Recent thinking
Equities
Health first: Finding resilience in pharmaceuticals
2 Jul 2020
COVID-19 has led to a new appreciation of the importance of healthcare in ensuring all members of society thrive. So where should investors be looking to find resilience in an industry facing enormous change?
Read more
Equities
Why COVID-19 is unlikely to trigger a fresh financial crisis
1 Jul 2020
In the latest instalment of our editorial series, Link, Oliver Judd and Jaime Ramos Martin explain why banks are well-placed to withstand the economic fallout from COVID-19.
Read more
Covid-19
The CX Factor
30 Jun 2020
Amid the coronavirus lockdown, asset managers are finding new ways to communicate with their clients remotely. The industry has much to learn from tech and e-commerce companies that deliver top-class client experience from a distance.
Read more
Real Assets
Tomorrow’s world: COVID-19 and the long-term future of commercial real estate
29 Jun 2020
Chris Urwin and Jonathan Bayfield look beyond the near-term disruption to real estate to assess the longer-term prospects for the retail, office and logistics sectors.
Read more
Covid-19
Multi-asset allocation views: How long will the COVID-19 damage last?
26 Jun 2020
Nearly three months after COVID-19 caused markets to crash and sent countries across the globe into lockdown, debates continue over what the post-COVID world will look like and the extent of the long-term damage. Sunil Krishnan remains cautious.
Read more
Equities
What do rising US-China tensions mean for global markets?
24 Jun 2020
In the latest instalment of our editorial series, Link, Aviva Investors experts discuss the prospects for financial markets and the world economy in the face of escalating hostilities between the US and China.
Read more
Equities
Defined Benefit pensions de-risking: A covenant and investment view
23 Jun 2020
In the midst of the COVID-19 shock, Felix Mantz from Lincoln Pensions and Joachim Sudre from Aviva Investors explore how defined benefit pension schemes should plan their journey towards an end game and adopt a more holistic approach to risk.
Read more
Real Assets
Defaults, disruption and development: Real assets adjust to the new normal
22 Jun 2020
While lockdown measures gradually start to ease, it is still far from business as usual in the real assets sector. Mark Versey explains the impact for investors.
Read more
Real Assets
Logistics: ‘Last mile’ or further to run?
19 Jun 2020
Following a decade of bumper demand and returns, many experts are questioning whether logistics real estate assets have reached their prime or whether they still have further to run. Vivienne Bolla argues the latter.
Read more
Covid-19
COVID-19 and data infrastructure: Will demand translate into profit?
18 Jun 2020
During the initial outbreak of COVID-19, we published a report on the underlying long-term trends supporting data infrastructure. Since then, much about the world as we knew it has changed. Laurence Monnier assesses how many of the trends we identified remain intact and whether the surge in demand for data services and infrastructure will translate into investment opportunities.
Read more
Covid-19
COVID-19, comp and doing the right thing: Why corporate values have never been more critical
16 Jun 2020
With annual general meetings now taking place virtually, shareholders, employees and suppliers have had to adjust to lockdowns. While some of the immediate impacts will be phased out with the opening of the economy, stewardship priorities and corporate values may change forever.
Read more
Covid-19
Evidence and ambition: The new rules of engagement on climate change
15 Jun 2020
Mirza Baig explains why far-off commitments on climate change by energy companies and their lenders are no longer enough, and why COVID-19 has catalysed rather than derailed investor engagement on the issue.
Read more
AIQ Feature
Have traditional safe havens lost their edge?
9 Jun 2020
COVID-19 has reminded investors of the importance of defensive positions within portfolios during times of stress. But are the ‘safe havens’ of the past still up to the task?
Read more
AIQ Feature
What makes a company resilient in a crisis?
9 Jun 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic hits global economies, equity investors are redoubling their focus on corporate resilience. But what does resilience mean in the current context – and which companies have it?
Read more
Equities
Cinderella science? Why portfolio construction holds the key to resilient investment outcomes
9 Jun 2020
It is one thing to have a good investment idea, but quite another to extract the maximum potential from that idea and combine it with others to create an optimal portfolio. This is where portfolio construction comes in.
