The abrdn Global Infrastructure Equity Fund, exemplifies diversity in its truest form, spanning various regions and sectors, marking it as a genuinely global portfolio. With distinctive features it not only sets the fund apart but also ensures the generation of stable and predictable long-term cash flows. Josh has been managing the US strategy for 15 years, which has consistently outperformed the market, so this makes it an attractive proposition for your clients today. 

Workshop Objective: Learn about why investors should consider diversifying into Global Infrastructure.

Company Profile: We invest to help our clients create more. More opportunity. More potential. More impact. We offer investment expertise across all key asset classes, regions, and markets so that our clients can capture investment potential wherever it arises. By combining market and economic insight with technology and diverse perspectives, we look for optimal ways to help investors navigate the future and reach their financial goals. And by putting environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations at the heart of our process, we seek to find the most sustainable investment opportunities globally.

An interactive workshop going under the hood of a leading systematic manager.

Attendees can suggest any company to review. Portfolio Manager Thomas Dobler will then share a live demo of Acadian forecasts. Through this transparent demonstration, he will show how fundamentals drive decision-making. 

Workshop Objective: Gain insight into how systematic investing works.

Company Profile: Established in 1986, Acadian is recognized as a pioneer in the field of systematic investing. We have been at the forefront of systematic research, signal development, and portfolio construction for 35 years. 

As of June 30,2024, we manage $113bn of assets for institutional investors worldwide, across equity, credit, and alternative strategies. 

Join EMsights for an open discussion on how one can invest in alpha generating opportunities amidst a backdrop of an increasingly unsettled geopolitical landscape, higher interest rates and growing bouts of market volatility. Actively managed strategies that invest beyond the limitations of the benchmarks are anticipated to have a competitive edge. EMsights Capital Group will explore the challenges with the most widely used emerging markets debt benchmarks and share how they are actively navigating around these shortcomings to take advantage of the full opportunity set.

Workshop Objectives: Explore the advantages of investing in emerging markets debt and learn how an active investment strategy, that manages around the limitations of the benchmarks, can lead to more favorable outcomes within this asset class. 

Company Profile: Artisan Partners was founded in 1994 with the objective of producing high value added and differentiated investment outcomes for institutional investors, through identifying, attracting and retaining high caliber talent in long term asset classes. We provide the resources of a full-scale, global firm paired with the independence of a boutique to each of our autonomous investment teams, who have the freedom to execute its own process based on its original research and creative perspectives. While our teams differ across market capitalizations, geographical regions, investment styles and product offerings, they are all highly incentivized to deliver long-term value for our clients.

Japan appears to have once again piqued international interest. Having escaped the shadows of the past and reaching new market highs, the most apt question is: where do the opportunities now lie? Karen will explain where we have been and how we are positioned for what could come next. 

Workshop Objective:
•    How sustainable are the drivers of recent market returns?
•    What themes appear poised for reappraisal? 
•    Which companies will likely emerge on top? 

While change in the global economy is the norm, what is unique about this current point in time is that there appears to be a confluence of transformational and multi-generational shifts occurring at the same time. Consequently, the next decade and beyond could present a rich and more diverse set of investment opportunities, and it will be increasingly important to find strategies that can navigate significant market shifts while keeping true to their objectives and philosophy.

Workshop Objective: To understand how a structurally flexible, bottom-up approach to investing in global equities can help achieve consistent returns over the long term.

Company Profile: Capital Group is one of the oldest and largest asset management companies in the world, managing multi-asset, equity and fixed income investment strategies for different types of investors. 
Since 1931, Capital Group has been singularly focused on delivering superior, consistent results for long-term investors using high-conviction portfolios, rigorous research and individual accountability. We build our investment strategies with durability in mind, backed by our experience in varying market conditions. Fundamental proprietary research forms the backbone of our approach, provided by our integrated global network of more than 450 experienced investment professionals, with an average portfolio manager investment experience of 27 years. 
Today Capital Group works with financial intermediaries and institutions to manage more than US$2.7 trillion in long-term assets for investors around the world.

