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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.

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.

Rising demand for ESG-themed funds has led to the development of indices with sustainability components.

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 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.

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.

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.

Asian bonds have staged a credible comeback. But can their momentum continue?

This is the fourth of six articles in Eastspring’s Asian Expert Series, which explores the future of Asia post Covid-19. Robust logistics networks, a rising middle class, improving financial infrastructure and rapid innovation will fuel the region’s e-commerce revenues, which will in turn drive GDP growth, productivity and economic inclusion in Asia.

Identifying resilient companies in the sustainability space is as much art as it is science.

This is the third of six articles in Eastspring’s Asian Expert Series, which explores the future of Asia post Covid-19. The pandemic has exposed gaps in preparedness and health capacity globally that will trigger increased spending on healthcare infrastructure and research capabilities. Equally, it has revealed interesting investment possibilities as technology spawns new age healthtech entities.

While we were still in a period of shock and awe during the March/April period, the latter parts of Q2 were better described as a period of healing and adjustment. Significant rate cuts from the developed market (DM) and emerging market (EM) central banks illustrate the global scale of the economic challenges created by Covid-19.

A global survey of 300 investment managers reinforces the value of ‘whole office’ solutions for achieving greater efficiency and resiliency in investment operations.

This is the second of six articles in Eastspring’s Asian Expert Series, which explores the future of Asia post Covid-19. While the outbreak accelerated many of the technological shifts that were already underway prior to the pandemic, we identify five key trends that will reshape the global landscape and the role Asia will play.

COVID-19 has reinforced the urgency for asset owners to rethink how they effectively build portfolios and manage risks. The agility needed to react to sudden market changes while achieving optimal risk-adjusted returns is paramount today – and will be increasingly relevant amid the uncertainty of a post-pandemic world.

This is the first of six articles in Eastspring’s Asian Expert Series, which explores the future of Asia post Covid-19. The pandemic has accelerated a rethink of how companies should configure their global supply chains - while cost and quality have historically been key considerations, resilience will become increasingly important.

Besides supporting pension funds in achieving their financial goals, impact investing can be an attractive way for pension funds to achieve the dual objectives of incorporating sustainability requirements into investments and providing diversification benefits, says Philipp Müller, BlueOrchard’s chief executive officer.

In today’s difficult environment, it is more important than ever for asset owners to deploy their money effectively - which means holding money managers accountable for their performance. AsianInvestor recently held a webinar in partnership with eVestment, whose analytics experts presented their latest insights based on their datasets.

Fixed income offers wide-ranging diversification benefits ranging from generating total return – comprised of income and capital appreciation – to managing downside risks.

A favourable risk-return profile, potential extra yield and diversification are some of the key reasons supporting the investment case for Asian local currency fixed income.