Join AGF Investments for an overview of our three leading growth equity strategies – focused on investing in innovation and market leadership in every investment cycle. These actively managed portfolios aim to navigate diverse market conditions, manage downside risk, participate in bull market runs and demonstrate the flexibility to take advantage of a fast-evolving world.

Workshop Objective:

You will learn how AGF’s growth equity strategies employ a distinct investment approach to take advantage of long-term growth opportunities in every investment cycle.

Company Profile:

Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm delivering excellence in investing in the public and private markets through its three distinct business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Private Capital and AGF Private Wealth. 

AGF brings a disciplined approach focused on providing an exceptional client experience and incorporating sound responsible and sustainable practices. The firm’s investment solutions, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.

Business as usual is over. AI is a new chapter in growth investing. It is a dominant technology that will drive productivity gains for consumers and producers. It allows us to predict things faster, and more accurately. It is a technological revolution as meaningful as the Industrial Revolution, steam and railway, electricity and heavy engineering, and oil and mass production. As with previous technology revolutions, there are a few initial big winners, simplistically the Silicon Valley Titans, then everything, everywhere changes, and the benefits accrue more broadly. There are profound implications for sectors as diverse as tech hardware and software, infrastructure, enterprise solutions, energy, health care, autos, and all manner of consumer services. In this session, we explore companies and industries ripe to benefit from AI-driven change and disruption outside the US. 

Workshop Objectives:

To direct attention to the international AI landscape and the lesser known, critical companies driving the AI revolution globally. 

Company Profile:

Baillie Gifford & Co, headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, is one of the UK’s oldest independent fund management firms having been founded in 1908. We are, we believe, unique for a company of our size in being an independent partnership with no outside shareholders and unlimited liability to our clients, for whom nowadays we invest US$290bn as at the end of March 2024. Our single focus is on providing outstanding investment returns and service for those clients. We measure success by the value we add for clients after fees, not by our own revenues. If we deliver for clients, we can be confident about our own future.

Baillie Gifford International LLC is wholly owned by Baillie Gifford Overseas Limited which is the legal entity that provides client service and marketing functions in North America. Baillie Gifford Overseas is wholly owned by Baillie Gifford & Co.

In this presentation, Capital Group’s ETF Director Scott Davis, Relationship Manager Brandon Fetta, and Fixed Income Investment Director Erica Salvay will give an update on ETF trends, focus on Capital Markets active fixed income ETFs, and discuss the benefits of custom baskets in fixed income.

Workshop Objective:

An opportunity to examine the active advantages and overall benefits of ETFs within the fixed income space. 

Company Profile:

Since 1931, Capital Group, home of American Funds®, has been singularly focused on delivering superior results for long-term investors using high-conviction portfolios, rigorous research and individual accountability.  As of December 31, 2023, Capital Group manages $2.5 trillion in equity and fixed income assets for millions of individual and institutional investors around the world.

Capital Group is a private firm that employs more than 8,000 associates and has offices in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. For more than 90 years, our goal has remained the same: to improve people’s lives through successful investing.

Join us for a discussion with Hubert Aarts, Deputy CIO and Portfolio Manager of the Impax Global Environmental Markets Fund. As one of the pioneers and leading experts in environmental markets, Impax will share its experience and insights regarding the economic importance and secular drivers of this rapidly growing and evolving market, discuss its risks and opportunities – and review its potential returns.
 
The Fund, launched in 2008, invests in companies offering innovative solutions to resource, climate, and environmental challenges. Based on Impax’s proprietary environmental taxonomy, it focuses on essential segments including new energy, sustainable food, water, clean and efficient transport, smart environment, and the circular economy.
 
Both mainstream and sustainable investors find this strategy compelling. As markets have rotated and broadened, and with rates starting to decline, we see a very favorable backdrop emerging for environmental markets.

You should consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before investing. For this and other information, call 800.767.1729 or visit www.impaxam.com for a fund prospectus and read it carefully before investing. 

Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. See the accompanying workshop presentation for additional important information. Impax Asset Management LLC is investment adviser to Impax Funds. Impax Funds are distributed by Foreside Financial Services, LLC.

Workshop Objective:

Participants will understand: 
The environmental markets opportunity set,
Impax’s approach to managing market extremes and identifying emerging trends, and
Where the strategy fits in a product lineup.

Company Profile:

Impax is a specialist asset manager investing in the opportunities arising from the transition to a more sustainable global economy. Impax believes that capital markets will be shaped profoundly by global sustainability challenges, including climate change, pollution and essential investments in human capital, infrastructure and resource efficiency. These trends will drive growth for well-positioned companies and create risks for those unable or unwilling to adapt. The company seeks to invest in higher quality companies with strong business models that demonstrate sound management of risk. Impax offers a well-rounded suite of investment solutions spanning multiple asset classes seeking strong risk-adjusted returns over the medium to long term.

In many cases, bonds are offering more value than they have in years but navigating recent - and potentially continued - market volatility requires a different approach. Learn more about how historical trends play into portfolio managers’ investment perspectives in today’s current environment and why experience matters when managing portfolios through all market cycles.

Workshop Objective:

In this workshop, we will address:
Trends that have defined fixed income markets over the last several decades; preparing for what’s ahead and the benefits of a consistent and disciplined approach with core and short duration.

Company Profile:

Nationwide is a Fortune 100 diversified insurance and financial services company with strong market positions in a number of categories. The financial services business comprises a majority of the firm's $298.6 billion* in assets. Nationwide Investment Management Group manages $74.8 billion** in assets through a broad range of investment solutions, including mutual funds, collective investment trusts and variable insurance trusts. As an institutional manager, Nationwide is uniquely positioned to serve the needs of sophisticated investment professionals. 

*As of December 31, 2023
** As of June 30, 2024

At the heart of active management lies the belief that one can deliver returns in excess of benchmark returns. Over the long term, we believe that markets are efficient. Near term, however, we believe innate behavioral biases, such as herding, overconfidence or loss aversion, influence investment decisions and create pricing anomalies. Overcoming these natural tendencies is difficult and requires patience and discipline. Our investment philosophy represents our fundamental beliefs regarding the most effective way to generate alpha and leverages our understanding of persistent anomalies that create asset mispricing. John O’Shea will discuss Loomis Sayles’ active, long-term, private-equity approach to investing and how its disciplined philosophy and process can be linked to performance proof points that form their integrated alpha thesis.

Workshop Objective:

Demonstrate how our philosophy, process, and outcomes stand apart from our peers in growth equity investing.

Company Profile:

Since 1926, Loomis, Sayles & Company has helped fulfill the investment needs of institutional and mutual fund clients worldwide. The firm’s performance-driven investors integrate deep proprietary research and risk analysis to make informed, judicious decisions. Teams of portfolio managers, strategists, research analysts and traders collaborate to assess market sectors and identify investment opportunities wherever they may lie, within traditional asset classes or among a range of alternative investments. Loomis Sayles has the resources, foresight and the flexibility to look far and wide for value in broad and narrow markets in its commitment to deliver attractive, risk-adjusted returns for clients. This rich tradition has earned Loomis Sayles the trust and respect of clients worldwide, for whom it manages $359.7 billion* in assets (as of 30 June 2024).
*Includes the assets of both Loomis, Sayles & Co., LP, and Loomis Sayles Trust Company, LLC. ($43.8 billion for the Loomis Sayles Trust Company). Loomis Sayles Trust Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.

With all the focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and the Magnificent 7, investors might be overlooking an opportunity to add alpha and diversification to their equity allocations with US Large Cap Value.  With the correlation between Growth and Value starting to normalize, this could be an opportune time to add some balance.  Join Newton Investment Management for a discussion on why an allocation to US Large Cap Value makes sense today given the changing market environment.

