Connecting the Dots

From the evolving AI story to an inflationary backdrop, M&G Investments’ CIOs dissect a complex market where traditional rules of investing appear to be breaking down. Find out where they see risks and opportunities across equities, fixed income and private markets, and why they emphasise the importance of selectivity, diversification and a more dynamic approach to asset allocation in the seco...

From the evolving AI story to an inflationary backdrop, M&G Investments’ CIOs dissect a complex market where traditional rules of investing appear to be breaking down. Find out where they see risks and opportunities across equities, fixed income and private markets, and why they emphasise the importance of selectivity, diversification and a more dynamic approach to asset allocation in the seco...

With growth top of the agenda for investors moving into 2025, join M&G Investments’ CIOs for their outlook amid a number of macroeconomic effects at play. They deliberate on growth, the Trump presidency and tariffs given the potential implications for global geopolitics, inflation – and prospective market opportunities.   Speakers: Fabiana Fedeli, CIO, Equities, Multi-Asset and Sustainability...

In a year of global elections, the main stage has been set and all eyes are now on the White House and Congress in the US. In this episode, Anthony Balestrieri and Tony Finding discuss what investors are keeping a close watch on – from the bearing that election outcomes have on the global economic trajectory to fiscal expenditure and the ever-present market disciplinary forces.    Speakers: Anthon...

A misconception that asset-backed securities (ABS) is largely the experience that the US subprime market went through during the global financial crisis still exists. In this episode, Matt Wardle and Harry Bullamore dispel the misconceptions around ABS which, once cleared, pave the way for investors to allocate to it, consider the uniquely defensive aspects of the asset class and where it sits fro...

Each month experts from across our global network of investors will join us to bring you their views across equities, fixed income and private markets. This debut episode features investment perspectives from M&G Investments’ three Chief Investment Officers (CIOs) at the mid-way point of 2024. Click here to access the full Investment Perspectives Mid-Year 2024 Outlook. Speakers: Fabiana Fedeli...

Post-Global Financial Crisis, income investing in equities found itself in the wilderness. The only way to outperform between 2010 and 2020 was to be at the growth-end of the spectrum. But that all changed abruptly in 2022 with spiralling inflation and rising interest rates. In this episode, Stuart Rhodes, Global Dividend Fund Manager, and Alex Araujo, Global Listed Infrastructure Fund Manager, co...

While Europe’s private asset-backed finance markets have been growing in importance for a number of years, it's only in recent years where we've seen the regulatory pressures that banks are facing come to the fore, fuelling a strong desire to shrink balance sheets and increase capital. This has created a wealth of opportunities, with a significant number of transactions coming to market almost eve...

As billions of people vote in national elections in 2024, including seven of the world’s 10 most populous nations, our panel of cross asset class experts looks at the issues and potential unique and overlapping implications at play across developed and emerging markets – from the US and UK to South Africa and Mexico. They also analyse what asset allocators are watching, including the influence of...

History offers useful lessons, as a plethora of adages often remind us. In the first episode of 2024, Jose Pellicer Global Head of Investment Strategy and Richard Gwilliam, Head of Research at M&G Real Estate, kick off the new year with a brief look at real estate throughout recent history – from a world of high inflation and interest rates in the 1980s to rock bottom interest rates Post-GFC –...

M&G’s CIOs Jim Leaviss and Fabiana Fedeli share their perspectives for 2024, considering how to potentially drive returns through the uncertainty ahead, and highlighting the importance of being selective in a challenging economic environment.   Speakers: Fabiana Fedeli, Chief Investment Officer, Equities, Multi-Asset and Sustainability Jim Leaviss, Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income   Host...

Just over a year has passed since the gilt market turmoil of September 2022, sparked by the UK government’s so-called ‘mini-budget’. The fallout from the crisis, as the pound fell and gilt yields spiked, prompted an emergency intervention by the Bank of England to restore orderly market conditions against a global backdrop of high inflation and rising interest rates. A significant change in asset...

