Analysis

• Dipping toes in the high yield bond market

  19 April 2016

  There is a lot in favour of high yield bonds, but investments in such bonds need to be managed with great vigilance. Benedicte Gravrand reports

• Shift towards unit-linked products is an opportunity for asset managers

  12 April 2016

  As European insurers move away from guaranteed products and towards unit-linked and hybrids, there is space for asset managers to step in, according to Cerulli Associates. Benedicte Gravrand reports

• US insurers raise exposure to alternatives

  06 April 2016

  US insurers are increasing their exposure to alternative investments at the expense of allocations to non-performing fixed income portfolios, reports Benedicte Gravrand

• Axa's Asia CIO gets an appreciation of the region's complexities

  30 March 2016

  Axa has made Asia one of its focus areas for expansion. The region offers huge growth potential but there are investment issues, such as diverse regulations and scarcity of assets, says regional CIO Boris Moutier. Sarfraz Thind reports

  

• Convertible bonds shine brighter under Solvency II

  22 March 2016

  Finding the sweet spot between the yield of an asset and its capital charge has become a core consideration for EU insurers. Convertible bonds may represent a golden opportunity, as Benedicte Gravrand reports

• Asian infrastructure both an opportunity and challenge

  16 March 2016

  Asian governments have been looking to spur private investment in infrastructure. But demand is somewhat restrained as tight supply and falling yields make it harder for insurance investors to access local deals. Sarfraz Thind reports

• How does Brexit affect insurers' assets?

  09 March 2016

  Aside from a currency impact, likely effects include market volatility, a hit on UK government bonds and wider corporate spreads. Benedicte Gravrand reports

• The virtues of alternative beta

  29 February 2016

  Alternative beta is increasingly gaining traction among institutional investors and is particularly relevant to mitigate current equity-related risks. Chris Stevens, senior associate at London-based financial advisor bfinance, explains why.

• Notional hedging of unit-linked liabilities: tread lightly

  23 February 2016

  Notional hedging can help achieve a lower capital requirement and more investment freedom. But there are a number of isues that need to be considered before moving with this ALM tool, warns advisory firm Willis Towers Watson in a report.

• Insurers raise allocations to high-dividend equity strategies

  16 February 2016

  Better liability matching, accounting and tax treatments motivate switch, say asset managers