Workshop Objectives:  

•    Discuss why the next ten years will differ from the last ten for US Large Cap Value 
•    Discuss how US Large Cap Value can complement growth allocations and provide diversification

Company Profile: Our purpose at Newton is to unlock investment opportunity so that our clients achieve their goals. 
Our clients include public and private-sector pension plans, corporations, sovereign wealth funds, charities, endowments and foundations, and, via our parent company BNY Investments, individuals.  We seek to deliver strong outcomes to our clients by taking an active, multidimensional and engaged investment approach. It’s a future-facing approach – designed to manage the realities of today’s fast-evolving investment landscape, and to resist outdated assumptions – and it’s applied across our active equity, income, absolute return, multi-asset, thematic and sustainable strategies.
Founded in 1978, we remain solely focused on investment management, and we are a global firm, with offices in Boston, New York, San Francisco, London, and Tokyo.

As the economy slows and possibly moves into recession or soft landing in 2024, expect occasional headlines highlighting the fiscal stress on municipalities. Investors are concerned about the impact of higher inflation and slower revenue collections on government budgets. While these topics are important for the high-quality investment space, high yield municipal bonds typically fund essential services entirely separate from governmental operations that are financed by general obligation bonds (GOs). Therefore, high yield investors are paying closer attention to issues such as a project’s economics and competitive position.

Workshop Objective:

To examine which fixed income strategies are appropriate for investors in the current market environment.

Company Profile:

As interest rates start to ease and international growth companies have lagged behind, Polar Capital has launched a new International Small Company fund to capitalize on an overlooked segment of the market. Against this backdrop, Dan Boston who recently joined Polar Capital to lead a new Global Small Company investment team will discuss how he believes, this, alongside the fact that trading valuations are historically low compared to large caps, could be a compelling opportunity for small-cap investors abroad. 

Workshop Objective:

The objective is for delegates to understand why now could be a compelling opportunity for small-cap investors abroad. 

Company Profile:

Polar Capital is an experienced, investment-led, active fund manager
The company prides itself on its collegiate and meritocratic culture. Since incorporation in 2001, we have steadily grown our range of autonomous investment teams. The business is structured to allow teams to focus on their portfolios while a best-in-class operational structure works on everything else. Headquartered in London and listed on the UK stock market, Polar Capital has a global presence, including offices in New York, Connecticut and Georgia.

From multiple elections to unexpected reforms, emerging markets continue to keep investors on their toes. As an asset class, EM indices can confuse investors by the prominence they often give to less-competitive national champions and investors have traditionally emphasized commodities, a perspective that may cause them to miss the opportunity for organic, domestic growth in the EM consumer sector.  The RBC Emerging Markets team has developed a rigorous approach to understanding sustainable business models across the range of EM economies. Join us as we share insight into our approach as well as our outlook on 2024 and beyond. 

Workshop Objective:

To spark a discussion on a sustainable and high conviction approach to a diverse asset class, with a goal of having participants leave with an enhanced perspective on how an active and engaged approach can deliver a strong portfolio without the riskiness of the benchmark.

Company Profile:

RBC Global Asset Management (RBC GAM) offers a comprehensive range of solutions and services to our clients and investors. We operate as a global firm of specialized investment teams with more than $376 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2022. In addition to broad-based capabilities in equities, credit, liquidity management and alternatives, we have specialized expertise in ESG-integrated, and impact investing strategies, positioning us at the forefront of the responsible investing industry. We believe that being an active, engaged and responsible owner empowers us to enhance the long-term, sustainable performance of our portfolios. Our BlueBay fixed income platform embodies the best of alternative and traditional fixed income investing and has a deeply resourced team of investment specialists. 

This session will provide valuable insights into building and maintaining quality-focused portfolios of active and passive ETFs. We’ll explore how our partnerships with best-in-class managers and index providers allow advisors to navigate the challenging economic and market backdrop.

Workshop Objectives:

1. Better understanding of the growing active ETF landscape.

2. Alternative income during inflationary environments.

3. Managing volatility and solutions for today’s economy.

Company Profile:

SS&C ALPS Advisors, with $24.5 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2024, is an open architecture boutique investment manager offering portfolio building blocks, active insight, and an unwavering drive to guide clients to investment outcomes across sustainable income, thematic and alternative growth strategies.

