HOT TOPIC: Asia Pacific: Why it's time to look East again

Octo members love to dig into the deeper technical detail and have been asking for a deeper debate on many Trust and Tax technical aspects. You asked we answered and here is the tune up diving into Trusts & Bonds: Here LEE ROBERTSON, CEO of Octo will be asking your questions of MARK GREEN, Tax & Trust specialist & MARK LAMBERT, Head of onshore bond distribution HSBC Life.

Please do ask any questions.

Join the discussion and learn more about Discounted Gift Trusts, Loan Trusts, Gift & Probate trusts as well as deed of variation and the Trust Registration Service. In addition we will be answering the question where have onshore bonds been and what makes them so relevant for planning.

What opportunities lie ahead for UK plc, the UK stock-market and for investors? John Lappin will be asking this and many more questions of Nicola Tait, Certified Financial Planner, Progeny Wealth, Rob Gleeson, CIO, FE Investments and James Thorne, Portfolio Manager, UK Equities, Columbia Threadneedle. Looking from the perspective of the adviser, selector and asset manager the panel will be discussing what it all means for UK Investors and the domestic outlook. Join what promises to be a great debate with plenty of insight shared.

How writing a book connects with clients and conveys your credentials as a thought leader and trusted adviser.

With building trust and transparency high on the agenda for all professional service firms – from finance to law and tech, among others – executives, entrepreneurs and experts need to craft convincing ways to establish their credentials and connect with clients.

Bestselling author and business school professor Steven Sonsino, a Fellow in the Centre for Management Development at London Business School, will share three high-speed, high-impact strategies for writing and publishing your book. Because books build brands and will win you the visibility and status you deserve as a thought leader and trusted adviser.

About the speaker
Steven Sonsino is a Fellow in the Centre for Management Development at London Business School and a visiting professor at four other business schools, including the Indian School of Business. He’s the bestselling author of The Seven Failings of Really Useless Leaders, The CEO’s Journey and You Should Write a Book, as well as a dozen other titles. He’s an international leadership speaker, working with global clients including Microsoft, HSBC, Emirates and the Society for Human Resource Managers. And he’s co-founder of the Authors Channel podcast, featuring interviews with global thought leader Professor Lynda Gratton, the former Dean of IMD Professor Peter Lorange and the US coach Marshall Goldsmith among many others. He is twice winner of a National Training Award from the British Government ‘for excellence in training’.

https://stevensonsino.com/

Our experts debate the opportunities to be found in the East in this latest Hot Topic. Mark Preskett, Portfolio Manager for Morningstar will be joined by Andrew Swan, Head of Asia (ex-Japan) Equities, Man GLG, Vipul Mehta, Head of Investment Asia Pacific ex Japan, Nomura Asset Management Singapore Ltd and Jason Pidcock, Head of Strategy, Asian Income, Jupiter . They will be answering may questions including:

Are there real value opportunities in Asian markets or are they fairly priced?
Is the Asian consumer still the dominant theme, or are there others at play?
How has Asia dealt with Covid, and has this presented investment opportunities?
What is the best way to find stock opportunities? Can you invest in Asia remotely or do you need a team on the ground?
What are the opportunities for the ESG investor in Asia? Are companies open to change?

And so much more. Register now and join the debate

Join our experts discussing Emerging Markets and questioning whether this is the next frontier for ESG. Paris Jordan, founder of Virtuvest is asking the questions of Elena Tedesco, CFA, Director Sustainability & Co-portfolio manager Emerging Market ESG Strategies at Federated Hermes, Mithran Sudhir, Portfolio Manager, Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Nicholas Sauer, Portfolio Manager, Emerging Market Debt, Candriam Investment Management, Dhiren Shah, Portfolio Manager, Ashmore

Debating how ESG analysis differs for emerging markets compared to developed market equities? How companies in emerging markets are improving their transparency and investor engagement? How they measure performance of ESG in emerging markets, i.e. what are the benchmarks? Answering the question how can state-owned businesses engage with ESG? and so much more.

Have your say, ask your questions and join the debate

Octo HOT TOPIC the latest in this virtual lunch series. Ryan Hughes, Head of Active Portfolios at AJ Bell will be discussing Income and casting the net wider with a global approach to sustainable growth. He will be joined by Jon Bell, Portfolio Manager at BNY Mellon, Dr Ian Mortimer, Portfolio Manager at Guinness Asset Management and Harry Richards, Fund Manager at Jupiter Asset Management.

The discussion will travel the globe and answer questions including:
Outside of the UK, which stockmarkets have a tradition of rewarding shareholders with attractive dividends?

In tough market conditions, where can investors find sustainable and growing income?

What’s the current outlook for income and growth in emerging markets?

How can post-Brexit Europe contribute to an income portfolio?

Some of the biggest dividend payers globally are in relatively unloved sectors, such as financials, energy and healthcare. How is disappointing growth impacting pay-outs?

We look forward to seeing you there.

Our panel of experts will be revisiting ESG and looking at how multi-asset solutions offer a route to sustainable investing.

Host Tim Cockerill together with our panellists Maria Municchi Fund Manager Sustainable Multi-Asset fund for M&G Investments, Lesley-Ann Morgan Head of Multi-Asset Strategy, Schroders and David Appleton, Senior Investment Director, Brooks Macdonald.

How are multi-asset funds choosing between the different ESG offerings from fund groups? Which criteria is most trusted?
How do you guard against accusations of ‘greenwashing’?
How have ESG funds performed against traditional non-restricted funds?
How does ESG investing in fixed income compare to equities?
Can you invest in alternatives with an ESG angle?

