Investments / General

Sustainable investment at a crossroads: beyond ESG

Andy Howard, Global Head of Sustainable Investment at Schroders, reflects on the backlash to sustainable investing and the importance of distinguishing between social challenges and investment drivers.

Private markets outlook Q4 2025: Five takeaways for wealth investors

Are there hidden risks lurking in your multi-asset fund?

Multi-asset funds are a staple of the investment industry, both locally and abroad, where they are often exemplified by the 60/40 portfolio (60% equities, 40% bonds). Their popularity stems from the fact that they offer investors an integrated, diversified portfolio of assets, enabling the fund manager to adjust the portfolio composition as conditions change. This can help to manage investor behaviour and avoid emotional decision-making, which has been shown to have detrimental impacts on the outcomes investors ultimately achieve. These funds typically include asset classes such as equities, real estate, bonds, and cash. In some cases, they also offer exposure to more niche areas, such as private assets or commodities.

Why SA Inc deserves a place in your client portfolios

Investors are cottoning on that the JSE All Share Index (ALSI) is not so different to major stock market indices in the United States (US) in that certain shares or sectors can dominate returns, causing difficulties for active, benchmark-agnostic fund managers. This message crystallised during a webinar by Rob Spanjaard, CIO, and Simon Sylvester, Portfolio Manager at REZCO, under the title ‘RSA: wrong or just taking long’.