BlueBay Insights

In this podcast episode, Freddie Fuller from the European and International Equities team, discusses the impact of recent geopolitical events and longer term trends on all things energy related with Rob West. He is the founder and CEO of Thunder Said Energy, a leading energy research consultancy. One of the foremost thinkers in his field, Rob has unique and informative insights on the momentous events affecting the energy transition. His company publishes research based on objective economic modelling, patents and technical papers, and advises some of the world's leading decision-makers across the energy, investment, and private equity industries.

Mark Shohet, Portfolio Manager for Securitised Credit and CLO management, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss CLO markets – an area of securitised credit that is currently seeing both continued and new interest from investors. Key highlights of the discussion are an introduction to CLO vehicles, the diversification benefits of investing across CLO tranches within the capital structure, and the evolution of CLOs since 2012.

The only constant at the moment is change, with tariffs and trade noise dominating the headlines on a daily basis. Habib Subjally, Head of Global Equities, has a 30-year plus history investing across market cycles and knows how to weather a storm. He and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss why businesses are feeling cautious at present, the end of the road for US exceptionalism, and how a polarised environment can create strong alpha-generating potential for innovative companies.

Anthony Kettle, EM Debt Senior Portfolio Manager, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss how a ‘one size fits all' approach doesn't work for the emerging markets debt universe. Key talking points include the diverse mix of countries and sectors, why certain headwinds of the last few years could be turning into tailwinds, the more positive aspects of Trump's agenda, and the need for a well-resourced team in order to deliver alpha when investing in EMD.

Phil Langham, Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of our EM Equities Team and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss emerging markets – an asset class that calls for a skilled active manager with the ability to navigate both the opportunities and pitfalls. Key discussion points include the turning point of EM underperformance, the potential implications of Trump's White House comeback, why Saudi Arabia is an interesting top-down story, and domestic sectors of interest in the year ahead.

As Head of RBC GAM's Responsible Investment team, Melanie Adams is well placed to speak on the ESG and responsible investing landscape, both in North American and Europe. In our new podcast episode, she and Freddie Fuller compare regulations across geographies, the political backdrop and ESG backlash in the US, and what the current environment means for both companies and asset managers.

Mark Dowding, BlueBay CIO, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss what Trump 2.0 could mean for the US economy and markets, the challenges facing Europe, and the geopolitical landscape. With politics and policy continuing to create market volatility, Mark also emphasises the importance of skilled active management to generate alpha.

Sid Chhabra, head of European High Yield, Securitized Credit and CLO Management, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss why the current backdrop is favourable for high yield, select investment opportunities in the banking, energy, telecoms and real estate sectors, and the role of private credit in the asset class.

Habib Subjally, Head of Global Equities and Senior Portfolio Manager, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss drivers of equity markets over the last few years, productivity and innovation in challenging times, and the Global Equity team's focus on great businesses which create contingent assets.

Andrzej Skiba, Head of US Fixed Income and Senior Portfolio Manager, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss the robustness of the US economy, whether strong bond yields are likely to maintain momentum, corporate balance sheets and, of course, the potential return of Trump to the White House.

Polina Kurdyavko, Head of BlueBay Emerging Markets and Senior Portfolio Manager, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss recent drivers of returns, the impact of geopolitical events and – in a year of global elections – how the team's proposed solution for the debt sustainability of Mexico's largest state-owned oil company have been well received by the country's presidential candidates.

My-Linh Ngo, Senior Director and Impact-Aligned Strategist, Tom Moulds, Senior Portfolio Manager, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss how ESG is increasingly considered in the investment process, market fragmentation in terms of regulation, ESG within fixed income portfolios, and bondholder influence and engagement.

Japan's fortunes look set to change, with its stock market currently reaching all-time highs. Our European and Asian equity team members discuss the role that corporate governance reforms are playing in this improving investor sentiment.

Maia Becker is joined by Rob Lambert  to discuss developments in the clean energy sector and its key challenges ahead.

Mike Reid is discussing investment grade with Marc Stacey, senior portfolio manager focusing on non-sovereign debt and specialising in financial institutions. The focus is on what's in store for credit spreads, the outlook for corporate issuance, and getting the lowdown on the financial sector.

