Asia Investment Summit 2025: Opportunities Amid Adversity
Forces Shaping the Global World Order
Kevin Sneader, President of Goldman Sachs Asia Pacific ex-Japan, informed us of the 4Ds shaping geopolitics today:
Diversification of Power: The global order is becoming more diversified, with China and India emerging as significant economic, political, and military powers. This shift is creating multiple centers of gravity, impacting investment and business strategies.
Decarbonization: The push for decarbonization is influencing global production and consumption patterns. Asia, particularly China, is a major player in renewable energy, presenting both investment opportunities and challenges.
Domestic Politics: Domestic political dynamics are increasingly shaping international relations and economic policies. For example, India's response to tariff disagreements with the U.S. is influenced by domestic political realities.
Digitization and AI: Different regions are adopting distinct approaches to AI development and the choice between Western and Eastern AI models is a critical issue for businesses.
Closer to home, AI is also dramatically reshaping the modern workplace. This means re-engineering processes and rethinking how we approach tasks to stay ahead.
As humans and AI agents increasingly work together, tomorrow's leaders will need to excel at leading hybrid teams that seamlessly integrate human ingenuity with machine intelligence according to Marie Louise Kirk, Chief Administrative Officer for Asia and Head of Engineering for APAC.
Against this current complex backdrop, James Ashley, Head of International Market Strategy and Head of Strategic Advisory Solutions EMEA & Asia, believes it is crucial to stress-test the underlying assumptions that have guided decisions for the past two decades.
Opportunities Amid Adversity
Despite recent challenges, the market environment can present opportunities for investors:
Europe: Growth will likely be catalyzed by geopolitical challenges with key opportunities in defense and infrastructure due to structural underinvestment. Investing in a New Era for Europe provides a deeper read.
AI and Data-driven Strategies: Strategies like our CORE Equity Series leverage AI and data to uncover the future profitability of companies and capture trends before the market prices them in.
Income: Steady streams of income can help investors build resilience and return consistency in portfolios. Investors can look for income in:
- Multi-asset portfolios invested in bonds, equity income and call-writing.
- Fixed Income: Asia high yield and securitized income strategies.
Alternatives: Since 2000, the number of public companies has decreased, leading to increased opportunities in private credit, private equity and infrastructure:
- Private Credit: Continues to be attractive due to its potential for healthy yields and lower volatility.
- Private Equity: Falling interest rates can create new investment opportunities.
- Infrastructure: Infrastructure strategies can offer investors resilience through the economic cycle and a combination of income and long-term growth, depending on the underlying approach.
In addition to its return potential, alternatives can also be defensive and a diversifier ballast.
