CIC seeking more non-US partners for co-investments
The Chinese sovereign wealth fund believes co-investments can effectively expand its investment pipeline but is looking outside the US for fund vehicles or direct investments.
Investors bank on Biden getting strategic with China
One week away from the US presidential election, investors and experts believe a likely Biden victory would mean more negotiation and potentially a weaker US dollar.
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Asia’s Leading Investors: Taking the long view on instos
Eight years of AsianInvestor data on the region’s leading institutional investors reveals which asset owners are growing the fastest.
Private assets make up 13.7% of portfolios: Schroders survey
Institutional investors still believe private asset investing comes with extra challenges, but that the diversification and return benefits make it worth their while. A recent Schroders survey identifies notable increases in interest for real estate debt, infrastructure equity and insurance-linked securities.
Private assets make up 13.7% of portfolios: Schroders survey
Institutional investors still believe private asset investing comes with extra challenges, but that the diversification and return benefits make it worth their while. A recent Schroders survey identifies notable increases in interest for real estate debt, infrastructure equity and insurance-linked securities.
Institutional Excellence Awards 2020: invitation to pitch
AsianInvestor has launched its seventh annual Institutional Excellence Awards. We welcome submissions from outstanding asset owners, and nominations from third parties.
BLF invites bids for $3.94b of infra, multi-asset mandates
The Taiwanese state pension fund is inviting fund houses to submit proposals for two major five-year global mandates, as it looks to raise alternatives and rotate out poor performers.
Insto roundup: QDII set for big expansion; Korea Post plans insurer sale
Australian supers face more scrutiny on climate and infra investments; China to add up to $3b quarterly to QDII scheme; Indonesia to launch new SWF in January; Japan's GPIF leads pensions to raise US dollars from Chinese holders; Korea Post looks to sell insurance unit; Taiwan's BLF awards $2.3b sustainable bond mandate and more.
AIA Philam Life eyes illiquid assets beyond property
The Philippine insurer has also raised its cash holdings amid fears of a lingering impact from Covid on the local economy and stock market, says chief investment officer Arleen Guevara.
UK’s Nationwide pension open to Asian private debt
The building society's defined benefit fund will be relying more on private credit for returns as it de-risks and moves into payout mode, says its chief investment officer.
Weekly roundup of people news, Oct 23
Federated Hermes adds Asia, Australia/New Zealand sales heads; Eastspring, Nomura AM, Aberdeen name new Taiwan chiefs; Peak Re hires first chief economist; CBRE names HK investment property head; Campbell Lutyens appoints senior adviser in Singapore; and more.
Partner Insights
New methods of portfolio balancing – a multi-strategy approach
David Elms, Head of Diversified Alternatives at Janus Henderson Investors, says that 2020 presented a volatility opportunity for those who were ready for it. In the following Q&A, he shares some strategies for risk-adjusted returns over time - from truly diversified sources – and talks about the biggest risks he sees in the markets today.
Asian tourism: The long road ahead
Compared to global peers, Asia’s travel and tourism sector appears better positioned to weather the lingering challenges in a post-Covid world. Amid international travel restrictions, domestic tourism shows signs of recovery - while talk of regional travel bubbles brings hope to the industry. This is the final instalment in Eastspring’s Asian Expert Series, exploring the future of Asia post Covid-19.
Investors plot new paths for portfolios in a post-pandemic world
Today’s ‘new normal’ will force investors into new habits around how they make decisions on strategic and tactical allocations, return targets and liquidity, finds an exclusive survey by AsianInvestor and BNY Mellon Investment Management.
Index Innovation for Multi-Asset Solutions Gains Pace
Rising demand for ESG-themed funds has led to the development of indices with sustainability components.
BNP Paribas Asset Management’s role as “future maker” through ESG investing
The French house has long taken sustainability seriously, but this effectively means ESG is now its default option for its key investment solutions underlining the depth of its commitment to implementing ESG on behalf of all its clients.
Impact investing: a key role to play in reshaping the future
Impact investing aims to identify businesses and organisations pursuing purpose-led activities serving the needs of the global economy and environment. A thematic approach to impact investing seeks to identify opportunities created by pressing issues that can be identified as megatrends – including climate change, access to water and pandemics.
