Outcome focused

Trend rates of economic growth, which have been on the decline for decades in the world’s leading economies, look set to fall further. That will have big implications for governments, companies, households and investors, argues Stewart Robertson.

Darryl Murphy assesses the implications and opportunities for infrastructure investors.

The path to a sustainable future for private markets is full of opportunity but also complexity, as Laurence Monnier and Ed Dixon explain.

Watch our video to find out how offices can provide a powerful tool in boosting productivity, and attracting and retaining the best talent.

The global pandemic may have accelerated demand for data infrastructure, but the underlying drivers behind the growth of data centre markets go far beyond short-term factors, explains Laurence Monnier.

The green premium is an elusive concept. Laurence Monnier reviews the academic literature and crunches some numbers to try and quantify the extra pricing power afforded by more sustainable commercial properties.

Asset managers of many different hues claim they are thinking harder about their social role: the ‘S’ in ESG. But evaluating social value generated from investment decisions is not straightforward, as consultant Dr Kelly Watson from Hatch explains.

The inequalities highlighted by COVID-19 have led to much soul searching, including among investors on whether they are doing enough to address the issues of the day. Ed Dixon, Aviva Investors’ head of ESG - real assets, contemplates how investors in tangible assets can put capital to work to drive change.

The tragedy and destruction caused by the Blitz created an unintended natural experiment in urban redevelopment. Chris Urwin reflects on what this can teach us anything about agglomeration economies and the resilience of cities.

Unlike liquid markets and real estate, a lack of publicly available data has made assessing risk more challenging for infrastructure equity assets. Laurence Monnier considers the options for investors looking to complement qualitative assessments with quantitative rigour.

Herd-like lending behaviour is counter-productive and exacerbates real estate risks. Gregor Bamert argues a wider range of capital sources and investment approaches may help combat this in future.

Low interest rates, regulation and ESG risks are not new considerations for insurers’ investment strategies. However, the long-term fallout from COVID-19 is adding a layer of complexity they will need to adjust to.

In our monthly visual series on topical data themes, we look at whether Bitcoin could be the new gold, if COVID-19 has put pressure on London office rents, and the extent to which transport affects the carbon footprint of foods.

Talent, clusters and scale are three key reasons why Paris is one of the world’s most attractive office markets, explain Souad Cherfouh and Chris Urwin.

Too much emphasis on geographic and sector diversification within real estate portfolios can hinder alpha generation. More focus on lease length, asset quality and other factors is a preferred means of reducing specific risks whilst allowing specialisation, argues Tim Perry.

We take a visual approach to highlight why Copenhagen is such a rich, vibrant and economically prosperous city.