Read more
AIQ Feature
Where to go in an income drought?
9 Jun 2020
Income investors face multiple challenges – dividend cuts, historically low yields, rising corporate defaults, and an uncertain property market. Francois de Bruin goes in search of sustainable income sources.
Read more
The Little Book of Data
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AIQ Features
Have traditional safe havens lost their edge?
9 Jun 2020
COVID-19 has reminded investors of the importance of defensive positions within portfolios during times of stress. But are the ‘safe havens’ of the past still up to the task?
Read more
What makes a company resilient in a crisis?
9 Jun 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic hits global economies, equity investors are redoubling their focus on corporate resilience. But what does resilience mean in the current context – and which companies have it?
Read more
Cinderella science? Why portfolio construction holds the key to resilient investment outcomes
9 Jun 2020
It is one thing to have a good investment idea, but quite another to extract the maximum potential from that idea and combine it with others to create an optimal portfolio. This is where portfolio construction comes in.
Read more
Where to go in an income drought?
9 Jun 2020
Income investors face multiple challenges – dividend cuts, historically low yields, rising corporate defaults, and an uncertain property market. Francois de Bruin goes in search of sustainable income sources.
Read more
The AIQ Podcast: The psychology of climate change
4 Mar 2020
This latest episode of the AIQ Podcast explores the psychology of climate change and how to engage individuals in the quest for solutions.
Read more
Climate change: The journey from denial to crisis
28 Feb 2020
More than 40 years since a senior NASA scientist told US Congress of concerns about human activities disrupting the climate, experts are warning of an impending climate catastrophe and the financial sector is wrestling with the implications.
Read more
Why asset managers cannot be passive on climate change
28 Feb 2020
As active investors step up their engagement efforts on the climate crisis, discussions need to be at the CEO rather than board level, argues David Cumming.
Read more
Apathy, anger, action: The psychology of climate change
28 Feb 2020
Psychological barriers can prevent people from acting to avert the climate threat, even when they recognise the problem. So how can we best engage individuals, companies and communities in the quest for solutions?
Read more
Stranded! When assets become liabilities
28 Feb 2020
Until recently, many investors made light of dire warnings of the risks posed by assets becoming “stranded” by climate change. However, as the threat becomes reality, fears are mounting that whole industries could be wiped out.
Read more
‘Sticking’ it to carbon: The pros and cons of taxing emissions
28 Feb 2020
With governments urged to do more to tackle climate change, carbon taxes are being touted as a politically expedient solution.
Read more
Slash and burn: The link between land use and climate change
28 Feb 2020
Poor land management contributes to rising global temperatures. But solutions are emerging as new technologies improve farming efficiency and consumers shift towards climate-friendly diets.
Read more
Hot water: The threat of warming oceans
28 Feb 2020
As the challenges posed by climate change continue to loom large, due attention should be given to oceans, not just the solid ground under our feet and the air we breathe.
Read more
An inconvenient transition
28 Feb 2020
Despite deafening calls for countries and companies to step up to fight the climate crisis, research suggests individuals – especially in the developed world – could also make a massive difference if they committed to getting by with less. But will they?
Read more
Climate data: Seeing through the fog
28 Feb 2020
Big data is heralded as the answer to almost every problem, so why not the climate crisis?
Read more
Nuclear: From pariah to saviour?
28 Feb 2020
As the old saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. Despite lingering public anxiety around safety, there are growing calls for the world to look again at nuclear power as part of the solution to the climate crisis.
Read more
Biological annihilation: The facts behind the threats to biodiversity and ecosystems
28 Feb 2020
Over 100 billion people have walked the planet, making a gigantic stamp on the Earth. Around three quarters of the land and around two-thirds of the marine environment have been significantly altered by humans, impacting the carbon cycle and changing the prospects for many species.
Read more
Equities
Health first: Finding resilience in pharmaceuticals
2 Jul 2020
COVID-19 has led to a new appreciation of the importance of healthcare in ensuring all members of society thrive. So where should investors be looking to find resilience in an industry facing enormous change?