*All data as at 31 March 2024

Japan’s economy is experiencing a resurgence driven by inflation, higher rates, increasing wages, tax and governance reforms and a shift from savings to investment. This environment presents an opportunity for long-term investments in quality, large-cap stocks with high growth potential. 

Japan is strategically positioned to benefit from the advancement in technology and innovation, particularly in sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, advanced robotics, healthcare and electric vehicles. 

Our Tokyo-based investment team follows a process-driven investment framework, working closely with our 14 corporate research analysts, while leveraging the size and resources of the Daiwa Securities Group. 

We offer exposure to high-quality growth stocks managed by experienced professionals who deeply understand the Japanese market and can capitalise on their unique position.  

Workshop Objective: To showcase the benefits of investing in quality growth stocks in japan with Daiwa Asset Managements experienced team, long track record, proven investment process and strong client relationships bridging the UK, Europe and Japan. 

Company Profile: To showcase the benefits of investing in quality growth stocks in japan with Daiwa Asset Managements experienced team, long track record, proven investment process and strong client relationships bridging the UK, Europe and Japan. 

This presentation explores the broadening out of the market that may already be underway by highlighting two key areas: 
First, it highlights the historic opportunity in US Mid and Small cap companies. Second, it examines the Smart Grid theme, offering exposure to the $21 trillion global electric grid upgrade.

The First Trust Nasdaq® Clean Edge® Smart Grid Infrastructure UCITS ETF has been one of the lower volatility clean energy investments, while many of its holdings have been implementing AI for years. GRID also offers pure-play exposure to the companies powering the data center buildout.

The First Trust SMID Rising Dividend Achievers UCITS ETF
provides pure-play exposure to 2 historically undervalued pockets of the market: Mid/Small Cap & Value Stocks, but risks are clear. First Trust will highlight how a rules-based methodology can help investors mitigate the major known risk to “SMID” caps and seek to avoid value traps.

Workshop Objective:
1.    Discuss where we are in the “Broadening Out” Rally 
2.    Detail the Smart Grid Theme
3.    Detail the historic opportunity in Mid & Small & Value Stocks
4.    Articulate both Stock Selection & Weighting Methodologies

Company Profile: First Trust is a privately owned U.S. based financial services firm established in 1991. Our mission and approach are simple. We aim to offer investors a better way to invest by providing transparent and innovative solutions - through knowing what we own, investing for the long term, employing discipline and rebalancing our portfolios.  
 
These core principles are taken into consideration in all aspects of our business and are the building blocks of our reputation. It is through these principles that First Trust’s specialist investment managers apply a robust and disciplined approach to a range of methodologies. We have a strong track record in providing a variety of rules-based, thematic and actively managed strategies investing across a range of equities, fixed income and alternatives.  
 
In delivering our message, our regional sales teams work closely with prospects and clients to distribute First Trust’s range of single-country, regional and global solutions across the world.

In an era of evolving infrastructure needs, the interplay between policy frameworks and investment strategies has become increasingly critical. As the UK government navigates the complexities of achieving net zero targets, understanding the shifting landscape of infrastructure is essential. This workshop will delve into the transformative impact of Labour’s policy developments on the infrastructure sector, highlighting the opportunities and challenges that arise within this dynamic environment.

Workshop Objective:
1.    Discussing potential future support mechanisms for infrastructure investments and how they align with GCP’s strategic goals
2.    Analyse the changes in the infrastructure landscape over the past year and highlight the potential opportunities from Labour’s policies

Optimism about the potential of AI to drive future profits has pushed some mega-cap tech stock valuations to stratospheric levels. However, as students of behavioral finance, we understand the dangers of extrapolating the past into the future, especially under the influence of the recency effect – a combination that has proven to be lethal in investing many times in the past. Global Equity Portfolio Manager Rick Schmidt will explore how Harding Loevner’s investment process guards against behavioral biases while simultaneously uncovering structural future growth. 

