Industry news and views from Panacea and our partners.
Investment Commentary_
Aviva Investors: A matter of taste
As breakthroughs in nutritional science challenge assumptions that have driven global food producers to create products loaded with salt, sugar and hydrogenated fat, the industry looks ripe for disruption.
Baillie Gifford Bond Beats: #4 Darling Ingredients
In the Bond Beats short film series, Baillie Giffords High Yield Bond team explains the thinking behind some of their investment decisions. What does the White Houses china crockery have in common with Mercedes car seats and biodiesel?
Aviva Investors: Growing pains
GDP: a wealth of meaning is crammed into those three letters. Gross domestic product is our principal index of economic welfare. It is the subject of conferences and hand-wringing editorials. It is the metric by which the success or failure of government policy is judged.
Legg Mason: Four Outlooks for Europe
The outlook for European stocks appears more mixed than a year ago -- with similar potential for both very good and very bad outcomes based on the macro environment.
Brexit: Deal or No Deal? Or Something in Between?
A wide spectrum of potential Brexit scenarios still remains. On balance, our base case is for Parliament ultimately to support a Plan B deal. Under this outcome or an extend scenario, the probabilities now tilt toward a softer or later Brexit; the odds of a no-deal Brexit have fallen.
Legg Mason: Legg Mason: A Sweet Spot For Asian Markets
Price-to-book ratios for Asian equities are well below the long-term average, even after January's bounceback in valuations.
Invesco: Staying focused after a tough 2018
Product Director, Clive Emery and Portfolio Manager, Danielle Singer look at performance in 2018 and explain why theyre looking ahead with optimism.
M&G: US Fed climbs down from rate hikes
This months video looks at the Feds dramatic shift to a more dovish stance, with an emphasis on patience.
Legg Mason: Tilting toward accommodation
Subdued global inflation should provide monetary policymakers with a ramp to be more accommodative and perhaps pull back from their normalization efforts. Were encouraged by the Fed's latest commitment to be more data-dependent.
Legg Mason: Is semiconductor growth over? Think again
Makers of semiconductors are seeing valuations hit amid a cyclical downturn, but the future long-term growth picture remains intact.
Are you investing for impact?
Investing to help improve society and the environment does not mean giving up economic returns. The M&G Positive Impact Fund, launched in November 2018, aims to invest in companies that address the worlds major social and environmental challenges, while generating long-term wealth for its customers.
Aviva Investors: The big interview with David Miliband: The West in retreat
In our Big Interview, David Miliband talks to AIQ about the growing humanitarian emergency in war-torn countries, the retreat from global engagement by the West and the future of centre-left politics.
Invesco: Reshuffling the deck
After a challenging 2018, Fund Managers Stephen and Andrew outline the factors which impacted them the most along with their plans for 2019 and new additions to the portfolio.
Aviva Investors: Finding flow: four rules for successful collaboration
Good collaboration is key to success in almost every field, from business to finance to sport. We explore how organisations can encourage staff to work together to share ideas, avoid mistakes and improve performance.
Rathbones: Great timing
US nonfarm payrolls smashed expectations once again, posting 304,000 new jobs in January instead of the 165,000 forecast. December's number was revised down from exceptionally high to very high. The ISM manufacturing survey rose to 56.6, higher than expected, showing that US producers are busy and confident. Consumer sentiment was soggier, however, dropping to the weakest level of Donald Trumps presidency. It was likely dragged down by the record 35-day government shutdown, yet it held up significantly better than economists had expected.
Schroders: Infographic: A view of the world economy in January 2019
This month's infographic looks at three economic themes for 2019 as well as some black swan risks.
Schroders: Eurozone growth fails to recover as Italy slips into recession
The eurozone economy grew by just 0.2% in the final quarter of 2018 according to the flash GDP estimate released this morning. Fourth quarter growth was unchanged compared to the third quarter and matched consensus expectations.
M&G: 4 recommendations to up your ESG game
Sustainability is increasingly becoming more of a need than a choice for society and investors alike. Although a handful of ESG data providers have already emerged to meet this demand, Mario Eisenegger, Investment Specialist, outlines four recommendations to help asset managers up their ESG game.
Busting the millennial myth
New research challenges the widely held view that millennials are genuinely different from previous generations
Plastic (not so) fantastic
The ultra-long lifespan of plastics is proving an ecological challenge. As consumers become alarmed at the environmental contamination caused by synthetic organic polymers, we look at the alternatives and the role of investors in pushing for change.
M&G: Outlook 2019: Emerging Market Debt
In this short video, fund manager Claudia Calich looks back at key drivers for emerging market debt in 2018 and examines what did and did not work for the Fund, before moving on to discuss key themes on the horizon for 2019.