Read more
Why COVID-19 is unlikely to trigger a fresh financial crisis
1 Jul 2020
In the latest instalment of our editorial series, Link, Oliver Judd and Jaime Ramos Martin explain why banks are well-placed to withstand the economic fallout from COVID-19.
Read more
What do rising US-China tensions mean for global markets?
24 Jun 2020
In the latest instalment of our editorial series, Link, Aviva Investors experts discuss the prospects for financial markets and the world economy in the face of escalating hostilities between the US and China.
Read more
Defined Benefit pensions de-risking: A covenant and investment view
23 Jun 2020
In the midst of the COVID-19 shock, Felix Mantz from Lincoln Pensions and Joachim Sudre from Aviva Investors explore how defined benefit pension schemes should plan their journey towards an end game and adopt a more holistic approach to risk.
Read more
What makes a company resilient in a crisis?
9 Jun 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic hits global economies, equity investors are redoubling their focus on corporate resilience. But what does resilience mean in the current context – and which companies have it?
Read more
Cinderella science? Why portfolio construction holds the key to resilient investment outcomes
9 Jun 2020
It is one thing to have a good investment idea, but quite another to extract the maximum potential from that idea and combine it with others to create an optimal portfolio. This is where portfolio construction comes in.
Read more
Equities and COVID-19: Now is not the time to double-down on uncertainty
21 May 2020
As the effects of COVID-19 continue to rip through societies and economies, Trevor Green explains why adding uncertainty on top of uncertainty is never a good investment strategy. He outlines three critical, but simple, rules for navigating the current equity market.
Read more
COVID-19: The impact on global equities
28 Apr 2020
As the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on global economies, Giles Parkinson assesses the impact across equity markets and the longer-term implications for investors.
Read more
Size matters: Will COVID-19 lead to a concentration of corporate power?
22 Apr 2020
The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic could see large firms cement their dominance over weaker rivals. We examine the implications for investors.
Read more
Are investors too complacent about the coronavirus?
21 Feb 2020
In the latest of our editorial series, Link, AIQ brings members of Aviva Investors’ investment strategy, equity and debt teams together to discuss the prospects for financial markets and the world economy in the face of the coronavirus epidemic.
Read more
Cwtch: Has capitalism gone cuddly?
18 Feb 2020
In the first of a new editorial series, Link, AIQ brings together people from across Aviva Investors to debate topical themes. Mirza Baig and Stephanie Niven consider whether CEO claims about running businesses for multiple stakeholders rather than shareholders alone is a grand idea or just plain grandstanding.
Read more
Dealing with climate change: A mixture of mitigation and adaptation
4 Dec 2019
The asset management industry has a key role to play in the face of the climate emergency facing humanity. We spoke to Emma Haziza, hydrologist, PhD Mines ParisTech, Founder and President of Mayane, and Rick Stathers, Climate Specialist at Aviva Investors to find out how asset managers can support companies in their climate transition efforts.
Read more
In a complex market, investors need to connect information signals more effectively
19 Nov 2019
A growing body of research suggests equity investors are poor at recognising the connections and interrelationships between companies. A fresh approach is needed, argues Mikhail Zverev, head of global equities at Aviva Investors.
Read more
5G: Anatomy of an equity investment idea
11 Nov 2019
The evolution of wireless technology has fuelled a host of new mobile applications and helped propel companies such as Netflix. 5G, its next iteration, promises speeds up to 20 times faster than the current 4G. But to think only in terms of speed severely underestimates 5G’s potential to fundamentally transform the business landscape – though not without tremendous risk.
Read more
Back to the future: Dr Eric Topol on AI in healthcare
3 Oct 2019
In the final article in our series on healthcare, we speak to the renowned cardiologist and author Eric Topol about his new book, Deep Medicine.
Read more
Substance over style?
30 Sep 2019
Why an agnostic approach beats equity style biases.
Read more
Fixed income
Health first: Finding resilience in pharmaceuticals
2 Jul 2020
COVID-19 has led to a new appreciation of the importance of healthcare in ensuring all members of society thrive. So where should investors be looking to find resilience in an industry facing enormous change?