Kaspar Hense, BlueBay Senior Portfolio Manager, Investment Grade, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, consider the big-picture themes they believe all those involved in high-grade bonds should consider, and discuss how the differing dynamics across the asset class can help drive returns.

Laurence Bensafi discusses areas of long-term secular growth driving emerging markets and the impact on portfolio positioning.

We discuss metals and mining, a controversial sector when it comes to sustainability, but also one which is undergoing transformative change.

Adam Phillips, Managing Director and BlueBay head of developed markets special situations, delves into the unusual challenges corporates and consumers face. Adam also discusses the magnitude of potential defaults and where the opportunities may lie across multiple sectors and countries for special situations.

Polina Kurdyavko delves into a number of emerging market current topics discussing why emerging markets are outperforming developed markets, geopolitics and the difficulties of implementing ESG in EM.

It's clear that Europe and Asia need to work together to reach net zero. In our latest podcast, members from each team discuss sustainability topics that resonate around the globe.

Investors are worried about the uncertainty around recession, monetary policy and inflation. And in the face of uncertainty, investors are looking for ways to protect their portfolios. Pierre-Henri de Monts de Savasse discusses why he thinks convertibles has a role to play in that risk mitigation and diversification movement. He also touches on why there is so much focus on convertibles at the moment covering ESG, AI and the outlook for the next 12 months.

Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, talks to Mark Dowding, BlueBay CIO, RBC Bluebay Asset Management, about a range of topics that we believe all investors should be thinking about right now. From the risk of a credit crunch and recession in the US to the likelihood of further rate hikes in Europe, plus the impact of global markets if or when Japan ends yield curve control. They also discuss the state of investing in the UK and finally, take a look at what it is in store for investors in the second half of 2023. 

David Riley discusses his big picture macro and market views for 2023.

How companies approach net-zero is beginning to spark more of a debate in investing circles. In the latest episode of our sustainability podcast, Freddie Fuller and Lukas Harrison look at voluntary carbon offsetting and some of the key issues surrounding this increasingly utilised phenomenon. 

Polina Kurdyavko explains distinctions between different categories of “Emerging Markets” and the challenges faced by so called “Frontier markets”. 

David Riley discusses US inflation, earnings season expectations, the UK economy and Chinese politics.

David Riley discusses the extraordinary crisis of credibility in UK policies, and future implications for the UK economy.

David Riley reflects on the strength of ‘King dollar', the outlook for the Euro area, and BOE expectations for the UK.

David Riley reflects on the latest meeting of the US Federal Reserve, the end of negative interest rates in Europe, and the risk of recession.

David Riley reflects on the credit cracks in European and global financial markets.

David riley discusses the current state of the global economy and the actions of key central banks.

Tim Leary joins the BlueBay Insights podcast to give a 5min update on global high yield markets.We asked Tim:Have high yield spreads sold off by enough?Would you say high yield is in a better place now versus 2008?Why has there been so little issuance year to date?What's the technical landscape like in US & European HY?What's liquidity like in the market?How are you positioning as we shift into summer?

Recent geopolitical events have served as a catalyst for the globalised world to move towards a more regionalised approach to energy supply and policy. This is likely to have a broader impact on the overall sustainability movement and decarbonisation trends across Europe. However, regional changes still have global implications, and we need to consider both existing and potential policies if current sustainability commitments will be achieved, along with a sustainable future.In our latest podcast, Elma de Kuiper and Freddie Fuller delve into the nuances around some of Europe's sustainability challenges. They look at hidden secrets around emissions, policy and how companies may offshore some of their dirtiest activities.

David Riley discusses Crypto volatility and implications for the wider market.

David Riley reflects on the past month's risk markets, the outlook for China and the US Federal Reserve, near-term concerns about the risks to growth, and the shifting narratives on growth and inflation.

As bonds are selling off while risk assets continue to rise, David Riley discusses the disconnect between the bond and equity markets and the relevance of the yield-curve for investors.

