Joseph Mariathasan
Contributing editor
Contact info
AnalysisThe Red Emperor: Xi Jinping and his new China
Visiting China in the late 1990s and early 2000s was an exhilarating experience for any business traveller. There was a sense that the country was opening and moving forward
Special ReportHave factor investing strategies had their day?
Factors have inspired indices, spin-offs and a variety of investment strategies but it has become hard to argue that they will offer investors a persistent future premium
Asset Class ReportsWhy emerging market debt deserves more scrutiny
Investors are becoming more sophisticated in how they approach emerging market debt
Asset Class ReportsLocal currency debt markets now more compelling
Bond yields are now more attractive because local central banks hiked interest rates sooner than their developed market counterparts
AnalysisDeep-tech startups: from academic know how to commercial viability
Many would argue that universities have been set up in the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, so perhaps the idea of seeking commercial applications for university research detracts from the beauty of that ideal. That certainly was the attitude in Oxford when I completed my own doctorate in physics four decades ago. But times have changed and the UK, and Europe more generally, is desperate to encourage the growth of innovative companies that can rival those being churned out in the US.
Special ReportTime to understand India
The country has much to offer investors, with impressive GDP growth, an innovative tech industry and soaring consumer demand
Special ReportPrivate equity in India: growth of a new investment class
Private equity had a faltering start in India, but the market is maturing and offering plenty of opportunity
FeaturesNAV finance takes hold as a niche form of private credit
Private equity investments are by their nature illiquid, which is why PE general partners (GPs) raising a new fund only call on the committed capital when it needs to be deployed in a new investment – and that may be up to a few years after the fund closes.
AnalysisDevelopment banks need to be more transparent to mobilise private capital
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have caught the imagination of impact-oriented investors, as achieving them requires mobilisation of private capital on a massive scale. However, taking on the risks associated with many of the SDG-oriented investment goals is too much to bear for many private investors.
AnalysisWhat happens if we burn all the carbon?
As someone who started his career working for Shell International (albeit four decades ago when fossil-fuel-induced global warming was not an issue that we were aware of), I do not believe that oil companies are inherently evil.
Asset Class ReportsMagnificent seven stocks suck up capital from other sectors
Concentration of US equity markets around a handful of names remains an intractable issue
Asset Class ReportsSmall-cap equities struggle as giants surge ahead
Small caps are finding it difficult to make inroads in a world dominated by the Magnificent Seven
Opinion PiecesBond markets look set to become the new stewardship powerbroking arena
Investors in bond markets are starting to assume a more powerful position than equity investors to influence companies and countries. Innovation is sweeping through bond markets with the introduction of specific ‘use of proceeds’ bonds and sustainability-linked bonds.
AnalysisSmall island states turn to institutional investors to protect oceans
Small island developing states may have a total population of only around 65 million, but through their exclusive economic zones they control about 30% of oceans and seas, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
Asset Class ReportsGreen bonds reach escape velocity
The green bond market looks set to grow further, despite pressure from many sides and key questions over their function
Asset Class ReportsThe quest for innovation in sustainable fixed income
Japan’s climate transition bond is the latest in a string of innovative developments in sustainable fixed income
Asset Class ReportsClosing the data gap in green, social and sustainability-linked bonds
Luxembourg’s bourse has capitalised on its experience as a green bond hub
AnalysisA template for innovation and investment opportunity in health services
Introducing innovations into entrenched organisations is always a challenge. No more so than in the UK’s much loved, much criticised and, many would argue, barely functioning National Health Service (NHS). Yet revolutions in AI and technology should be able to transform the NHS for the better in a cost-effective manner.
Asset Class ReportsIs India’s equity market now the new China in investors’ eyes?
Better governance and a clear economic path may put India in the lead
Asset Class ReportsA changing Saudi Arabia proves attractive for investors
Equity market is starting to open to investors as the country liberalises strict rules