Read more
What do rising US-China tensions mean for global markets?
24 Jun 2020
In the latest instalment of our editorial series, Link, Aviva Investors experts discuss the prospects for financial markets and the world economy in the face of escalating hostilities between the US and China.
Read more
Defined Benefit pensions de-risking: A covenant and investment view
23 Jun 2020
In the midst of the COVID-19 shock, Felix Mantz from Lincoln Pensions and Joachim Sudre from Aviva Investors explore how defined benefit pension schemes should plan their journey towards an end game and adopt a more holistic approach to risk.
Read more
COVID-19: Will credit markets remain open for business?
1 May 2020
While concerns around credit market liquidity have been rising since the global financial crisis, the COVID-19 sell-off has highlighted how fragile liquidity can be during periods of real stress. Colin Purdie discusses the short- and long-term implications for investment grade and high yield credit globally.
Read more
The impact of COVID-19 on global high yield
20 Apr 2020
As an increasing number of companies battle the economic consequences of COVID-19, their ability to service bond payments is coming under intense scrutiny. In this Q&A, Sunita Kara considers whether current high-yield valuations adequately compensate investors for default risk and looks at the broader implications of the pandemic.
Read more
Re-enter the dragon: What China’s recovery from COVID-19 means for emerging markets
7 Apr 2020
As China gradually emerges from lockdown, emerging market debt and equity investors are trying to gauge the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its economy – and the knock-on effects for other emerging markets.
Read more
COVID-19 and a brief history of emerging market debt drawdowns
2 Apr 2020
The scale and speed of COVID-19’s impact on global financial markets has caused emerging market debt returns to decline at a pace not seen since the global financial crisis. However, history suggests the recovery of the asset class may also turn out to be quick.
Read more
The impact of COVID-19 on private debt
30 Mar 2020
As COVID-19 sweeps across the world, a contraction in global growth is causing an adverse short-term reaction to the economy and financial markets. While the extent of contagion from public markets to private debt remains unclear, transactions with strong downside protection should remain more resilient through the crisis, explains Nikhil Chandra.
Read more
Are investors too complacent about the coronavirus?
21 Feb 2020
In the latest of our editorial series, Link, AIQ brings members of Aviva Investors’ investment strategy, equity and debt teams together to discuss the prospects for financial markets and the world economy in the face of the coronavirus epidemic.
Read more
Broadening global investment-grade horizons
20 Feb 2020
UK investors considering whether to allocate to global investment-grade credit may discover the broader diversification benefits can significantly improve a portfolio’s overall risk dynamics.
Read more
Multi-asset allocation views: The pros and cons of higher-yielding fixed income
16 Jan 2020
Sunil Krishnan asks whether higher-yielding fixed income assets remain good diversifiers for multi-asset portfolios in the current environment.
Read more
Reform: A route to resilience in emerging markets?
13 Jan 2020
Following a series of IMF meetings in Washington, D.C., Carmen Altenkirch and Dariusz Kedziora discuss their views on how reform prospects may shape emerging market debt.
Read more
Climate risk for insurers
12 Dec 2019
Climate risk has become a critical business issue, but a recent consultation by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority highlights confusion on how to assess it.
Read more
Global high yield in a sub-zero world
24 Sep 2019
In the strongest signal yet that central bank policies are upending the investment playbook, sub-zero conditions are extending to the high yield market for the first time. Sunita Kara, looks at the implications for investors.
Read more
Three steps to improve the green bond market
11 Sep 2019
Green bonds can be a powerful tool for attracting investment in environmental projects, but reforms are needed to promote further growth of the market, argues Colin Purdie.
Read more
Lagarde as ECB chief – independent but integrated?
22 Aug 2019
Christine Lagarde has been nominated to head the European Central Bank at a difficult time for monetary policy given growing fears of a recession in the euro zone. Despite much debate on her credentials, Stewart Robertson argues she is the right candidate for the job.
Read more
Multi-asset & multi-strategy
Multi-asset allocation views: How long will the COVID-19 damage last?
