Analysis

While Japan has long been anathema to western investors, a series of corporate governance reforms are fueling renewed interest in the country. Japan’s status as a technologically advanced country with a happy, healthy population has long belied its stagnating economy and uncompetitive corporate landscape that has seen a slow grind downwards for markets since the…

While Asian financials will benefit from the world’s fastest growing middle-class, they also face massive headwinds from fintech disruptors and the looming threat of central bank digital currencies. Asian financials are still an important sector for investors and one that is poised to benefit from the region’s emerging middle-class and greater wealth accumulation in developed…

Multi-sector fixed income strategies are looking increasingly attractive as investors grapple with the implications of the global interest rate landscape. Manager selection is not so easy. A client paper by global manager search and research firm bfinance, titled ‘Multi-Sector Fixed Income: Back in Focus‘, details the complexity of the asset sub-class mix, even with the…

Super funds have battled with providing financial advice for decades but have not yet found a solution that can make it affordable and efficient for millions of low-balance members. Digital advice – including ‘robo’ – which in theory solves the affordable problem, has also been a decades-long dream for Australian wealth management, a revolution in…

It’s difficult enough for big investors to decide on a China strategy, even after they recognise the necessity of having one. And then there’s the throng of implementation options to sift through. In the melee, one China manager stands out: China AMC. According to a landmark report by bfinance – Rethinking China’s Role in Emerging…

The rapid adoption of ESG strategies, particularly in the wholesale market segment, should prompt a rethink of portfolio construction, according to Janus Henderson Investors. Adding ESG to the mix can cause unexpected tilts. In a global media webinar series last month (June 23-24), Adam Hetts, the manager’s US-based global head of portfolio construction and strategy,…

The ICGN, arguably the oldest and among the largest investor governance organisations in the world, will next month (July 8) launch a definitive guide to governance for asset managers and asset owners. In the form of a 210-page e-book, titled ‘Governance, Stewardship and Sustainability: Theory, Practice and Evidence’, the guide seeks to add to the…

Global stimulus and inflationary expectations mean that listed infrastructure is in the recovery hot seat, but Your Future Your Super presents a homegrown challenge for managers. “We’ve got this perfect storm for listed infrastructure at the moment in the sense that the fundamentals are good and this huge growth thematic is still intact,” according to…

Recently hitting its two-year anniversary, Paradice Investment Management’s emerging markets strategy has been on a “rollercoaster ride”. Co-portfolio managers Edward Su and Michael Roberge have spent the last two years navigating the frenzied market volatility of covid-19, the fallout of mass protests in Hong Kong, and trade wars with China as they pursue opportunities in…

NZ Super’s guardians and management are used to their fair share of lobbying by special interest groups, but the latest, from an Israeli group on behalf of five of Israel’s banks, could have implications for all fiduciary investors. The Israeli lobby group in NZ, Israel Institute, and NZ Super are in an escalating battle over…

Melbourne-based property manager SG Hiscock hasn’t had a lot to celebrate of late, except perhaps its 20th anniversary. Like all good managers, it sees mainly opportunity in the troubles. For starters, founder Steve Hiscock told a zoom media meeting last week (June 16), that the office was not dead. Victoria has had more than 100…

Adopting a robo-advice platform will increase member contributions as well as investment-option performance, while improving diversification, according to a study of French savings plans. While the buzz surrounding its introduction just over 10 years ago has abated, an increasing body of research is building on the value of robo-advice. More than a marketing tool for…