Workshop Objective: To present Harding Loevner’s insights on the dangers of overconfidence and shiny object syndrome prevalent in today’s markets, while also highlighting investment opportunities beyond mega-cap tech that we believe are well-positioned for strong performance in the years ahead.

Company Profile: Harding Loevner is a global equity specialist, established in 1989 by former investment managers for Rockefeller & Co. Investing in high-quality growing companies has been our sole focus for the last 35 years. A single investment philosophy, bottom-up process and research team drives all strategies, while equity-based compensation aligns our goals and time horizon with those of our clients. Our team of 33 investment professionals has an average 23 years’ investment experience and 11 years with the firm. From our offices in Bridgewater, NJ and London, we manage $50 billion of client assets.

The US represents approximately 70% of developed market indices and often makes up a large part of investor portfolios. However, 2024 has not been without uncertainty: approaching US elections, concerns around market concentration and the Magnificent Seven, and markets watching for the Fed to start cutting rates. So, what next for US Equities? Where do opportunities lie?  

In this session, we will look at the key drivers behind the US stock market, explore some of the ways you could gain exposure to US equities, including ways to dial up or down exposure to tech, and explain how a swap-based approach offers a distinct structural advantage for ETFs tracking US equity indices.

Workshop Objective:
•    Explore what factors are driving the US equity market 
•    Understand the different ways to gain exposure to US equities via ETFs 
•    Understand the benefits and risks of a swap-based approach for ETFs tracking US equity indices

Company Profile: Invesco is a leading independent global investment management firm with more than 8,400 dedicated people in over 26 countries. Our philosophy is about using our integrity, passion and expertise to solve the needs of our clients, helping them reach their goals.

We manage over US$1.7 trillion of assets*, giving our clients the confidence of working with a partner with size, scale and stability. We offer a wide range of single-country, regional, and global capabilities across major equity, fixed-income, and alternative asset classes, delivered through a diverse set of investment vehicles, including a broad range of ESG-related capabilities.

*30 June 2024

Fund manager Alex Savvides, who has recently moved to Jupiter Asset Management, will discuss his team’s track record of blending the best of value and growth investing to deliver long-term returns. He will describe their formula for finding high-quality companies at low points in their lifecycle, with low valuations and a strong commitment to fixing the business. Alex and team constructively engage with management and stay patient as these companies recover, return to growth and get reappraised by the market.

Workshop Objective: Attendees will have a greater understanding of how the fund manager looks for underperforming quality businesses and how he backs transformation strategies aimed at creating better businesses. 

Company Profile: Jupiter is an active asset manager. We believe that investment excellence requires diverse thinking, creativity, and a relentless drive to seek opportunities.
Being exclusively asset management driven, we focus entirely on delivering for our clients. We’re here to make an active difference by looking for opportunities that will be relevant and valued not just today, but in the future. We value independence, individuality, and diverse thinking, with a culture that puts collaboration and a spirit of challenge at its heart.
Every day, our people direct their efforts towards creating a better future for our clients, combining human ingenuity with the right technology to provide a high-quality client experience.
Jupiter has assets under management of £51.3bn /$64.8bn /€60.5bn as at 30/06/2024.

Active small-cap investing offers compelling investment opportunities when conducted with a disciplined investment approach to stock selection, risk management, and a long-term approach. 

In this session, we will discuss the reasons you should take a closer look at small-cap stocks and why U.K. investors should consider an allocation to this asset class. Topics include:

1.    The small-cap ‘premium’: Does it exist and if so, how do you access it?
2.    Is there a right time to allocate to small caps? 
3.    The case for a high-quality, high-conviction approach to investing.

Workshop Objective:  To make the case for investing in small-cap stocks and why now might be the time to for U.K.-based investors to allocate to this asset class. 