26 Jun 2020
Nearly three months after COVID-19 caused markets to crash and sent countries across the globe into lockdown, debates continue over what the post-COVID world will look like and the extent of the long-term damage. Sunil Krishnan remains cautious.
Read more
What do rising US-China tensions mean for global markets?
24 Jun 2020
In the latest instalment of our editorial series, Link, Aviva Investors experts discuss the prospects for financial markets and the world economy in the face of escalating hostilities between the US and China.
Read more
Defined Benefit pensions de-risking: A covenant and investment view
23 Jun 2020
In the midst of the COVID-19 shock, Felix Mantz from Lincoln Pensions and Joachim Sudre from Aviva Investors explore how defined benefit pension schemes should plan their journey towards an end game and adopt a more holistic approach to risk.
Read more
Cinderella science? Why portfolio construction holds the key to resilient investment outcomes
9 Jun 2020
It is one thing to have a good investment idea, but quite another to extract the maximum potential from that idea and combine it with others to create an optimal portfolio. This is where portfolio construction comes in.
Read more
Where to go in an income drought?
9 Jun 2020
Income investors face multiple challenges – dividend cuts, historically low yields, rising corporate defaults, and an uncertain property market. Francois de Bruin goes in search of sustainable income sources.
Read more
COVID-19: This time is different?
3 Apr 2020
While the COVID-19 pandemic may be unlike anything financial markets have experienced before, the past still offers valuable lessons for investors trying to make sense of the crisis, explains Euan Munro.
Read more
COVID-19: When it comes to pandemics, investors should listen to the real experts
1 Apr 2020
In early February, with financial markets oblivious to medical experts’ warnings about the dangers posed by the coronavirus, Ian Pizer of Aviva Investors’ investment strategy team began to look into the medical research to learn more about the potential outcomes and the implications for the global economy and markets. What he discovered raises questions about financial market participants’ ability to react to issues they don’t fully understand.
Read more
Multi-asset allocation views: Embedding diversification in portfolios
31 Mar 2020
The impact of COVID-19 and policy measures taken by global authorities to contain it have erased the tentative signs of economic strength seen at the start of 2020. As the epidemic has advanced, the market response has been brutal. Sunil Krishnan reflects on how portfolio managers diversify multi-asset portfolios, and the extent to which these measures have been effective in the current round of volatility.
Read more
Treasuries: Defence in troubled times
26 Mar 2020
Correlation patterns between assets have not been behaving conventionally over the last month. Most notably, there have been periods when US Treasury yields have been rising (and their value falling) at the same time as equities have been selling off. Why have investors been abandoning safe-haven assets in the midst of the steepest market falls we have seen for 40 years?
Read more
RPI may be flawed, but changes shouldn’t cost pensioners and investors
16 Mar 2020
With the start of the consultation for proposed changes to the measurement of inflation in the UK, we look at the likely impact to asset classes, the assets most affected, and the key issues investors should be aware of.
Read more
Are investors too complacent about the coronavirus?
21 Feb 2020
In the latest of our editorial series, Link, AIQ brings members of Aviva Investors’ investment strategy, equity and debt teams together to discuss the prospects for financial markets and the world economy in the face of the coronavirus epidemic.
Read more
Multi-asset allocation views: Uncertainty clouds the outlook for European assets
23 Jan 2020
Sunil Krishnan considers whether Europe can break out of its economic malaise and the factors investors should watch out for in 2020.
Read more
Multi-asset allocation views: The pros and cons of higher-yielding fixed income
16 Jan 2020
Sunil Krishnan asks whether higher-yielding fixed income assets remain good diversifiers for multi-asset portfolios in the current environment.
Read more
Multi-asset allocation views: Could Japan outperform other equity markets?
14 Jan 2020
Sunil Krishnan argues that low expectations among domestic and global investors are reflected in Japanese equity valuations, creating an opportunity for the asset class to play catch-up with the rest of the world.
Read more
Supply chain wars
14 Nov 2019
With the US and China locking horns, we take a deeper look at the tangled and complex web of multinational relationships in the global economic ecosystem.