Asian financials: Bracing for challenges
Asian banks are in a stronger position now compared to the 2008 crisis; however, the longer it takes for economic recovery post Covid-19, the greater the likelihood of consolidation within the sector. Areas of concern include asset quality, profitability and the pace of digitisation. Operational and financial resilience will be the keys to success.
Going forward with UOB Asset Management
UOB Asset Management was named Best Asia Fund House of the Year in our most recent Asset Management Awards. The exclusive interview with Boon Kiat Thio (Group CEO of UOB Asset Management) and Vana Bulbon (CEO of UOB Asset Management Thailand) uncovers the key priorities for the business moving forward.
A practical framework for evaluating retirement income strategies
Tackling Asia’s ageing population demands post-retirement solutions that provide additional income. Schroders Portfolio Solutions Team says a robust solution depends on a framework to address differences in time horizon, certainty and level of income, and risks of outliving assets.
Uneven recovery creates dispersed opportunities in resilient Asian bond market
Asian US dollar bonds have not only withstood the worst of the Covid-19 volatility so far but have come out as attractive as ever – offering investors opportunities to pick value at various points of the yield curve.
In-depth
Investors ditching alternative risk premia on poor returns
Having drawn rising institutional attention and flows in recent years, ARP strategies are seen to be suffering their worst year on record, and many asset owners are making for the exit.
AIA looks to address rising hedging challenges
The insurer's head of investment solutions explains why upcoming changes to rules for using derivatives led to it implement a new collateral reporting solution.
How Korea’s NPS could invest $240 billion offshore
Experts believe the Korean pension fund could be ramping up internal staff to bring equities and fixed income inhouse, while focusing its external investing on alternatives.
Investors using data analysis to beat rivals to deals
Effective use of data can help asset owners improve returns, reduce costs and gain an edge when bidding for assets – even helping to undercut rivals, as one sovereign fund has shown.
Magazine
Webinar
Oct 13, 2020
THE FUTURE COO: Evolution or Revolution?
Traditionally tasked with driving efficiency, the role of the COO has in recent years come to rely increasingly upon technology while striving to meet evolving client and employee expectations as part of a growing remit. In a post-pandemic world, the urgent need for operational resilience has taken contingency planning from a periodic activity to a short and long-term priority, as day-to-day operations have been radically altered.
Combined with an already increasingly complex web of interactions, we will discuss how COOs can balance organizational transformation in the longer term while dealing with today’s pressing needs.
Questions to be answered will include:
- What kind of programmes for upskilling the workforce should be put in place?
- How can COOs balance risk management with driving growth opportunities?
- How have expectations for client interactions been altered by Covid-19? Has it amplified the role of the COO?
- How can the need for long-term growth and collaboration be balanced with more pressing short-term needs?
- Where does the COO role tend to overlap with other senior roles, and how can responsibilities be more clearly defined?
- As COOs focus increasingly on technology, how can they adapt to have the right skills and mindset?
Oct 16, 2020
Drivers of change – macro forces and the new normal for insurance
In times of economic turmoil, the natural reaction is often to cut your losses. Plus, balancing assets and liabilities can be particularly difficult during a period of historically low interest rates, looming government debt and the risk of corporate defaults. However, amid these challenging conditions investors should combine a long-term investment view with bespoke investment solutions.
In our upcoming webinar, we discuss with insurance industry experts how best to map out a path to successful investment against a backdrop of tenuous economic recovery and geopolitical uncertainty.
- How macro-economic forces are shaping risks for balance sheets
- Regulatory changes in a broader context, such as IFRS 17 and IFRS 9
- Current challenges in building products with investment guarantees
- Embedding ESG considerations into the portfolio construction process
- All weather asset allocation to navigate through market volatility
Oct 23, 2020
Going for gold: Allocation strategies amid uncertainty
The price of gold has been surging against the backdrop of fatigued economic growth. Its price has reached record highs thanks to near zero interest rates and a weakening US dollar.
Aside from its reputation as a safe haven in times of economic uncertainty and political risk, gold is a useful hedging tool and provides long term capital gain. Yet asset owners have concerns over liquidity and valuation as the asset does not provide any yield.
