While the returns of the Magnificent Seven stocks dwarfed the performance of thematic strategies in 2023, the tide may slowly be turning. In this podcast episode we talk to two seasoned thematic investors, Jack Neele and Roman Boner. 

Quant equity investing has enjoyed the resurgence of value since late 2020. Meanwhile, the quest for innovation in capturing returns continues unabated. Since the birth of quant investing, there’s been a steady rise in the number of factors that researchers claim can explain alpha. But it turns out that 15 factors are enough to capture most of the drivers of equity market returns.

A new aspect of the evolution in sustainable investing is the emphasis on what is termed 'transition finance'. It is a broad concept – some argue it’s too broad – but there are strong views that the complex shift that we need to get our economies to net zero will depend on this form of capital. How are investors going about the process of transition investing?

A year ago, many market participants were arguing that 2023 would be a great year for fixed income. Following a series of aggressive policy rate hikes, it seemed at the start of the year to be a great entry point. But interest rates continue to rise for most of 2023 and flows into the asset class turned out to be surprisingly modest. Have we now reached a turning point?

2023 gave investors little reason to complain. Both global equities and bondsare likely to deliver positive returns and Goldilocks still reigns supreme. In this podcast, Colin Graham and Peter van der Welle discuss the cracks in the resilience of Western economies (and their consumers), a contrarian view on the soft-landing consensus, inflation, geopolitics … and Taylor Swift.

The buzz around artificial intelligence has reached fever pitch, with growing awareness of what this technology can do. What does it all mean for investors? Can the power of AI be harnessed to create better investment outcomes? We’ve invited three specialists in this area, to discuss the various possibilities.

Consensus views in the market have changed from a likelihood of a recession to a most likely soft landing. But economic laws have always applied and this time should be no different.

Countries all over the world have embraced the SDGs. Our new Country SDG Framework shows exactly which of those countries are making most progress. This new framework helps fixed income investors to finance those governments that are really making a difference. Laurens Swinkels and Jan Anton van Zanten discuss the details in our latest podcast episode.  

Early this year, investors were notably enthusiastic about emerging market equities. And, as the months have gone by, funds have flowed towards this asset class. While returns have been fair, investors are still waiting for the big pay-off from the emerging market bet. How patient ought investors to be, and how rewarding will that pay-off be in the end? We discuss this with portfolio managers Wim-Hein Pals and Jaap van der Hart.  

It’s been just over six months since generative AI was made truly accessible to the world at large. It’s sparked the collective imagination about the implications of AI technology for how we live, work – and even how we should assess potential investment prospects. What’s real, and what framework should one be applying to discern what the opportunities are? Mike Chen and Daniel Ernst share their insights in our latest podcast episode.

In their latest Credit Quarterly Outlook, Robeco’s Credit team explains that rates and recession fears are the main drivers of this cycle.At times like these it’s critical to know your assets, as risks as well as opportunities will be inevitable. Erik Keller, Client Portfolio Manager for Credit at Robeco, outlines the team’s views.