We recently concluded a series of dynamic mid-year Investment Outlook events in key global cities, all with the theme of “Back to the Future.”
Our conferences brought together a diverse audience of over 740 clients and experts, all keen to explore the shifting market dynamics and investment opportunities for the latter half of 2024.
The series kicked off on 6 June in Dubai, where participants were welcomed by Mohamed Abdellatif, Co-Head of Region, Middle East & Africa. The conference featured Norman Villamin, Group Chief Strategist, and Philippe Gräub, Head of Global & Absolute Return Fixed Income, who discussed macroeconomic trends and the current attractiveness of fixed income investments.
Continuing the roadshow, on 28 June, in Lisbon, Nicolas Laroche, Global Head of Advisory & Asset Allocation, and António Peixoto, Investment Advisor, provided a comprehensive analysis of the current market landscape, and shared UBP’s strategic investment outlook for the second half of the year, highlighting key risks and opportunities.
Next came Milan and Rome on 8 July. Norman Villamin talked on the subject of traditional approaches to asset allocation in a rapidly changing world. Geopolitical analyst Dario Fabbri joined him, offering insights into the international crises reshaping the global scenario, challenging common perceptions and uncovering underlying causes.
In Asia, UBP’s events took place on 1, 5 and 10 July in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Jakarta. Norman Villamin, alongside UBP Asia’s asset class specialists, discussed where opportunities lie for the next six months and the factors influencing economies and markets. Key topics included the geopolitical situation ahead of the US presidential elections, China’s structural reform agenda, and India’s emerging long-term growth trajectory.
Across all these events, a recurring theme was the complex geopolitical situation and its impact on financial markets. Our experts assessed how the first half of 2024 has reshaped market dynamics and provided actionable insights for leveraging these changes within investment portfolios.
Looking ahead, growing budgetary challenges in the US and parts of Europe should cause bond yields to remain sticky going into the third quarter as economies around the globe continue to recover. This means that bond investors will once again have to transform their exposures in order to both maximise the income generated within fixed income and manage their exposure to the rising interest rate volatility that may lie ahead.
With technology stocks once again leading equity markets higher in 2024, investors are understandably concerned about the sustainability of this multi-year rise. Encouragingly, the rally has been earnings-led, helping to restrain the valuation-led excesses of previous cycles and allowing transformational technology investments to continue to drive equity markets around the world.
