Magazine issues » June 2017

ALTINVESTOR ROUND-UP: Keeping it in the family

Altinvestor_meetingThe first AltInvestor conference, in Singapore, was a forum for family offices and the fund managers that serve them to share information and debate. Funds Global Asia was media partner to the event. The huge rise in wealth in Asia in the past few decades has created more than a few millionaires. Many of these are the heads of family businesses and, of course, highly ambitious. As they consider retiring from their main duties with the firm, and putting in place succession planning, the aim is not merely to liquidate their assets. Far more commonly, the hope is to create a dynasty that will continue to protect and enrich their descendants. Analysts call the entrepreneurs and self-made businesspeople who created Asian family fortunes the ‘first generation’ wealthy. They are ageing. According to some estimates, 60% of Asian family offices expect a generation transition within the next ten years. The children, however, have different tastes and dreams to their parents. They may be far more open to diversifying the family business or, perhaps, selling parts of it to fund investments that will yield a regular income, allowing them to pursue other interests. How can the professionals who staff family offices, and the fund companies which count them as clients, respond to what has been called a ‘succession tsunami’? That was one of the key questions discussed at AltInvestor, a two-day conference organised in Singapore by Eurekahedge, a provider of financial data on hedge funds and other investment instruments. Experts
The conference included representatives from a range of organisations either managing or advising on the management of Asian family fortunes, including the Hwa Family Office, the Japan Family Office Association, the Sandaire Family Investment Office, the Taurus Family Office and others. A range of banks were also present, such as Mizuho Bank, UBS and State Street. From the world of funds came a number of specialist asset managers, many of them working in the alternatives space. The conference also featured institutional investors such as two notable Canadian pension schemes, an Australian pension scheme and a former chief investment strategist at Sweden’s AP2 scheme. Representatives from Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC, were also in attendance. Over two days, delegates discussed the challenges of managing family fortunes, the differences between Asian capital markets and those of the West, the cost and value of private banking, and the potential impact of technology such as artificial intelligence on the world of institutional investment. 2017 funds global asia

Industry comments

Investing in tomorrow’s world

investmentAt times like these, HSBC Asset Management easily pivots towards emerging markets.

The spotlight on growth markets and the need to be nimble and dynamic is ever-sharper, given the difficulty in predicting monetary policy in the world’s major nations.

Sponsored feature: Navigating the complexities of FX execution and currency risk

A comprehensive, cost-effective, and transparent currency overlay hedging solution is crucial to mitigate FX exposure risks in the complex landscapes of Japan and China's FX markets, explains Hans Jacob Feder, PhD, global head of FX services at MUFG Investor Services.

Opinion

Transitioning to an era of scarcity

The world is transitioning from an era of commodity abundance to one of undersupply. Ben Ross and Tyler Rosenlicht of Cohen & Steers believe this shift may result in significant returns for commodities and resource producers over the next decade.

Asia credit: An outsized winner in the region’s energy transition?

Ross Dilkes, fixed income portfolio manager at Wellington Management, examines the opportunities and risks for bond investors presented by the region’s decarbonisation agenda.

A quiet revolution in Japan’s corporate governance

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Why rising demand for healthcare is creating investment opportunities in China

rising demand, healthcare, investment, opportunities, China, Robert St Clair, Investment Strategy, Fullerton Fund ManagementRobert St Clair, head of investment strategy at Fullerton Fund Management, explores the reasons investors should be paying attention to the rising demand for healthcare in China.

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