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.

Mark Dowding, BlueBay CIO, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss what Trump 2.0 could mean for the US economy and markets, the challenges facing Europe, and the geopolitical landscape. With politics and policy continuing to create market volatility, Mark also emphasises the importance of skilled active management to generate alpha.

Sid Chhabra, head of European High Yield, Securitized Credit and CLO Management, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss why the current backdrop is favourable for high yield, select investment opportunities in the banking, energy, telecoms and real estate sectors, and the role of private credit in the asset class.

Habib Subjally, Head of Global Equities and Senior Portfolio Manager, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss drivers of equity markets over the last few years, productivity and innovation in challenging times, and the Global Equity team’s focus on great businesses which create contingent assets.

Andrzej Skiba, Head of US Fixed Income and Senior Portfolio Manager, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss the robustness of the US economy, whether strong bond yields are likely to maintain momentum, corporate balance sheets and, of course, the potential return of Trump to the White House.

Polina Kurdyavko, Head of BlueBay Emerging Markets and Senior Portfolio Manager, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss recent drivers of returns, the impact of geopolitical events and – in a year of global elections – how the team’s proposed solution for the debt sustainability of Mexico’s largest state-owned oil company have been well received by the country’s presidential candidates.

My-Linh Ngo, Senior Director and Impact-Aligned Strategist, Tom Moulds, Senior Portfolio Manager, and Mike Reed, Head of Global Financial Institutions, discuss how ESG is increasingly considered in the investment process, market fragmentation in terms of regulation, ESG within fixed income portfolios, and bondholder influence and engagement.

Japan’s fortunes look set to change, with its stock market currently reaching all-time highs. Our European and Asian equity team members discuss the role that corporate governance reforms are playing in this improving investor sentiment.

Maia Becker is joined by Rob Lambert  to discuss developments in the clean energy sector and its key challenges ahead.

Mike Reed is discussing investment grade with Marc Stacey, senior portfolio manager focusing on non-sovereign debt and specialising in financial institutions. The focus is on what's in store for credit spreads, the outlook for corporate issuance, and getting the lowdown on the financial sector.