Manulife Investment Management’s Global Intelligence report assesses risks and opportunities in a time of global change and historic headwinds

25/10/2022

Examines rising existential risks to investment considerations

MALAYSIA – Manulife Investment Management today released its latest Global Intelligence report, highlighting new research from the firm’s investment teams across public and private markets. Titled “Historic Headwinds”, the report explores topics related to some of 2022’s greatest challenges, from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and spiking inflation to rural banking deserts and pandemic-related structural shifts. Key themes include global food security, political instability, carbon offsets, climate solutions in the face of the global energy crisis and the broader impact on sovereign bond markets, and the role that both governments and asset managers can play to help bridge Asia’s widening gender pension income gap.

“Financial markets are facing a confluence of headwinds this year not seen in a generation,” said Paul Lorentz, CEO, Manulife Investment Management. “While we’ll continue to seek out opportunities to build resilient portfolios for our clients, we’re pleased to also share our investment research, which seeks to explore the potential longer-term impacts of today’s events.”

Global Intelligence topics include:

Food scarcity, energy insecurity: assessing sovereign ESG risks from the Russia-Ukraine conflict—This article examines the sovereign ESG risks—including second-order economic and sociopolitical events—triggered by the Russia-Ukraine situation.
Carbon credit use is reshaping timberland investments—Global timberland specialists explain how the accelerating evolution of carbon markets and subsequent need for the incorporation of carbon values are changing the traditional calculus for timberland owners.
Food price inflation: 10 implications—We examine the impact of food price inflation on economies across the world. The article makes the case for why food security must be recognized as a major investment risk with far-reaching economic, social, and geopolitical implications. For example, these effects include the rising inequality of wealth and intensified geopolitical tensions between developed and emerging nations.
Building community: a new look at the role of U.S. regional banks—We assess the gap between the reputation of regional U.S. banks and the needs they fill and detail how the services these institutions provide improve conditions for consumers and society by facilitating small business financing, serving as an oasis in banking deserts in largely rural areas, and filling a critical need in traditionally underserved areas of banking.
Observing Asia’s gender pension disparities—This article explores the gender-related challenges and opportunities found within Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia that drive gender inequality at retirement, concluding that structural imbalances at every stage of women’s lives are responsible for financial challenges in later life.

More information and the full report are available here.

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The above information has not been reviewed by the Securities Commission Malaysia (“SC”) and is subject to the relevant warning, disclaimer, qualification or terms and conditions stated herein. Investors are advised to read and understand the contents of the Master Prospectus dated 3 January 2023 and its First Supplemental Master Prospectus dated 20 October 2023; Master Prospectus dated 15 May 2023 and its First Supplemental Master Prospectus dated 20 October 2023; Prospectus dated 18 August 2022 and its First Supplemental Prospectus dated 30 December 2022; Prospectus dated 3 October 2023; Prospectus dated 19 June 2024; Prospectus dated 28 June 2024; Prospectus dated 10 September 2024; Information Memorandum dated 11 February 2020 and its First Supplemental Information Memorandum dated 31 January 2022 and its Second Supplemental Information Memorandum dated 10 August 2023 and its Third Supplemental Information Memorandum dated 2 January 2024; Master Information Memorandum dated 26 November 2019; Information Memorandum dated 11 February 2020 and its First Supplemental Information Memorandum dated 13 September 2021 and its Second Supplemental Information Memorandum dated 31 January 2022 and its Third Supplemental Information Memorandum dated 21 August 2023 and its Fourth Supplemental Information Memorandum dated 2 January 2024; Information Memorandum dated 9 August 2021 and its First Supplemental Information Memorandum dated 10 August 2023 and its Second Supplemental Information Memorandum dated 2 January 2024; Information Memorandum dated 2 May 2023 and its First Supplemental Information Memorandum dated 2 January 2024; Information Memorandum dated 24 October 2024; Disclosure Document dated 14 February 2022 and its First Supplemental Disclosure Document dated 30 August 2023 for Manulife PRS NESTEGG Series; Disclosure Document dated 14 February 2022 and its First Supplemental Disclosure Document dated 30 August 2023 for Manulife Shariah PRS NESTEGG Series and all the respective Product Highlights Sheet(s) (collectively, the “Offering Documents”), obtainable at our offices or website, before investing. The Offering Documents have been registered with the SC, however the registration with the SC does not amount to nor indicate that the SC has recommended or endorsed the product. There are risks involved with investing in unit trust funds; wholesale funds and/or private retirement schemes. Some of these risks associated with investments in unit trust funds; wholesale funds and/or private retirement schemes are currency risk, country risk, credit and default risk, concentration risk, stock specific risk, reclassification of Shariah status risk, fund manager/ investment manager/target fund manager risk, liquidity risk and interest rate risk. For further details on the risk profile of all the funds, please refer to the Risk Factors section in the Offering Documents. The price of units and income distribution may go down as well as up. Investors should compare and consider the fees, charges and costs involved. Investors are advised to conduct own risk assessment and consult the professional advisers if in doubt on the action to be taken. Past performances are not an indication of future performances. Where a unit split/distribution is declared, investors are advised that following the issue of additional units/distribution, the NAV per unit will be reduced from the pre-unit split NAV/cum-distribution NAV to post-unit split NAV/ex-distribution NAV; and where a unit split is declared, the value of your investment in the Fund’s denominated currency will remain unchanged after the distribution of the additional units. You are advised not to solely rely upon the ratings or rankings disclosed herein in making an investment decision. The ratings or rankings disclosed herein are current; the same may change in the future.

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