Mark Dowding, CIO for our BlueBay fixed income platform, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss an eventful year in global markets. From President Trump’s tariffs (and rollback of tariffs) to the ongoing AI boom, LDP leader Sanae Takaichi’s recent historic prime ministerial win in Japan, and high-profile bankruptcies in the US autos sector, there’s a lot to discuss as we head into year-end.

Market volatility due to tariff measures implemented by President Trump have subsided and markets have rallied strongly, so what next? Andrzej Skiba, Head of US Fixed Income, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, talk about the outlook for, and potential risks to, US credit markets as we head into 2026. Other discussion points include the drivers of returns over the coming year, the changed dynamics of risks in the US energy industry, and the recent pickup in M&A activity.

Laurence Bensafi, Deputy Head of EM Equities, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss the strong outperformance of the asset class in the year-to-date, the impact of tariffs on EM companies, and why quality value investments are compelling. They also discuss two of the team’s top-down themes – Technology Transformation and Future Infrastructure – and how a thematic approach drives bottom-up stock picking.

Marc Stacey, Senior Portfolio Manager for Investment Grade, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss ongoing market uncertainty, the end of US exceptionalism and how European banks have been on a positive trajectory from a fundamentals perspective in recent years. They also highlight how investment grade companies are likely to be impacted by the current environment and what this means for the team’s investment opportunities.

In this podcast episode, Freddie Fuller from the European and International Equities team, discusses the impact of recent geopolitical events and longer term trends on all things energy related with Rob West. He is the founder and CEO of Thunder Said Energy, a leading energy research consultancy. One of the foremost thinkers in his field, Rob has unique and informative insights on the momentous events affecting the energy transition. His company publishes research based on objective economic modelling, patents and technical papers, and advises some of the world's leading decision-makers across the energy, investment, and private equity industries.

Mark Shohet, Portfolio Manager for Securitised Credit and CLO management, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss CLO markets – an area of securitised credit that is currently seeing both continued and new interest from investors. Key highlights of the discussion are an introduction to CLO vehicles, the diversification benefits of investing across CLO tranches within the capital structure, and the evolution of CLOs since 2012.

The only constant at the moment is change, with tariffs and trade noise dominating the headlines on a daily basis. Habib Subjally, Head of Global Equities, has a 30-year plus history investing across market cycles and knows how to weather a storm. He and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss why businesses are feeling cautious at present, the end of the road for US exceptionalism, and how a polarised environment can create strong alpha-generating potential for innovative companies.

Anthony Kettle, EM Debt Senior Portfolio Manager, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss how a ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t work for the emerging markets debt universe. Key talking points include the diverse mix of countries and sectors, why certain headwinds of the last few years could be turning into tailwinds, the more positive aspects of Trump’s agenda, and the need for a well-resourced team in order to deliver alpha when investing in EMD.

Phil Langham, Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of our EM Equities Team and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss emerging markets – an asset class that calls for a skilled active manager with the ability to navigate both the opportunities and pitfalls. Key discussion points include the turning point of EM underperformance, the potential implications of Trump’s White House comeback, why Saudi Arabia is an interesting top-down story, and domestic sectors of interest in the year ahead.

As Head of RBC GAM’s Responsible Investment team, Melanie Adams is well placed to speak on the ESG and responsible investing landscape, both in North American and Europe. In our new podcast episode, she and Freddie Fuller compare regulations across geographies, the political backdrop and ESG backlash in the US, and what the current environment means for both companies and asset managers.