BlackRocks Larry Finks 2019 Letter to CEOs
In his annual letter on corporate governance, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink explores how companies can achieve long-term financial returns.
Seneca: Peter Elston: Investment Letter
As its the beginning of the year, this months letter will focus on the investment performance over the last year of our three public funds, as well as performance over longer periods. Below are tables summarising both fund and sector performance.
Rathbones Review of the Week
Every time Theresa May gets trounced in Parliament, delays a vote or a member of her Cabinet lets slip that she wont really force a no-deal exit from the EU, sterling shoots upward.
Aviva Investors: Why a US recession in 2019 is unlikely
Given the apparently close historical relationship between various financial indicators and the economy, some commentators have been quick to talk up the danger of a US recession in view of recent market developments. Such fears appear unfounded, even if growth is likely to slow, argues Michael Grady.
M&G Webcast: Introducing the M&G Positive Impact Fund
Join us on Thursday 21 February at 10am, where we will discuss the recently launched M&G Positive Impact Fund with John William Olsen, fund manager, and Ben Constable Maxwell, Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing.
M&G Investment: Downside protection while capturing the upside
In a year characterised by increased volatility and changes in market leadership, financial markets struggled to generate positive returns. However listed infrastructures defensive characteristics offers more the low volatility; offering a range of growth opportunities to drive long term performance.
Invesco Global Targeted Returns Fund (UK) Q4 2018 review
Listen to Clive Emery Multi Asset Product Director discuss the Invesco Global Targeted Returns Fund (UK)s* performance in Q4 2018, new ideas in the fund, changes to the strategy and the Henley-based Multi Asset team's macroeconomic outlook for 2019.
M&G: Bond Vigilantes Weekly: Globalisation-mecca Davos loses shine as trade wanes
When the presidents of the US, France and Britain cancel their trip to the World Economic Forum at Davos the mecca of globalisation over the past two decades to face domestic challenges, no wonder investors are worried about falling global trade, inward-looking policies and hence, lower global growth.
M&G Fund Update
Watch fund manager Jim Leaviss give his views on key drivers for global markets in the previous year, commenting on what worked well and what didn't for the Fund, moving on to his approach to 2019.
Aviva Investors: The UK grocery market: ripe for disruption
With the grocery market undergoing significant changes, the successful supermarkets of the future are likely to be smaller and focussed on providing a rich shopping experience, writes Jonathan Bayfield.
Baillie Gifford: Beyond the Headlines - Stock Stories in Asia
How do you find the most exciting growth companies in the Asia Pacific region? In this film Ewan Markson-Brown and Roderick Snell, managers of the Baillie Gifford Pacific Fund, discuss the key components that an exceptional growth company must exhibit and how they are upbeat for the prospects of the companies that display them.
Invesco: Whats next for Brexit?
After the dramatic defeat of the UK Prime Ministers EU withdrawal plan, we believe the chances have risen for a softer version of Brexit or perhaps even no Brexit at all. Read more to find out the five scenarios for the future EU-UK relationship.
Dinosaur or canary? Rathbones
Global stock markets have been unsettled by political and economic uncertainty recently, and swung significantly between gains and losses in the final weeks of 2018. President Trumps criticism of the Federal Reserves latest interest rate rise added to concerns that US consumer demand may be cooling. Meanwhile, trade tensions between America and China continue despite a temporary truce.
Aviva Investors: Can the Tropical Trump rescue Brazil?
Markets may have reacted positively to the election of Jair Bolsonaro as president of Brazil, but investors would be advised to temper their optimism given the political challenges he will face when he takes office in the New Year.
Baillie Gifford Bond Beats: # 3 Pinewood Studios
In the Bond Beats short film series, Baillie Giffords High Yield Bond team explains the thinking behind some of their investment decisions. Hollywood might be the first location you think of when it comes to blockbuster films, but theres another important wood. Investment manager Alexander Nicolier takes a look at Englands iconic Pinewood Studios and why they might be centre stage in the film industry for many years to come.
Aviva Investors: Equities outlook: four predictions for 2019
How will equities perform in a challenging environment marked by political tensions and rising interest rates? Here are our forecasts for the next 12 months.
Baillie Gifford: Asia - Beyond the Headlines
Recent headlines relating to geopolitical and market unrest in Asia do not deter Tim Erskine-Murray from an upbeat analysis of Asias outlook.
M&G Investments: FTSE 100 celebrates 35 years a bargain opportunity?
Watch this months video where, Investment Director, Ritu Vohora looks at the evolution of the FTSE 100 over the past 35 years and whether UK equities are a buying opportunity.
Aviva Investors: What will Europe look like if and when we leave the EU?
Much has been made of what Britain may look like after Brexit in the UK press. In this piece, Cambridge University professor Helen Thompson tells us what the picture could look like for Europe in a post-Brexit world.