White papers - all assets – Page 22
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White papersHow Factor Investing Is Changing: Three Structural Shifts
Factor investing has long been a cornerstone of systematic portfolio construction, particularly within the ETF ecosystem. In European UCITS ETFs, its relevance has grown significantly: factor ETF assets have reached over USD 80 billion and have now surpassed those in sector ETFs, signalling a structural change in investor behaviour. Still, they represent only about 5% of the overall UCITS market . A key driver behind this trend is the rise of equal-weighted investment strategies, which have become a simple and efficient tool for investors to navigate current market challenges, now accounting for roughly a quarter of all factor allocations.
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White papers9 advantages of emerging market debt
Globally, yields on high-quality assets feel thin once adjusted for inflation and tax. Corporate balance sheets look sound, yet spreads are tight and carry is limited. Under such circumstances, emerging market debt offers a clear payoff profile.
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White papersEM debt: Cautious confidence in a shifting landscape
As we enter the final quarter of 2025, emerging market (EM) debt continues to demonstrate resilience against a complex global backdrop. Despite rising policy uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and evolving trade dynamics, EM debt has largely outperformed other fixed income asset classes so far this year. In this note, we evaluate the drivers behind EM debt’s strong returns, assess the sustainability of current trends, and outline the key risks and opportunities for the remainder of the year.
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White papersEMD report. The end of exorbitant privilege?
The shift in U.S. trade policy under the new administration has exposed deep structural issues in developed markets (DM). While initial fears of a collapse in asset flows were exaggerated, the long-term fundamentals are shifting. Post-global financial crisis, DM governments absorbed private sector debt, creating a cycle of easy money and rising public debt. The pandemic intensified this trend, pushing debt-to-GDP ratios beyond national income in many DM countries.
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White papersEmerging market debt: investing at the cutting edge of global change
The emerging market debt (EMD) asset class has expanded dramatically over the past 30 years, when it consisted of a small set of countries in Asia, EMEA and Latin America. At the inception of JP Morgan’s sovereign index in 1995, there were eight countries with USD government bonds included. The investible universe now consists of 109 countries with bonds issued in hard and local currency by governments, quasi governments and corporates.
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White papersDo you want to track—or do you want to lead?
In an era of benchmark concentration and high performance dispersion, investors face a fundamental question: track the market, or target outperformance by adding active risk that may lead to underperformance?
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White papersChanging tides: how emerging market debt is adapting to a sea of change
Emerging markets (EM) have proven proficient in adapting to an ever-changing geopolitical and macroeconomic landscape and, despite the fears surrounding President Trump’s tariffs, have navigated the impact well. The diversification of the EM universe has proven a cushion for fixed income investors.
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White papersReframing China: Why It’s Time to Rethink China Exposure as “AllChina”
For decades, global investors have treated China as a fragmented market: Mainland China as emerging, Hong Kong as developed, and Macau as too small to matter. This divide reflected the 1997 “one country, two systems” framework that granted Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy. But that separation is increasingly obsolete.
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White papersThe Case for a Standalone India Allocation
India is rapidly emerging as a key player in the global economy, currently ranked as the fifth-largest with a nominal GDP of US$ 3.9 trillion. It is projected to become the third-largest economy by the end of the decade, with GDP expected to surpass US$ 6 trillion.
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White papersEmerging market investment grade bonds: a strategic anchor in today’s uncertain world
Emerging market investment grade (EM IG) bonds, considered the defensive corner of fixed income, offer the potential for steady returns from higher yields and lower volatility. These bonds are underpinned by strong fundamentals, broad regional and sector diversification, and a track record of resilience during financial crises. Active managers can capitalize on inefficiencies within the EM IG space, presenting a compelling investment opportunity.
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White papersHigher yields signal fiscal considerations may be back in the spotlight
Rising long-term bond yields reflect growing investor focus on fiscal sustainability, as elevated government debt and deficits re-enter the spotlight and drive cross-market volatility beyond central bank policy shifts.
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White papersEmerging markets fixed income: Past, present and future
Over the last decade, emerging market (EM) sovereign and corporate hard-currency debt outstanding has grown significantly, with just over half of it rated investment grade. Over the same time period, EM local currency debt for sovereigns and corporates has grown to become the dominant segment of EM debt.
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White papersExploring the evolving AI landscape
This summer saw no shortage of news flow and events concerning artificial intelligence (AI). In this update, Jeffrey Lin, Head of Thematic Technology Equities, reflects on the evolving AI landscape, including technological advances and demand for infrastructure, and outlines why he believes AI innovation has the potential to deliver strong multi-decade revenue growth.
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White papersLight industrial and logistics real estate in Europe: a cornerstone for diversified investment strategies
In the ever-changing European real estate landscape, light industrial properties have emerged as a strategically asset class. With their flexibility, multi-tenant structures and proximity to urban centres, these assets are a compelling addition to diversified investment portfolios. At Swiss Life Asset Managers, light industrial real estate is a key pillar of our investment strategy, alongside logistics, life sciences and living – the 4L strategy, underscoring its long-term relevance and performance potential.
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White papersNew frontiers of semiconductor and AI innovation
The semiconductor industry stands at a fascinating juncture. For decades, its trajectory was famously charted by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore’s 1965 prediction that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit (IC) would double approximately every two years. Moore’s Law guided the industry to deliver ever smaller, faster, and cheaper chips, transforming our infrastructure, our homes, and even the mobile devices in our hands.
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White papersAlternate routes: The Fed’s moves and implications for stocks, bonds and beyond
While the path ahead for the economy and markets remains uncertain, compelling fundamentals emerge across asset classes, from traditional and alternative credit sectors offering attractive yields to opportunities in U.S. large cap stocks, real estate and infrastructure, with insights spanning the Fed’s policy implications, key economic indicators, asset class positioning, portfolio construction themes and actionable investment ideas.
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White papersWhy Emerging Markets Are Holding Firm on Sustainability
As U.S. interest in environmental, social and governance investing cools, companies in emerging markets countries are ramping up their efforts—propelled by investor demands and the pursuit of lasting competitiveness.
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White papersNeo-clouds With Gold AI Linings
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump brought together 33 of Silicon Valley’s most influential leaders to address a burgeoning challenge: How to meet insatiable demand for data-processing power in the age of artificial intelligence?
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White papersMIM Short Duration Commentary Q3 2025
MetLife Investment Management’s Q3 2025 Short Duration Quarterly Commentary provides an informed look at how shifting macro and sector trends shaped short-term fixed income strategies.
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White papersInvesting amid era-defining tech change and an expensive U.S. dollar
TIAA shares their outlook on the Federal Reserve’s rate-cutting cycle, strategic positioning amid dollar headwinds, and emerging opportunities driven by AI’s transformative impact on energy infrastructure and data centers, while navigating geopolitical risks and real estate recovery in an era of innovation and uncertainty.