Risk assets have repriced over the past year due to financial-market volatility and higher-than-usual levels of uncertainty surrounding issues such as terminal rates, inflation, geopolitics and economic growth. Consequently, we believe private credit currently offers unusually high potential returns while retaining its traditional defensive characteristics of low duration and security.   However,...

The Significant Risk Transfer (SRT) market currently offers a compelling alternative to traditional asset classes given high levels of inflation, according to James King, Head of Structured Credit at M&G Investments. SRT transactions involve a high element of risk but coupons that have the potential to range up to the high teens provide significant compensation, whilst the floating-rate nature...

Housing needs are defined by age profiles and can be split into five categories. The needs will often be driven by the activities that are likely to be pursued by that cohort, as well as cultural values. For example, we installed larger-than-usual freezer storage space in our student accommodation in Bologna, Italy, given that students will often arrive at university with a year’s worth of frozen...

Investing in infrastructure has historically been about existing, stable and secure assets. In recent years, there has been a concerted effort to drive towards sustainable sources of power and energy needs and have resilient local infrastructure. In this instalment, Martin Lennon and Ed Clarke of Infracapital discuss the rise of a whole new set of opportunities, the relationship between the asset...

To what extent do European High Yield markets represent good value at the moment and is now an attractive entry point? In this instalment, David Parsons and David Fancourt look at how European High Yield compares to Investment Grade, as well as its counterpart in the US, which has traditionally been the market of choice. They also consider market evolution and compensation for taking credit risk....

The evolution and implementation of ESG across asset classes has not been homogenous, and it resonates more so with corporate debt and equities when compared with specialised asset classes, such as ABS. What has been observed in the marketplace is a development of good outputs for corporates and equities, but with less of a focus on ABS, investors have been left to devise their own strategies. Thi...

With a third of the global economy expected to fall into recession in 2023, Jose Pellicer considers previous recessions of 1991 and the Global Financial Crisis, which were succeeded by some of real estate’s finest 8-year returns. He also looks at what happens to the price of risk during economic contraction and how investors can seize the real estate opportunity to bank the recovery when it arrive...

M&G’s CIOs, Fabiana Fedeli, Will Nicoll and Jim Leaviss share their views as we head into 2023, discussing valuation opportunities, the depth of a potential recession – and how much closer we are to the light at the end of the tunnel of rate hikes and rising inflation.   Speakers: Fabiana Fedeli, Chief Investment Officer, Equities, Multi-Asset and Sustainability Will Nicoll, Chief Investment Offic...

Credit markets have been front and centre stage as the events of 2022 unfolded. With much of the economic bad news now priced in, David Parsons and Richard Ryan analyse what risks investors need to be aware of in the current environment, the case for building into risk now and being sufficiently compensated for taking it at these levels.   Speaker: Richard Ryan, Senior Credit Portfolio Manager Hos...

Imagine a new global financial crisis (GFC) materialising every year from here. The market seems focused on the fact that it will get tougher for consumers, and is in some cases pricing in default rates equivalent to GFC levels of stress, for years to come. It is, however, all a question of magnitude when underwriting pools of performing consumer finance assets. In this episode, Jerome Henrion and...

Fixed income and equity markets face being influenced by inputs from all angles, making this no market for broad macro calls. As sweeping bets err into extreme risk exposure, Fabiana Fedeli dissects the virtues of being tactical and selective in an uncertain environment where inflation has reached multi-decade highs.    Speaker: Fabiana Fedeli, Chief Investment Officer for Equities and Multi Asset...

Like every asset class, the real estate sector is grappling with spiralling inflation and rising interest rates. In times like these, real estate has traditionally been seen as a hedge against inflation, but does it still hold true in the context of what has driven today's inflationary picture?   Host: Romil Patel, Senior Editorial Manager Speaker: Jose Pellicer, Head of Investment Strategy – Real...

With interest rates, inflation and growth out of kilter, the world is in an extraordinary place. While it may be difficult to see exactly where and how to invest, periods of volatility do also throw up opportunity. In this CIO special, Will Nicoll considers the two big growth engines for private markets that will fundamentally reshape various economies around the globe.   Host: Romil Patel, Senior...