Robeco Asset Management Podcast

There’s agreement that measures to halt and reverse biodiversity loss are now critical. But is this enough to move key role-players into action? That includes the investment community, which is already dealing with macro-economic worries, regulatory demands and many competing priorities in the realm of ESG issues. This is especially topical in light of COP 15, which recently took place in Montreal. Peter van der Werf, Senior Manager for Engagement at Robeco, and special guest Simon Zadek, Executive Director of NatureFinance, give their views in our latest podcast.

2022 has been a year of records for bond investors. In the first six months, the fixed income asset class clocked its worst performance since 1788. And, unusually, bonds have weakened at the same time that equity markets got hammered. In this episode we take a look at a segment of the fixed income market: high yield corporate bonds. Here too, new records have been set.Never before have there been two consecutive years of negative total returns in high yield. Investors are now wrestling with the question of whether this is the low point for high yield. Our guests are two veterans in the field, portfolio managers Sander Bus and Roeland Moraal.

Value has proven over the past two years that it’s not dead, after all. The rotation away from growth stocks towards value that started in November 2020 continues. But it’s been in fits and starts. And, let’s face it, the market mood now is tense, fickle and unsure. Will it be smooth sailing for value strategies from here onwards? Jay Feeney is CEO and CIO of Boston Partners, the US-based investment house focused on fundamentally driven value investing.

It’s been a gruelling year so far for financial markets, including for equities. And sustainable indices have had it even harder, having underperformed the overall equity market. Critics of sustainable and ESG investing have been emboldened by these recent market developments, arguing that doing good seems to equate to losing money. We ask portfolio managers Chris Berkouwer and Michiel Plakman if the field of sustainable investing is now facing a reckoning?

It has been hailed as the next frontier in quant investing. Using artificial intelligence, algorithms and vast volumes of new data types to explore untapped sources of returns sounds intriguing. Especially when times are uncertain, and alpha is evasive. But is this hype, false hope or real opportunity? We discuss these questions with three of our experts. Tune in.

A year ago today, the scope for growth stocks – and particularly tech-related growth companies – still seemed boundless. But, the recognition that higher inflation is not so transitory after all, and the clear signaling from central banks that interest rates will ratchet up, appear to have given growth investors a run for their money. Jack Neele and Richard Speetjens discuss the matter in our latest podcast episode.

Rising inflation has become a growing concern for consumers around the world. It’s also wreaked havoc in financial markets, owing to fear and uncertainty about what happens next with interest rates, prices and economic growth. This after central bankers and analysts have been reassuring consumers and investors for nearly two years that they need not fear rising prices. We discuss the topic with Rikkert Scholten and Bob Stoutjesdijk.

Tune in to Robeco’s podcasts in which our experts succinctly explain the latest developments in everything from quantitative and sustainable investing, to trends and emerging markets.

There’s far more to real estate than ‘location, location, location’, and investors are taking note. Amid volatile market conditions, listed real estate has outperformed general equity over the past year. This is not without challenges, though, particularly on the sustainability front: the property sector churns out some 40% of global greenhouse gases. Listen in as Frank Onstwedder and Folmer Pietersma tell us all about it.

Emerging markets look extremely cheap. But are they cheap for a reason? We bring some 70 years of investment experience to the table to discuss the risks and opportunities that emerging markets offer in these volatile times. Tune in to our latest podcast episode.