Company Profile: Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, LLC (“KAR”), headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, was founded in 1984 by two successful entrepreneurs, Richard Kayne and John Anderson, to manage the funds of its principals and clients.
Since its inception, the firm has followed a philosophy of investing in “high-quality” companies resulting in high conviction portfolios. KAR now manages over $50bn AUM entrusted by multiple client types including corporate and public pension plans, foundations, endowments, brokerage firms, and high-net-worth individuals. Our range investment strategies all embody our unified investment philosophy.

Listed infrastructure has gained recognition as a distinct asset class, attracting institutional and individual investors who seek stable income, long-term growth potential from exposure to essential services. The recent macro backdrop provides the perfect opportunity to revisit an asset class now trading at some of the most attractive valuations in decades. 

Workshop Objective: Join us to understand why Listed Infrastructure offers: 

Growth from exposure to the mega themes in decarbonisation, digitisation and deglobalisation.
A consistent compounding real income source.
Reduced portfolio correlation risk and enhanced diversification.

Company Profile: M&G Investments is an asset manager that connects the dots globally to identify investment opportunities.

Our global network of investment professionals connect world-class research capabilities with the diverse experiences and views of experts across multiple asset classes.

We call this Intelligence Connected.

We’ve been putting our clients at the centre of everything we do for over 90 years. And after launching Europe’s first-ever mutual fund back in 1931, we’re now recognised for our expertise in fixed income, private markets, multi-asset solutions and equities, including our growing range of sustainability-driven thematic equity products.

Today, we manage over £313bn* on behalf of individual and professional investors, including banks, pension funds, insurers, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, charities and advisors. And by investing for our internal client, we further enhance our ability to understand and act on our clients’ objectives.
 
As part of M&G plc, the international savings and investment business, we also have a shared purpose to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work.

*As at 31 December 2023

Within the global bond universe, investment grade bonds continue to look compelling. The asset class benefits from historically compelling yields. Such high yield levels cushion investors from losses and should provide attractive returns relative to cash especially now that we are in a period of synchronized global central bank easing. Supply expectations for global investment bonds are highly manageable, while demand is strong, supported by retail flows out of cash and institutional demand, especially from de-risking defined benefit pension schemes. Lastly fundamentals are strong and should be resilient even in the event of a harder landing. 
The tighter spread environment does however mean investors need to refocus on alpha from beta gains and focus increasingly on how strong research and active management can boost returns via security and sector selection.

Workshop Objective: We introduce our top performing Meridian Global Credit Fund. We explain how active management can continue to thrive in this environment with the fund aiming to focus on a number of emerging themes in global credit including real estate de-leveraging, auto sector headwinds and consolidation in the European banking sector. We show how we look to empower our experienced global research team to add alpha predominately via security selection.

Company Profile: In 1924, MFS launched the US’ first open-end mutual fund to give everyday investors access to the markets. One hundred years later, as a full-service global investment manager serving financial advisors, intermediaries and institutional clients, we celebrate a century of active management. Tested and refined across market environments, our investing approach combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create value responsibly for clients. Supported by our culture of shared values and collaboration, our teams of diverse thinkers actively debate ideas and assess material risks to uncover what we believe are the best investment opportunities in the market. 

The painful failures of traditional sources of diversification in recent years have emphasised the need to incorporate truly uncorrelated, complementary sources of return into traditional portfolios. 
Equity and fixed income indexes ended 2023 near their highest correlation on record, as these two assets moved in relative lockstep for most of the preceding 24 months – and history shows that this was no fluke.
Investors have responded with increasing interest in alternative investments. Evolution in the alternative investment space has allowed us to evaluate and extrapolate different sources of alpha more effectively.  We believe that liquid alternatives can play a key role in addressing the diversification dilemma.

Workshop Objective: To introduce the Morgan Stanley Systematic Liquid Alpha Fund (SLA).  SLA is a daily dealing, UCITS fund designed to be simple, repeatable and defensive by nature. It was launched in February 2024 and has a strategy track record going back to 2018.  