Read more
In search of a free lunch
5 Nov 2019
Correlations between groups of assets and within individual asset classes have changed in unexpected ways thanks to a decade of easy monetary policy. Our portfolio managers tell us what impact this has had on the way they manage money.
Read more
Real assets
Tomorrow’s world: COVID-19 and the long-term future of commercial real estate
29 Jun 2020
Chris Urwin and Jonathan Bayfield look beyond the near-term disruption to real estate to assess the longer-term prospects for the retail, office and logistics sectors.
Read more
What do rising US-China tensions mean for global markets?
24 Jun 2020
In the latest instalment of our editorial series, Link, Aviva Investors experts discuss the prospects for financial markets and the world economy in the face of escalating hostilities between the US and China.
Read more
Defined Benefit pensions de-risking: A covenant and investment view
23 Jun 2020
In the midst of the COVID-19 shock, Felix Mantz from Lincoln Pensions and Joachim Sudre from Aviva Investors explore how defined benefit pension schemes should plan their journey towards an end game and adopt a more holistic approach to risk.
Read more
Defaults, disruption and development: Real assets adjust to the new normal
22 Jun 2020
While lockdown measures gradually start to ease, it is still far from business as usual in the real assets sector. Mark Versey explains the impact for investors.
Read more
Logistics: ‘Last mile’ or further to run?
19 Jun 2020
Following a decade of bumper demand and returns, many experts are questioning whether logistics real estate assets have reached their prime or whether they still have further to run. Vivienne Bolla argues the latter.
Read more
COVID-19 and data infrastructure: Will demand translate into profit?
18 Jun 2020
During the initial outbreak of COVID-19, we published a report on the underlying long-term trends supporting data infrastructure. Since then, much about the world as we knew it has changed. Laurence Monnier assesses how many of the trends we identified remain intact and whether the surge in demand for data services and infrastructure will translate into investment opportunities.
Read more
Cinderella science? Why portfolio construction holds the key to resilient investment outcomes
9 Jun 2020
It is one thing to have a good investment idea, but quite another to extract the maximum potential from that idea and combine it with others to create an optimal portfolio. This is where portfolio construction comes in.
Read more
COVID-19: Is there still a premium for illiquidity?
27 May 2020
One of the immediate consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a marked reduction in investors’ risk appetite. But will their appetite for the illiquidity premium in private markets also disappear? Laurence Monnier explores.
Read more
COVID 19: The trade-off between staying safe and getting back to work
15 May 2020
An economy in lockdown has significant effects for investors in real assets. In this data illustration, our real assets research team consider the benefit of businesses returning to their usual locations against the risks of doing so.
Read more
COVID-19: Do past recessions offer lessons for real estate investors?
7 May 2020
Although history offers no magical answers, it can serve as a useful guide in times of extreme uncertainty. Vivienne Bolla and Souad Cherfouh dig into the archives to better understand the effects of recessions on real estate.
Read more
COVID-19 and beyond: Three predictions for transport infrastructure
30 Apr 2020
Constant reminders that COVID-19 ‘does not discriminate’ seem in stark contrast to the social and economic consequences playing out in front of us. Some sectors are clearly being hit harder than others – perhaps none more so than transport. Laurence Monnier looks at the long-term implications for the industry and its supporting infrastructure.
Read more
'Mastering the real estate cycle'
17 Apr 2020
The cyclicality of real estate creates opportunities for well-informed investors. However, determining where a market is in the cycle can be difficult, so we have developed a tool that can help investors overcome this challenge.
Read more
COVID-19 to test the resilience of long income
16 Apr 2020
Real estate long income strategies are known for their defensive qualities. Tim Perry explores how the impact of COVID-19 on the asset class will vary across businesses and sectors.
Read more
The impact of COVID-19 on private debt
30 Mar 2020
As COVID-19 sweeps across the world, a contraction in global growth is causing an adverse short-term reaction to the economy and financial markets. While the extent of contagion from public markets to private debt remains unclear, transactions with strong downside protection should remain more resilient through the crisis, explains Nikhil Chandra.