The ‘Going for Gold’ webinar, in partnership with the World Gold Council, will host two leading asset owners and assess:
- Investor sentiments towards US dollar
- Interest rate and economic growth forecast
- Key price drivers, liquidity and the supply and demand of gold
- The ideal form asset owners should invest in gold
- How to calculate gold’s asset valuation in different scenarios
- Gold’s role as a strategic asset
- Gold and ESG considerations
3 hours ago
Emerging Markets Corporate Debt - Navigating the Unknown
Over the past two decades, the value of outstanding US dollar-denominated Emerging Markets (EM) corporate debt has increased by a factor of 20, to over $1.5 trillion – a larger asset pool even than US dollar EM sovereign debt, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. This growth has created unique opportunities for investors, particularly those rethinking their asset allocation and risk-reward profiles while seeking diversification and less correlated return streams.
In our upcoming webinar in partnership with Credit Suisse, our expert panel will address questions such as:
- During Covid-19, how well did EM corporate bonds perform and why?
- What are the key risk-reward factors that distinguish EM corporate from EM sovereign debt – and how are they influenced by historical default rates?
- How can EM corporate bond valuations create attractive investment opportunities in countries where sovereign ratings are relatively low?
- When does EM investment grade corporate debt offer an attractive alternative to developed market credit, vis-a-vis the underlying country exposures?
- Which unique considerations are relevant to EM bonds, particularly when it comes to transparency, governance and auditing?
Join us for an in-depth discussion on this exciting area within fixed income.
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APG and NPS join forces in heavyweight $1.2tr tie-up
The largest retirement funds in the Netherlands and South Korea have formed a landmark partnership to focus on real asset mega-deals. Their investment heads tell AsianInvestor why.
Weekly roundup of people news, Oct 16
Taiping Insurance appoints new chairman; Etiqa replaces Singapore chief; Nuveen appoints Japan real estate head; Vontobel opens Singapore office; Aquila Capital names Apac CEO; Neuberger Berman adds new RM; Ocorian poaches fund services trio from Apex; Northern Trust replaces HK client services head; CSOP sells FO business to Carret Private and more.
Weekly roundup of people news, Oct 23
Federated Hermes adds Asia, Australia/New Zealand sales heads; Eastspring, Nomura AM, Aberdeen name new Taiwan chiefs; Peak Re hires first chief economist; CBRE names HK investment property head; Campbell Lutyens appoints senior adviser in Singapore; and more.
PNB starts factor investing and eyes private credit
The Malaysian state-linked unit trust manager has given factor-based global equity mandates to three fund houses and is mulling investing into new types of illiquid assets, say sources.
Private assets make up 13.7% of portfolios: Schroders survey
Institutional investors still believe private asset investing comes with extra challenges, but that the diversification and return benefits make it worth their while. A recent Schroders survey identifies notable increases in interest for real estate debt, infrastructure equity and insurance-linked securities.
New methods of portfolio balancing – a multi-strategy approach
David Elms, Head of Diversified Alternatives at Janus Henderson Investors, says that 2020 presented a volatility opportunity for those who were ready for it. In the following Q&A, he shares some strategies for risk-adjusted returns over time - from truly diversified sources – and talks about the biggest risks he sees in the markets today.
Market Views: Will infrastructure investing boom in 2021?
The IMF has called for greater investment in infrastructure. We asked experts about what investments may arise heading into 2021, and whether they would appeal to investors.
Asian tourism: The long road ahead
Compared to global peers, Asia’s travel and tourism sector appears better positioned to weather the lingering challenges in a post-Covid world. Amid international travel restrictions, domestic tourism shows signs of recovery - while talk of regional travel bubbles brings hope to the industry. This is the final instalment in Eastspring’s Asian Expert Series, exploring the future of Asia post Covid-19.
Market Views: What China’s next five-year plan may bring
The Chinese government will next week discuss its economic and social development plan for 2021 to 2025 against a volatile global backdrop. Investment experts are mulling potential outcomes.
How Indonesia’s new SWF aims to raise infra funds
The country’s planned new sovereign wealth fund is intended to act as a conduit for infrastructure investment, via several investors as well as different investment paths.
