navigate shifts and volatility across market cycles, says Rob Hinchliffe, portfolio manager, head of global sector cluster research at PineBridge Investments.

Moving into the second half of 2023, the impact of higher interest rates and the uncertain economic backdrop are likely to remain key concerns for investors. M&G Investments assesses the main factors driving the equities, fixed income, and private markets, and highlights the potential opportunities for selective, diversified investors.

Systematic active fixed income approaches allow investors to take advantage of signals, or alpha factors, that have stood the test of time. State Street Global Advisors explores the benefits of systematic, factor-based investing and why institutional investor demand is currently rising.

In the current macroeconomic environment, private equity has once again proven its resilience by offering higher returns than other asset classes on average, as well as an illiquidity premium to investors for their long-term commitment says Markus Benzler, head multi-managers private equity UBS Asset Management.

A multi-asset approach that is nimble while targeting higher quality and more liquid assets is the priority for asset owners and managers as they look to tackle volatility and uncertainty for the rest of 2023, finds the latest poll by AsianInvestor and S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI).

Even as traditional fixed income offers more attractive rates, institutional investors continue to explore alternative credit, explains Randy Schwimmer, co-head of senior lending at Churchill, a Nuveen company.

Supported by Asia’s structural growth story, fixed income assets – including Hong Kong dollar (HKD) bonds – offer investors a potential route to resilient and diversified returns despite the blurry global outlook, according to HSBC Asset Management (HSBC AM).

Anchored in a commitment to sustainability as a driver of long term, responsible business growth, BNP Paribas is focused on innovative asset management, asset servicing and custody solutions for asset owners in Asia – in turn helping the firm win multiple awards from AsianInvestor.

Asset owners across Asia Pacific (APAC) are rethinking markets, reallocating portfolios and responsibly investing amid dramatic shifts in the macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape, according to Nuveen.

A new report from S&P Global Market Intelligence aims to give a nuanced view of algorithmic trading performances and usage trends across regions, trading strategies and the impact of market volatility on trades.