All this and more as well as answering your questions.

Our panel of experts will be revisiting Greenwashing and looking at what to ask and what to avoid when discussing ESG. Host Georgina Mitchell MCSI, together with our panelists Ben Constable-Maxwell, Head of Sustainable & Impact Investing, M&G Investments and  Mikkel Bates, Regulatory Manager, FE fundinfo and Paris Jordan, founder of Virtuvest will be discussing:

What markers are most important when assessing the responsible investment credentials of an asset manager?

What questions should fund pickers be asking when choosing between different ESG funds?

What standards are investors benchmarking companies against? And how must these standards improve?

How can you ensure individual client preferences around responsible investing are reflected in their investments?

What must wealth managers and advisers do themselves to improve their own responsible investment credentials? all this and more as well as answering your questions.

Host Andy Merricks, Fund Manager, 8AM Focussed Fund together with our panelists Michael Walsh, Multi-Asset Solutions Strategist, T Rowe Price and Randeep Somel, Associate Portfolio Manager, M&G Investments will explore the US election and what the outcome could mean for you and your clients.
Which outcome will be most positively welcomed by markets, at least in the short term?
How do the two sides differ in terms of their ideas on healthcare reform?
Is a more protectionist US ultimately good for its economy and markets?
Could the dominance of US tech giants be derailed by events in the Senate?
Where are the unheralded opportunities for investment growth in the US?

Join us for what promises to be a lively debate.

An Octo HOT TOPIC, the latest in the virtual lunch series, explores alternatives for investors who are worried about the impact that this year’s economic devastation is having on traditional UK equity income stocks. In a world where dividends are under unprecedented pressure, our income focused debate should provide serious food for thought. Joining Tim Cockerill, Investment Director of Rowan Dartington to answer your questions will be Jason Baggaley, Fund Manager, Standard Life Investments Property Income Trust Limited, David Conlon, Director of Gravis and the lead fund manager for GCP Asset Backed, Carl Harald Janson, Lead Investment Manager, International Biotechnology Trust and Thomas McMahon, senior analyst at Kepler Partners.

Octo HOT TOPIC the latest in this virtual lunch series will explore all the options when outsourcing investment decisions, from multi-manager and multi-asset funds, to discretionary managers and model portfolio services.

Our panel of experts will be assessing the pros and cons of the different options, the latest developments, as well as discussing the asset allocation calls that they have made in a challenging few months for the industry.

They will also be answering your questions, so make sure you join us for what promises to be an illuminating live event.

Never has communication and conveying the right message with authenticity and awareness to the investing public been more important. In a longer GR8 Debate interview with Lee Robertson before we went into lockdown, Damian Horner CXO of Real Vision which we believe to be one of the most innovative disruptors in financial services content and messaging operating today, came in to talk to us about why he believes communication, the art of storytelling and getting the right messages across to the public from those of us in financial services is just so crucial.

He gives very freely of his long years of experience and we are really chuffed he found the time to engage further with the community. Pulling no punches he describes how much the team at Real Vision have learned along the way and offers lots of experience based insights and thought provoking ideas on the market today and into the future in this long form interview. We think this will be of interest to the whole community and we particularly recommend every marketer should set aside some time to watch hugely informative interview.

The latest episode in this virtual lunch series explores multi-asset funds. Answering those questions that Octo members have been asking. Our Investment experts will be discussing and debating what makes a good multi-asset fund, asset allocation, portfolio construction, cost and so much more. Mark Preskett of Morningstar will be putting your questions to John Roe, Head of Multi-Asset Funds, LGIM, Dr Niall O'Connor, Brooks Macdonald and Yoram Lustig, CFA Head of Multi-Asset solutions EMEA, T Rowe Price.

Octo Members have been debating the merits of European Equities, one of the lesser loved asset classes, offering more diversification than you might think. A number of questions have been asked and here is your opportunity to join the debate and put your own questions to the managers.

Covid has changed the landscape for communications across financial services. Communications to the Intermediary and to the client. Octo members have been asking for a deeper debate on what good client and industry communications will look like. Here Jon Pittham will be asking Tim Thompson-Rye, Faith Liversedge and Mitchell Fraser-Jones member questions on the positive changes seen, the innovation, the role of technology and data, the cost of good communication and how organisations can communicate effectively in challenging times. With lots of actionable insight for professionals across the Financial Services industry.

All attendees to the event will also be able to ask questions of the panel during the live debate so don’t miss this chance to join the debate.

REGISTER now and join the debate. This debate will be available on demand if you have previously registered.

Octo members have been debating all things ESG and have been asking for a deeper debate on 'greenwashing' . Here 'JB' Beckett will be asking your questions and putting 3 fund managers' ESG credentials to the test.

The managers answering your questions over lunch are:
David Osfield, CFA Fund Manager, EdenTree
Ben Constable-Maxwell, Head of Sustainable & Impact Investing, M&G Investments
Andrew Parry, Head of Sustainable Investment, Newton Investment Management

Octo Members have been debating the merits of active management and have submitted their questions.
Mark Dampier will put those questions to our panel of three equity portfolio managers.
Laurence Taylor, T. Rowe Price International Ltd. Graham Clapp, RWC Partners and Ken Wotton, Gresham House.
The discussion will naturally include:
- Where active managers are finding opportunities in lockdown.
- How equity investing will change without face-to-face meetings.
- How managers run money in volatile times.
- Is now the time to consider 'value' strategies, or are momentum-driven 'growth' companies still the
dominant force?
- Why region specific funds may be better choice than global strategies.
As we get into the debate there will also be an opportunity for you to ask the panel.
REGISTER now and join the debate