Emerging markets are home to the world’s fastest-growing economies and their long-term equity returns have attracted investors. In the past several years, however, many investors may have been disappointed by lacklustre results from their emerging markets allocations. This session argued that investors should look to companies with strong secular growth to find alpha in emerging markets.[vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Sara%20Moreno%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Managing%20director%2C%20emerging%20markets%20PM%20and%20healthcare%20specialist%2C%20Jennison%20(United%20States)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Sara%20Moreno%20is%20an%20emerging%20markets%20equity%20portfolio%20manager%20and%20research%20analyst.%20She%20joined%20Jennison%20in%202011.%20She%20previously%20spent%20three%20years%20with%20Loomis%20Sayles%20as%20a%20research%20analyst%20where%20she%20covered%20stocks%20in%20Latin%20America%20and%20emerging%20Eastern%20Europe%2C%20the%20Middle%20East%2C%20and%20Africa.%20Prior%20to%20Loomis%20Sayles%2C%20she%20worked%20at%20Citi%20Global%20Markets%2C%20Goldman%20Sachs%2C%20and%20Moody%E2%80%99s.%20She%20received%20a%20BA%20in%20economics%20from%20Bryn%20Mawr%20College%20and%20an%20MBA%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Chicago.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2244366%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fsara-moreno-70aa57%2F%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Mark%20Walker%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20investment%20officer%2C%20Coal%20Pension%20Trustees%20(United%20Kingdom)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Mark%20Walker%20is%20chief%20investment%20officer%20of%20Coal%20Pension%20Trustees%20Services%20(CPT)%2C%20the%20in%20house%20executive%20responsible%20for%20the%20%C2%A321%20billion%20of%20investments%20of%20the%20Mineworkers%E2%80%99%20Pension%20Scheme%20and%20the%20British%20Coal%20Staff%20Superannuation%20Scheme.%5Cn%5CnPrior%20to%20joining%20CPT%2C%20Walker%20was%20managing%20director%20and%20global%20chief%20investment%20officer%20of%20the%20Univest%20Company%2C%20Unilever%E2%80%99s%20internal%20investment%20group.%20The%20Univest%20Company%20oversees%20the%20investments%20of%20Unilever%E2%80%99s%20pension%20plans%20in%20over%2040%20countries.%20Walker%20joined%20Unilever%20from%20Mercer%20where%20he%20was%20a%20partner%20and%20head%20of%20the%20London%20investment%20consulting%20unit.%5Cn%5CnWalker%20has%20over%2025%20years%20of%20experience%20in%20actuarial%2C%20pensions%20and%20investment%20work.%20He%20is%20a%20Fellow%20of%20the%20Institute%20of%20Actuaries%20and%20a%20member%20of%20the%20300%20Club.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2244367%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fmark-walker-9b115a42%2F%3ForiginalSubdomain%3Duk%22%7D%5D” title=”Speakers” el_class=””][vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Colin%20Tate%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20executive%2C%20Conexus%20Financial%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Tate%20has%20been%20an%20investment%20industry%20media%20publisher%20and%20conference%20producer%20since%201996.%20In%20his%20media%20career%2C%20Tate%20has%20launched%20and%20overseen%20dozens%20of%20print%20and%20electronic%20publications.%20He%20is%20the%20chief%20executive%20and%20major%20shareholder%20of%20Conexus%20Financial%2C%20which%20was%20formed%20in%202005%2C%20and%20is%20headquartered%20in%20Sydney%2C%20Australia.%20The%20company%20stages%20more%20than%2020%20conferences%20and%20events%20each%20year%20%E2%80%93%20in%20London%2C%20New%20York%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20Amsterdam%2C%20Beijing%2C%20Sydney%20and%20Melbourne%20%E2%80%93%20and%20publishes%20five%20media%20brands%2C%20including%20the%20global%20website%20and%20strategy%20newsletter%20for%20global%20institutional%20investors%20conexust1f.flywheelstaging.com.%20One%20of%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20signature%20events%20is%20the%20bi-annual%20Fiduciary%20Investors%20Symposium.%20Conexus%20Financial%E2%80%99s%20events%20aim%20to%20place%20the%20responsibilities%20of%20investors%20in%20wider%20societal%2C%20and%20political%20contexts%2C%20as%20well%20as%20promote%20the%20long-term%20stability%20of%20markets%20and%20sustainable%20retirement%20incomes.%20Tate%20served%20for%20seven%20years%20on%20the%20board%20of%20Australia%E2%80%99s%20most%20high%20profile%20homeless%20charity%2C%20The%20Wayside%20Chapel%3B%20and%20he%20has%20underwritten%20the%20welfare%20of%2060%2C000%20people%20in%2028%20villages%20throughout%20Uganda%20via%20The%20Hunger%20Project.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2244341%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fcolin-tate-839a5a181%2F%22%7D%5D” title=”Moderator” el_class=””][vc_empty_space height=”10px”]
Key takeaways
A poll of delegates finds over 50 per cent of attendees are not currently skewing their emerging market allocations to China in a new show of caution.
An active approach to investing in emerging markets where investment is focused on bottom-up opportunities in companies exposed to secular growth reaps rewards.
Investors are less focused on market cap and more focused on a split between regions. If investors only look at equity market cap as a signpost to future growth opportunities, they are likely to be disappointed.
Looking at the data, carbon emission intensity in emerging markets comes particularly from China; China is bigger than other markets.
Digital transformation at ground level in emerging markets is driving opportunities. It is also behind financial inclusion across populations excluded by the traditional banking sector.
China led the revolution, using e-commerce to increase inclusion and allowing companies to market directly to consumers.
One of the most important secular growth trends in China is in healthcare where the aging population is also wealthier, with money to spend.
Regarding investment in private equity in China, the biggest risk is permanent loss of capital. Investors should focus on individual investments at a micro level.
Emerging economies are no longer export led. For sure, Chinese growth has fuelled commodity, export-led demand in many emerging economies but now the emerging markets need to focus on local growth.
Is your emerging markets allocation skewed towards China?[vc_line_chart x_values=”” values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22No%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2256%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22blue%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22No%20but%20plan%20for%20it%20to%20be%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2211%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22pink%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Yes%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2230%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22blue%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%2350485b%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Yes%20and%20want%20to%20increase%20that%20skew%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%224%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22sandy-brown%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%2375d69c%22%7D%5D”]
The big difference between the vaccine rollouts and the scale of the stimulus measures across the world could result in a K-shaped global economic recovery, with much of the developed world booming but poorer countries continuing to struggle. However the
Farouki Majeed is worried about the future. His concerns are centred around the implications of the enormous US federal debt; the global competitiveness of the US and Chinese economies; inflation; and the potential erosion of the value of the US dollar.
Should we be thinking about investment differently in 2021? Certainly, there appears to be cause for challenge of current thinking on inflation rates and the rise of China in the new world order.
2020 was by just about any measure, unprecedented. Market volatility, regulatory change and the need to make decisions quickly – but largely remotely – put more emphasis than ever on dynamic and effective decision-making in pension investment committees. It was a true test of robust governance.
The COVID crisis and the volatility of 2020 has revealed some lessons for the investment team at Coal Pension Trustees (CPT). It has taken a more top down view of managing its portfolio looking at economic themes, risk exposures, cashflows and its manager roster holistically. Amanda White talks to CIO Mark Walker about where it sees return opportunities, the prospect of manager consolidation and how it has embraced technology for better investment practices.
The challenge of matching long-term investing with development needs in emerging and developing countries is discussed by Georg Inderst who suggests it might be time for asset owners to look at their role in blended finance.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Login