mallowstreet University Digital Investment Focus: Investment Considerations in a COVID-19 Environment - what to look out for and what questions to ask

The Digital Investment Focus is designed to equip the trustees of defined benefit pension schemes to make world-class, informed decisions about the pension funds they sit on in a time of extreme uncertainty, stress and volatility. We will hear from two market experts who will share their experience from the past 8 weeks, answer questions live, and provide you with key insights to take away and apply to your pension fund.

Over the course of the morning, delegates will break into small groups and participate in interactive presentations. This morning educational event is accredited by the Pensions Management Institute and is open to pension funds and their advisers.

The Investment Focus will take place online via a ‘Zoom’ meeting (a widely used webcast meeting provider). We will provide further information, including an access link and password, to all attendees in advance of the Focus.

Speakers

Program

  1. Login and Access Meeting

    The Investment Focus will take place online via a ‘Zoom’ meeting (a widely used webcast meeting provider). We will provide further information, including an access link and password, to all attendees in advance of the event.

  2. Welcome and Introductions

    Speaker

    mallowstreet

  3. Rotating Investment Masterclass I: Taking advantage of market dislocations: Pictet Distressed Debt

    Absolute return investing in stressed and distressed issuers has the potential to offer attractive returns at all points of the cycle, not least when market conditions deteriorate, strain is placed on capital structures and price dislocations occur. Current market conditions prompted by the coronavirus pandemic are creating pricing dislocations, providing significant opportunities for distressed debt strategies to capitalise on. In these circumstances, having the skills to build long positions in improving distressed situations, recovering balance sheets and restructurings, as well as the flexibility to take meaningful short exposures, increases the potential rewards available to specialist investors. The Pictet Distressed & Special Situations fund, launched at the start of the year, offers investors the following benefits: • Flexibility: no multi-year lock ups and on-going quarterly liquidity • Primary focus on Europe • Capacity constrained at £1bn resulting in a smaller, more nimble fund

    Speaker

    Gareth Payne, Senior Client Portfolio Manager at Pictet Asset Management

  4. Questions and Comfort Break

  5. Rotating Investment Masterclass II: Crisis and the acceleration of disruption

    While the full magnitude of “The Great Lockdown” on the global economy is yet to be seen, dimensions of change are occurring rapidly both near and long term. Laurence Taylor, Global Equities Portfolio Specialist, will share his perspectives on the crisis and explore both the dimensions of change that will persist through this period of crisis and what change will be driven by this crisis. Against this backdrop, we believe that active management and selectivity are critical as we try and dovetail opportunity and extreme volatility.

    Speaker

    Laurence Taylor, Portfolio Specialist, Global Equities

  6. Questions and Close of Investment Focus

  7. End