M&G Investments

Private credit has been one of the fastest growing asset classes over the past decade becoming a core allocation within many portfolios. However, recent events have ignited fears about emerging risks within this area of investment. Are these concerns justified, and what options do investors have?

2025 was a year of resilience and record-breaking returns − but also of extreme volatility. As 2026 gets underway, questions abound about the potential market drivers. Will further US rate cuts materialise, or will sticky inflation derail the script? Are today’s tech titans truly rewriting the productivity playbook, or are we witnessing the early tremors of an AI bubble? And could the reopening of the IPO market lift investor confidence in private markets?

Asia’s markets continue to demonstrate a resilience shaped by discipline, adaptation and a shift in investor mindset. Amidst a backdrop of policy uncertainty, trade disruptions and shifting sentiment, how should investors be approaching the region today? AsianInvestor speaks to Vikas Pershad, portfolio manager, Asian equities at M&G Investments for his take on what is changing – and what still matters most.

In just 18 months, Amy Cho has reshaped M&G Investments’ trajectory in Asia Pacific - deepening institutional partnerships, securing flagship mandates and laying the groundwork for long-term regional growth. Her focus on clarity, client alignment and market expansion has earned her recognition as AsianInvestor’s ‘Best CEO’, spotlighting a leader who is not only accelerating performance, but also redefining what leadership looks like in a fast-evolving investment landscape.

Multi-asset credit represents an interesting investment opportunity in today’s environment, with global geopolitics and inflationary concerns making European credit a potentially attractive choice, says Richard Ryan at M&G Investments.

With growth topping the agenda for investors in 2025, M&G Investments’ CIOs share their outlook amid several macroeconomic factors at play. Fabiana Fedeli, Emmanuel Deblanc, and David Knee deliberate on growth, the Trump presidency, and tariffs given the potential implications for global geopolitics, inflation — and prospective market opportunities.

In this outlook, M&G Investments’ Fabiana Fedeli, Jim Leaviss, Richard Woolnough, Emmanuel Deblanc and others explore the potential implications of the evolving interest-rate backdrop for financial markets.

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.

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.

While far from immune to global economic weakness and risks, the APAC region has more resilient growth projections in the medium term, buoyed by its growing middle class, says Richard van den Berg, fund manager for M&G Asia Property Strategy.

Property markets may be facing a turning point, but long-term structural trends continue to underpin real estate in Asia Pacific, making the sector potentially attractive for overseas capital, says Jing Dong Lai, CIO and CEO, M&G Real Estate Asia