Company Profile: MSIM, with $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2024, is a client-centric organization dedicated to providing investment and risk-management solutions to a wide range of investors and institutions including corporations, pension plans, intermediaries, sovereign wealth funds, central banks, endowments and foundations, governments and consultant partners worldwide. 

With over four decades of asset management experience, our investment strategies span the risk/return spectrum across geographies, investment styles and asset classes, including equity, fixed income, alternatives and private markets. MSIM offers its clients personalized attention, the intelligence and creativity of some of the brightest professionals in the industry, and access to the global resources of Morgan Stanley.

The US stock market outperformance in recent years has been deserved based on its underlying fundamentals. In essence, it is the highest quality market in the world. However, much of this outperformance has been driven by a small number of companies, masking several long-term secular growth opportunities throughout the US that remain relatively underappreciated. Ninety One’s Joseph Knight explains why a differentiated quality approach - selecting niche leaders with dominant market positions and more resilient revenue streams - has helped American Franchise deliver significantly greater profits growth than the S&P 500, in addition to offering protection in more challenging times.

Workshop Objective:
1.    To inform delegates that a differentiated approach to quality investing in the US market can help investors navigate this “noisy” market – in both up and down times.
2.    Showcasing the importance of looking at resilient revenue streams in the quality equities space.
3.    To inform delegates of the importance of downside protection in more challenging market conditions 
 

Company Profile: Investing for a world of change
Ninety One is an active, global investment manager managing £128.6 billion in assets (as at 30.06.24). Our goal is to provide long-term investment returns for our clients while making a positive difference to people and the planet.
Established in South Africa in 1991, as Investec Asset Management, the firm began as a small start-up offering domestic investments in an emerging market. In 2020, as a global firm proud of our emerging market roots, we demerged to become Ninety One.
We are committed to developing specialist investment teams organically. Our heritage and approach let us bring a different perspective to active and sustainable investing across equities, fixed income, multi-asset and alternatives to our clients - institutions, advisors and individual investors around the world. 

Industry veteran Richard “Dickie” Hodges cuts through the noise of elections, inflation, central banks, refinancing “walls” and slowing growth to provide simple tactics for navigating today’s fixed income environment.

Workshop Objectives: Attendees will gain insights into the global macro environment and how to position portfolios for the market conditions that lie ahead.

Company Profile: The Nomura Asset Management Group is a leading global investment manager. Headquartered in Tokyo, Nomura has additional investment offices throughout the world including London, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei, Frankfurt and New York. With a global workforce of 1.375 employees it has been operating in Europe for more than 30 years. Today Nomura Asset Management provides its clients with a wide range of innovative investment strategies including global, regional and single country equities, high yield bonds and global fixed income strategies.

Today’s bond yields mean that investors in multi-sector bond strategies can once again aim for consistent income and capital gains. With a track record of 10+ years delivering strong risk-adjusted returns, the GIS Income fund is PIMCO’s flagship fund and is that Strategic Bond allocation that can help you navigate any market environment.

Workshop Objective: To provide an overview of PIMCO’s macro views and why we think our GIS Income is differentiated in the UK fixed Income market and should be considered as a one stop Fixed Income allocation for your portfolios. 

Company Profile: PIMCO is a global leader in active fixed income with deep expertise across public and private markets. We invest our clients’ capital in income and credit opportunities that span the liquidity spectrum, leveraging our decades of experience navigating complex debt markets. Our flexible capital base and deep relationships with issuers have helped us become one of the world’s largest providers of traditional and alternative investment solutions and a valued financing partner.

2024 has seen investors obsess over the timing of the first rate cut by major central banks, and to a lesser extent the number of rate cuts priced for 2024. However, we think investors should be thinking about where rates could be at the end of a rate cutting cycle, and what that implies for fixed income markets. In particular, whilst short-duration strategies might not naturally come to mind in a rate-cutting cycle, might it be an under the radar opportunity if we were to see a soft landing? We also explore where we believe you are being best compensated from credit risk within the universe given the move in credit spreads we have seen in the past 18 months.