AI is a transformational theme that will significantly impact economies and markets. While it has been a driving force behind US market outperformance, particularly for the "Magnificent Seven" tech giants, investors should look beyond the US for AI opportunities. We'll discuss some of the implications of AI adoption, including its potential to reshape business models and create new market leaders.  Our analysis includes a deep dive into the global semiconductor supply chain.  We'll identify companies worldwide that are well-positioned to benefit from the AI revolution, from foundries to manufacturers of specialized capital equipment.

Additionally, we'll explore secular trends and innovations in the Healthcare sector.  We'll highlight international companies who are leaders in their respective fields and helping to advance the frontier of healthcare.

Workshop Objectives:

Discuss investment opportunities arising from artificial intelligence and healthcare abroad. We will also provide an overview of the Thornburg International Growth Fund as a vehicle to access these opportunities. 

Company Profile:

Thornburg is a global investment firm delivering on strategy for institutions, financial professionals, and investors worldwide. The privately held firm, founded in 1982, is an active, high-conviction manager of equities, fixed income and multi-asset solutions. With $45 billion in client assets ($44 billion in assets under management and $1 billion in assets under advisement) as of June 30, 2024, the firm offers mutual funds, closed-end funds, institutional accounts, separate accounts for high-net-worth investors and UCITS funds for non-U.S. investors.

Thornburg’s U.S. headquarters is in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with an additional office in Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.thornburg.com.

Sit down with WCM Investment Management’s portfolio managers, Andrew Wiechert and Drew French, for a discussion on WCM’s unique approach to international equities. As long-term investors, WCM’s goal is to find quality businesses with growing competitive advantages (“economic moats”) aligned with strong, adaptable corporate cultures. WCM requires each portfolio company to possess a durable and, more importantly, improving economic moat. Economic moats are always in flux, and business fundamentals (e.g., ROIC) are intimately tied to the trajectory of a company’s competitive advantage. WCM believes understanding these competitive advantage dynamics, as well as how a company’s corporate culture supports its competitive advantage, is essential to finding durable, compounding businesses that defy the “Street’s” long-term expectations.

Workshop Objective:

Learn how the WCM Focused International Equity strategy combines WCM’s focus on growing competitive advantages, superior corporate cultures, and a pragmatic valuation framework. 

Company Profile:

WCM Investment Management is a $95B investment boutique headquartered in Laguna Beach, CA, which provides innovative equity investment advisory services to institutional investors across the globe. WCM’s primary goal is to generate long-term, sustainable excess returns for clients through actively managed strategies that generate alpha by exploiting inefficiencies in global equity markets. WCM strives to mitigate risk for its clients by constructing high-quality, holistically balanced portfolios that target downside protection. WCM is majority owned and controlled by employees, prioritizing broad-based employee ownership. 

While the Magnificent 7 offer promising growth potential, they come with their own set of challenges. Investors need to be mindful of the inherent volatility and concentration risks tied to heavy investment in a handful of technology-dominated companies. Despite their impressive growth, these companies have high valuations, face potential geopolitical risks, and can be susceptible to regulatory obstacles. It’s crucial for investors to consider these factors alongside their own risk tolerance and investment objectives.

Workshop Objective:

Discover Xtrackers Capabilities: Introduce a variety of Xtrackers capabilities to either better focus technology exposure on specific themes or to help diversify away from the Magnificent 7.

Assess Risk Diversification: Provide ideas for risk diversification and strategies to reduce portfolio volatility.

Gain Currency Hedging Insights: Offer insights on the benefits of currency hedging.

Company Profile:

Xtrackers by DWS is a global provider of passive solutions with an index track record going back over 20 years. We provide investors with innovation, access and value through a broad range of cost-effective, high-quality US-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) across all major asset classes – equities, fixed income and smart beta. 
 
Xtrackers provides numerous building blocks for traditional investment strategies, FX-hedged equities, mainland China equities, ESG strategies (environmental, social, governance), dividends and factors, high-yield, as well as innovative products on thematic investments and growth trends of the future.