Asia’s Flagship Financial Forum
Earlier this week, abrdn’s Chief Executive Officer of Investments, René Buehlmann attended the prestigious Asia Financial Forum in Hong Kong. René spoke on the "CIO Insights" panel discussion, sharing the stage with investors and executives from BlackRock, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust, Wellington Management, and UBS. Speaking on the panel, he provided insights on the global market outlook amid current economic uncertainties.
In the face of a global economic slowdown, investors can capitalise on fixed income opportunities. On the equities front, investors are seeking out resilient, quality companies with pricing power, strong balance sheets, and durable competitive advantages. Valuations in markets outside the US remain reasonable, making them attractive based on long-term value indicators
René Buehlmann, Investments CEO, abrdn
Growth in Asia, diversification, and a weakening US Dollar
Speaking to Bloomberg at the event, René noted that while he believes a mild recession is likely to impact markets, opportunities in Asia such as local currency bonds can potentially offset a weaker US dollar in 2024. René suggests that developed markets, such as the US, are fairly priced and that emerging markets with higher forecast growth rates should provide compelling opportunities for investors. René highlights Japanese, Indian, South Korean, and Taiwanese equities as potential sources of diversification.
A step in the right direction for China
In addition to his conversation with Bloomberg, René spoke to renowned Hong Kong daily, the South China Morning Post. While acknowledging the difficult year the Chinese market has endured, he suggested that the Chinese Central Bank’s liquidity injection should help repair fragile sentiment and that equity valuations are ‘very attractive’ in the long run with significant upside potential.
If you’re investing into China, you need to be selective, you need to be targeted and you need to be diversified
rené Buehlmann, Investments CEO, abrdn
Read the full interview here.