Read more
COVID-19: The impact on European real estate
30 Mar 2020
As the spread of COVID-19 and government response continue to evolve, we analyse recent developments and how they could affect European real estate.
Read more
The impact of COVID-19 on UK infrastructure
26 Mar 2020
As well as its profound human impact, COVID-19 is having a marked effect on asset prices and transaction activity in all areas of financial markets. But beyond the short-term uncertainty, UK infrastructure stakeholders are looking for clues as to how the crisis could influence the market’s longer-term prospects.
Read more
Responsible investment
Health first: Finding resilience in pharmaceuticals
2 Jul 2020
COVID-19 has led to a new appreciation of the importance of healthcare in ensuring all members of society thrive. So where should investors be looking to find resilience in an industry facing enormous change?
Read more
COVID-19, comp and doing the right thing: Why corporate values have never been more critical
16 Jun 2020
With annual general meetings now taking place virtually, shareholders, employees and suppliers have had to adjust to lockdowns. While some of the immediate impacts will be phased out with the opening of the economy, stewardship priorities and corporate values may change forever.
Read more
Evidence and ambition: The new rules of engagement on climate change
15 Jun 2020
Mirza Baig explains why far-off commitments on climate change by energy companies and their lenders are no longer enough, and why COVID-19 has catalysed rather than derailed investor engagement on the issue.
Read more
Will COVID-19 prove a watershed for ESG?
14 May 2020
COVID-19 has thrown new light on the interdependencies in human and natural ecosystems, and the vulnerabilities of a closely networked world. Aviva Investors’ responsible investment specialists ask whether this will prove a turning point for environmental, social and governance issues.
Read more
The AIQ Podcast: Climate emergency
6 May 2020
This latest episode of the AIQ Podcast goes back to basics on climate: we explore leading scientists’ understanding of how the world is changing, as well as the investment community’s response.
Read more
The AIQ Podcast: The psychology of climate change
4 Mar 2020
This latest episode of the AIQ Podcast explores the psychology of climate change and how to engage individuals in the quest for solutions.
Read more
Climate change: The journey from denial to crisis
28 Feb 2020
More than 40 years since a senior NASA scientist told US Congress of concerns about human activities disrupting the climate, experts are warning of an impending climate catastrophe and the financial sector is wrestling with the implications.
Read more
Why asset managers cannot be passive on climate change
28 Feb 2020
As active investors step up their engagement efforts on the climate crisis, discussions need to be at the CEO rather than board level, argues David Cumming.
Read more
Apathy, anger, action: The psychology of climate change
28 Feb 2020
Psychological barriers can prevent people from acting to avert the climate threat, even when they recognise the problem. So how can we best engage individuals, companies and communities in the quest for solutions?
Read more
Stranded! When assets become liabilities
28 Feb 2020
Until recently, many investors made light of dire warnings of the risks posed by assets becoming “stranded” by climate change. However, as the threat becomes reality, fears are mounting that whole industries could be wiped out.
Read more
‘Sticking’ it to carbon: The pros and cons of taxing emissions
28 Feb 2020
With governments urged to do more to tackle climate change, carbon taxes are being touted as a politically expedient solution.
Read more
Slash and burn: The link between land use and climate change
28 Feb 2020
Poor land management contributes to rising global temperatures. But solutions are emerging as new technologies improve farming efficiency and consumers shift towards climate-friendly diets.
Read more
Hot water: The threat of warming oceans
28 Feb 2020
As the challenges posed by climate change continue to loom large, due attention should be given to oceans, not just the solid ground under our feet and the air we breathe.
Read more
An inconvenient transition
28 Feb 2020
Despite deafening calls for countries and companies to step up to fight the climate crisis, research suggests individuals – especially in the developed world – could also make a massive difference if they committed to getting by with less. But will they?
Read more
Climate data: Seeing through the fog
28 Feb 2020
Big data is heralded as the answer to almost every problem, so why not the climate crisis?
Read more
Nuclear: From pariah to saviour?