David Riley discusses the macro implications of the Ukraine-Russia crisis, how financial markets and central banks are reacting, and the Fed's first interest rate hike since December 2018.

Tim Leary joins the BlueBay Insights podcast to give a 5min update on global high yield markets.We asked Tim:It's been volatile start to the year – how much has come from interest rate moves and how much is risk-premium driven?Can you take us through the performance of leveraged loans relative to high yield bonds so far this year – are you seeing any mispricing opportunities here? With defaults picking up, are there any safe havens in high yield?Now we're well into Q1, have you seen any clear trends in flows?We've seen green and ESG stocks suffer heavy sell-offs over the past few months. Have ESG-related credits suffered the same fate?How are you positioning as we shift into spring?

Mark Shohet joins the BlueBay Insights podcast to share his expertise on CLOs and the current market opportunity.We asked Mark:What is a CLO?How do the debt tranches work in practice?What differentiates a CLO from other securitised products?How big is the CLO market and what are the issuance expectations for this year?What's performance been like so far in 2022?Are CLOs looking attractive in the current market environment?How are the fundamentals?What do you see as the biggest risk for the asset class?

David Riley is joined by BlueBay's EM Senior Sovereign Strategist Timothy Ash to discuss the macroeconomic implications of the Russia/Ukraine conflict.

David Riley is joined by BlueBay's EM Senior Sovereign Strategist Timothy Ash in this special podcast discussing the rapidly escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict.

David Riley shares his views on higher government bond yields, the ECB's hawkish tilt, new US data points and the global bond market sell-off.

David Riley shares his views on volatility in equity markets, geo-political tensions, and the Fed meeting.

David Riley shares his views on Fed catch up and the move to higher yields.

David Riley updates us on the latest raft of central bank meetings: the Fed's hawkish pivot, the end of the ECB's pandemic emergency purchase programme and a rise in Bank of England interest rates.

Tom Moulds & Robert Lambert join the BlueBay Insights podcast to discuss the impact of inflation on the energy and utilities sectors.We ask:Tom, if you could start us off with a quick summary of the inflationary environment and how it's impacting fixed income investors.Rob, your specialist focus is utilities. Could you give us an overview of how inflation is impacting the sector? Which sub-sectors are seeing the most or least pricing pressure?Are we likely to see any beneficiaries of rising inflation and high energy prices?Alongside inflationary pressures, have ESG considerations had any pricing impacts across the utilities sector?When do you expect inflation to subside within the sector?Tom, how are the dynamics within the utilities sector influencing your current portfolio positioning?

Tim Leary and Jeff Cramer join the BlueBay Insights podcast to discuss the impact of inflation on industrials and the power sector and how it's influencing high yield and leveraged finance strategies.We ask:Tim, with interest rates rising, inflation is a hot topic for investors. Can you give us a quick summary on the inflation situation and what it means for high yield?Jeff, one of your specialist focus areas is industrials. Could you give us an overview of how inflation is affecting the sector?What's causing that inflation specifically?Have ESG considerations had any pricing impacts across the power sector, in addition to inflation pressures?When do you expect inflation to subside within the industrial or utilities sectors?To close, let's consider positioning. Tim, how are the dynamics within the utilities sector influencing your current portfolio positioning?

Chief Investment Strategist David Riley joins us to  discuss inflation as a dominant theme in global markets, and to answer the question, “Is there excessive exuberance in credit markets?”.

Tim Leary and Frank McCreary join the BlueBay Insights podcast to discuss the impact of inflation on the energy sector and how it's influencing high yield and leveraged finance strategies.We ask:Tim, can you give us a quick summary on the inflation situation and what it means for high yield investors?Frank, you're an energy specialist. How is inflation impacting the sector?Can you expand on this – how exactly is the oil & gas sector pushing up inflation?What are some of the reasons for the dramatic rise in commodity prices?How exactly have weather patterns impacted energy prices?How have ESG considerations effected the price of energy?How do you expect the energy landscape to change over the next five years?Tim, how are the dynamics within the energy sector influencing your current portfolio positioning?

David Riley joins us on the BlueBay Insights podcast to share his views on short term volatility and interest rates.