Workshop Objective: Understand the current environment for bond investors and the value that a short duration fund could potentially offer investors going forward.

Company Profile: Rathbones Asset Management is a UK fund manager, with 13.8 billion AUM*. We offer actively managed equity, fixed income and multi-asset capabilities including a wide range of sustainable strategies for retail and institutional-type investors. Our single-strategy and multi-asset funds are designed to meet investors’ capital growth and income requirements. We believe that we combine the best cultural aspects of an investment boutique with the strengths of a well-resourced parent, Rathbones Group Plc. 

*As at 31 December 2023

www.rathbonesam.com

Deputy Head of Emerging Markets Equity, Laurence Bensafi and Product Specialist, Dijana Jelic will share their outlook for EM equities and provide an introduction to the RBC EM Equity platform - how we invest, our philosophy as well as touch on our core strategies and performance / track record.

Workshop Objective:
Get an updated outlook for EM Equities as an asset class 
Understand how our Portfolio Managers make investment decisions when looking at EM markets

Company Profile: RBC BlueBay Asset Management represents RBC Global Asset Management outside of North America and is an active asset manager with expertise across fixed income, equities and alternatives. Our solutions-driven approach means we endeavour to empower our clients with the knowledge they need to help shape their investment decisions. We work and evolve with our clients, creating and customising investment products that meet their needs.

We operate with total transparency throughout the business, providing clients with direct access to our investment teams and fostering a culture that encourages opportunity, resulting in a thoughtful and inclusive organisation that puts people first and delivers for clients. 

Responsible investment is not just an investment focus; it is deeply ingrained into client experience and our work to deliver solutions that support real-world impact. 

Macro-economic data continues to be supportive for US equities as inflation abates, labour markets remain robust, and economic growth remains positive. We continue to evaluate the opportunity of a diversified approach as anticipated rate cuts appear supportive of market breadth. While the magnificent-7 are supported by structural tailwinds, in this session we will discuss the opportunities beyond the S&P 500. 

Growth in the S&P 500 remains strong, but valuation gaps suggest an opportunity in mid- & small-caps amidst the soft landing. Dividend strategies provide exposure to pro-cyclical sectors, with less overcrowding risk. Dividends are defensive and outperform historically in extreme volatility. We will evaluate the risk of volatility ticking higher in a contentious US election season.

Workshop Ojectives: In this session we will discuss the opportunities in and beyond the S&P 500, by evaluating the current investor positioning, market trends, election outcomes likely to impact US equity returns

Company Profile: For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions, and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis, and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. As pioneers in index and ETF investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $4.37 trillion† under our care. 

*Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of 12/31/23. 
†This figure is presented as of June 30, 2024 and includes ETF AUM of $1,393.92 billion USD of which approximately $69.35 billion USD is in gold assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

The pricing in select listed real estate sub-markets is too cheap. There is a clear arbitrage between public and private markets, which has led to M&A increasing significantly. A substantial amount of capital exited the sector as interest rates rose, and investors have yet to return. However, fundamentals are strong, and we expect that earnings growth, coupled with anticipated interest rate cuts should drive share prices as demand (for the right real estate) exceeds supply. Hard or soft landing we believe the listed real estate sector will provide a resilient, compounding income stream for investors.

Workshop Objective:
1.    Explain the role of listed RE in a model portfolio
2.    Understand why the outlook for the RE sector is strong
3.    Describe the dominant position best in class REITs have vs competitors

Company Profile: We are a leading provider of active asset management, advisory and wealth management services. Recognised as a leader in sustainability. Few investment managers can match the combination of capabilities and global reach that we offer.
 
This breadth of services across public and private markets allows us to design distinctive solutions for the diverse needs of clients. They look to us to provide excellent long-term investment outcomes, and it is our duty always to act in their best interests. That is a responsibility we take seriously – and we believe that when we succeed for clients, society and the wider world benefit too.