Family and Friends to the future of Democracy: Social Media in the 21st Century

Having joined California tech platforms before they came of age, Elizabeth will share a first-hand tour de force of the moments social media got serious and the ways in which our world today is still grappling with defining a new social contract amongst government, the private sector and the citizenry.

Year of the tiger – time to pounce on China Bonds?

News on China’s property sector and COVID lockdowns has been hitting the news regularly and impacting overall Asia bond risk sentiment. What should investors in this growing economy look at and is now a good time to invest? China high yield bonds offer lower duration and higher yield than its more rate-sensitive developed market high yield peers.

Join Hayden Briscoe for a session on the UBS China High Yield Bond Fund. Hayden will describe how his active approach coupled with his macroeconomic view enables him and his team to manage this relatively niche asset class which is gaining global attention.

Can equity investors join the fight against climate change?

How can investors gain confidence that an equity portfolio is invested in companies helping to address climate risk? Investors often seek simple metrics such as carbon footprint to understand climate investing, but a carbon footprint doesn’t tell the whole story. AB’s Sustainable Climate Solutions Portfolio focuses on a company’s carbon handprint, which measures the positive impact, or carbon avoided, by using its products. By combining an assessment of carbon handprints with research of business fundamentals, AB believes investors can create a portfolio of companies with superior long-term return potential that are providing solutions to the world’s biggest climate challenges.

The USD High Yield Market: Navigating Down the Credit Risk Spectrum

In this session, John Yovanovic, Head of High Yield Portfolio Management and Portfolio Manager of the PineBridge USD High Yield Bond Fund, will explain how the $1.5Tn USD high yield universe could act as a strategic allocation for investors in an environment of tightening financial conditions and higher inflation. John will also discuss where USD high yield fits in the broader universe of credit investing and why issuer selection is essential to balance opportunities and risk in this challenging area.

Towards a Regenerative Economy

The strategy aims to invest in companies helping to regenerate the planet with a strong focus on engaging with those companies on their regenerative journey. It incorporates three key themes: 1. Circular Economy, 2. Biodiversity and 3. Empowerment. It will ascertain whether a company has a net positive impact on biodiversity using the Planetary Boundaries framework. Each company also needs to meet criteria derived from the five principles of regeneration: Narrow (use less), Slow (extend useful life), Loop (use again), Renew (restore and allow renewal) and Empower (localised decision-making and promotion of inclusion).

Discover the Value of Quality-Growth

Justin Streeter will describe the Comgest team’s approach to selecting resilient US growth franchises and why pricing power has never been more important than in these uncertain times. As Co-Lead Portfolio Manager, Justin will provide an overview of the Comgest Growth America fund and discuss how the team anticipates their concentrated, quality-growth portfolio will fare in the years ahead.

Invest in Asia’s Sustainable Growth Opportunities

Asia is at the epicentre of many of the world’s most important sustainability challenges. From environmental issues to social inclusion and economic development, the region’s governments and companies have much to contend with. For investors seeking sustainable solutions these challenges also provide a unique investment opportunity, with Asia now home to companies that are addressing these issues by providing both innovative and scalable solutions. Vivek Tanneeru introduces Matthews Asia’s first SFDR Article 9 Fund and explains how he seeks to construct an all-cap Asia growth portfolio of companies that contribute to a sustainable future.

A differentiated approach to US Long Short Investing

After four decades of deflation and a dozen years of momentum-driven investing, forces are now underway that are increasing the cost of capital and underscoring the value of thoughtful stock-picking. This new market paradigm calls for a different approach to equity investing. Portfolio Manager Chris Crawford, drawing on his 25 years of investing in US equities, will outline an uncommon - yet time-tested - approach to fundamental equity long/short investing, one that emphasises incentive-alignment and margin-of-safety in the long book, while seeking to identify heightened risks of failure in both young and mature companies in the short book. Chris will also make the case for selectively employing options to create short exposure, explaining how, when married to fundamental analysis, options investing can both mitigate the many perils of traditional shorting while also amplifying short returns in success.

Is it time for Insurance Debt?

Financial markets are experiencing increased headwind with the worsened geopolitical environment and prospects for longer-lasting inflation. Nevertheless, insurers’ creditworthiness is resilient and it is underpinned by stable credit ratings and increasing solvency ratios. We believe that the resilience of the sector in periods of protracted stress makes insurance debt a reliable component of every fixed income allocation. The current mispricing of insurance debt offers investors an excellent entry opportunity in the asset class.