28 Feb 2020
As the old saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. Despite lingering public anxiety around safety, there are growing calls for the world to look again at nuclear power as part of the solution to the climate crisis.
Read more
Economic research
The CX Factor
30 Jun 2020
Amid the coronavirus lockdown, asset managers are finding new ways to communicate with their clients remotely. The industry has much to learn from tech and e-commerce companies that deliver top-class client experience from a distance.
Read more
What do rising US-China tensions mean for global markets?
24 Jun 2020
In the latest instalment of our editorial series, Link, Aviva Investors experts discuss the prospects for financial markets and the world economy in the face of escalating hostilities between the US and China.
Read more
Defined Benefit pensions de-risking: A covenant and investment view
23 Jun 2020
In the midst of the COVID-19 shock, Felix Mantz from Lincoln Pensions and Joachim Sudre from Aviva Investors explore how defined benefit pension schemes should plan their journey towards an end game and adopt a more holistic approach to risk.
Read more
Have traditional safe havens lost their edge?
9 Jun 2020
COVID-19 has reminded investors of the importance of defensive positions within portfolios during times of stress. But are the ‘safe havens’ of the past still up to the task?
Read more
Will COVID-19 prove a watershed for ESG?
14 May 2020
COVID-19 has thrown new light on the interdependencies in human and natural ecosystems, and the vulnerabilities of a closely networked world. Aviva Investors’ responsible investment specialists ask whether this will prove a turning point for environmental, social and governance issues.
Read more
The AIQ Podcast: Climate emergency
6 May 2020
This latest episode of the AIQ Podcast goes back to basics on climate: we explore leading scientists’ understanding of how the world is changing, as well as the investment community’s response.
Read more
COVID-19: What will unprecedented policy response mean for economies and markets?
27 Apr 2020
While global policymakers around the world have acted with unprecedented speed and force to the COVID-19 pandemic, their actions are unlikely to prevent the world falling into the deepest recession since World War II.
Read more
COVID-19: This time is different?
3 Apr 2020
While the COVID-19 pandemic may be unlike anything financial markets have experienced before, the past still offers valuable lessons for investors trying to make sense of the crisis, explains Euan Munro.
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Black swan or grey rhino: Should investors have seen COVID-19 coming?
27 Mar 2020
The devastating coronavirus outbreak has prompted renewed discussion of “black swans”: rare, unexpected events that wreak havoc on markets and economies. But is COVID-19 really a black swan? And to what extent can investors ensure their portfolios are resilient to sudden shocks of this kind?
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The implications of COVID-19 for real assets
19 Mar 2020
The human cost of COVID-19 is likely to rise significantly, along with its impact on economies and financial markets as nations enact measures to contain its spread. We summarise recent developments and what they might mean for European real assets markets.
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RPI may be flawed, but changes shouldn’t cost pensioners and investors
16 Mar 2020
With the start of the consultation for proposed changes to the measurement of inflation in the UK, we look at the likely impact to asset classes, the assets most affected, and the key issues investors should be aware of.
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The AIQ Podcast: The psychology of climate change
4 Mar 2020
This latest episode of the AIQ Podcast explores the psychology of climate change and how to engage individuals in the quest for solutions.
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Climate change: The journey from denial to crisis
28 Feb 2020
More than 40 years since a senior NASA scientist told US Congress of concerns about human activities disrupting the climate, experts are warning of an impending climate catastrophe and the financial sector is wrestling with the implications.
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Why asset managers cannot be passive on climate change
28 Feb 2020
As active investors step up their engagement efforts on the climate crisis, discussions need to be at the CEO rather than board level, argues David Cumming.
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Apathy, anger, action: The psychology of climate change
28 Feb 2020
Psychological barriers can prevent people from acting to avert the climate threat, even when they recognise the problem. So how can we best engage individuals, companies and communities in the quest for solutions?
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Stranded! When assets become liabilities
28 Feb 2020
Until recently, many investors made light of dire warnings of the risks posed by assets becoming “stranded” by climate change. However, as the threat becomes reality, fears are mounting that whole industries could be wiped out.
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