The Imperfect Science of Perfect Decisions

This is a talk about lies. Not the harmful kind, but the useful kind. The lies that physicists tell when they treat planets as point masses. The lies behind every map you've ever seen. The lies your brain tells you constantly - mental shortcuts that trade perfect accuracy for speed and survival. We live in an age obsessed with precision. Yet every major breakthrough in human progress has been built on useful lies - on strategic wrongness. Discover the techniques scientists use that can help anyone make wiser choices when perfection is impossible.

Quant Redefined: Active ETFs 2.0 – Investing with Conviction

Active ETFs are evolving – and with them, the way investors think about portfolio construction. Columbia Threadneedle Investments believes the next generation of Active ETFs should go beyond passive-plus, delivering true active management in a transparent, cost-effective and benchmark-aware format. Their approach is built on a customised, fundamentally informed quantitative model that takes meaningful positions and fully excludes stocks expected to underperform. Christopher Lo, Head of Research Enhanced Strategies, will share how this approach reflects genuine conviction – redefining what quant can mean for modern investors.

US Equities: Opportunity in a world of contrasts

The US equity market is more concentrated than ever, with the top 10 stocks in the S&P 500 now accounting for roughly 40% of the index, near a record high. In this session, Ibrahim Kanan will unpack the forces behind this concentration and explore why opportunities beyond the top 10 are more attractive today.

Finding value in an unbalanced world

In a market obsessed with momentum and mega-caps, Jupiter’s Global Value Strategy takes a different approach. Marking his three-year anniversary as lead manager of a Global All Cap Value Strategy, Brian McCormick shares how his contrarian stance - notably underweight the US and focused on genuinely undervalued businesses. Through deep engagement with company management, Brian uncovers hidden value where others aren’t looking. This forward-thinking approach embodies the “Next Generation”; challenging consensus, embracing independent analysis, and proving that genuine active investing has the power to outperform.

Resetting the narrative on emerging market

Emerging market (EM) equities have evolved far beyond their traditional labels. EMs today are home to some of the world’s most dynamic, innovative, and resilient companies. Structural reforms, improving governance, and the rise of new consumer and technology sectors are reshaping the landscape, creating opportunities that demand a more nuanced, forward-looking approach. In this session, Varun Laijawalla will challenge the conventional narratives around emerging markets and explore why active investing remains essential in unlocking their full potential. Through real-world stories and on-the-ground themes, Varun will illustrate how EMs have quietly transformed and why now is the time to rethink how investors engage with them.

Principal Finisterre - High Income Drivers in Emerging Market Debt

Damien Buchet, CIO of Principal Finisterre, and veteran Emerging Market Debt investor will discuss his upcoming High Income strategy which was developed in conjunction with the Principal Asset Allocation team in June 2019 in the US. An income focused approach to EMD, which aims to maximise yield as a performance driver, while minimising the portfolio impact of EMD credit and macro risks. All while maintaining the DNA of one of the market’s leading EMD teams.

US small caps: overlooked and now over here

US smaller companies offer a unique growth opportunity. Often under-researched and overlooked, they can be a valuable diversifier to more widely held large-cap tech positions, introducing greater exposure to the domestic US economy.

Applying the breadth and depth of Fidelity Investments’ fundamental research to uncover growth stories where the upside is not fully recognised, FF2 - US Smaller Companies Fund follows a consistent investment philosophy with a strong valuation discipline. The strategy has been proven to generate alpha while delivering lower volatility and better downside protection than the broader Russell 2000 Index. The fund launched to UK investors in July 2025.

The importance of flexibility in short duration fixed income; looking beyond developed market corporate bonds

Investor appetite for short duration strategies has increased in the face of an uncertain economic backdrop characterised by stubborn inflation, rate volatility, and rising fiscal pressures in many developed economies. Is global short duration a commoditised asset class or are there opportunities to diverge and deliver better risk-adjusted outcomes? During this session, Nick Tripodes and Yulia di Mambro, co-portfolio managers of the Federated Hermes Global Short Duration Bond Fund, will make the case for the latter, highlighting the importance of flexibility across geographies, asset type, and credit rating.

Finding opportunity on both sides of the market

Investors today are navigating a regime defined by persistent uncertainty and volatility, driven by forces such as elevated inflation, higher interest rates, and shifting policy conditions. These dynamics are reshaping the investment landscape and challenging long-standing assumptions about portfolio construction. The era of quantitative easing made life difficult for shorting strategies, but in today’s environment, the market is punishing companies that fail to allocate capital effectively, and this is where the real opportunities lie.

Ambrose Faulks successfully co-manages the market leading UK Select fund and will discuss how the market-neutral approach he deploys with Atlas means he can profit from both sides of the market, and deliver an absolute return outcome regardless of the market direction.