Mercer Global Investment Forums 2020 - Melbourne | Mercer LLC | 29 October 2020 | Hotel Fairmont Waterfront, 900 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 3L5, Canada

It’s a Matter of Time — Investing in a Brighter Future
After the previous year’s negative returns in most asset classes, 2019 brought welcome relief for investors around the globe. Authorities paused on monetary tightening in the face of falling economic growth in major markets and faltering global confidence. Looking forward, the risks for investors are many. Among those in the near term are: negative yields on a fifth of global bonds, stubbornly low inflation in the developed world, growing wealth inequality, high public debt, and the lack of growth-stimulating ammunition left for central banks.

But where there is risk, there is also opportunity — a spend-heavy, yet potentially stimulative, transition to a lower-carbon future is likely to produce both winners and losers. Investors who understand these changes and position their portfolios toward the future improve the probability of meeting their objectives. Mercer’s 2020 Vision: Themes and Opportunities highlights the actions investors can consider to better protect portfolios in adverse environments or to capitalize on emerging trends.

Our Global Investment Forums 2020 reflect on these themes in the context of the current economic environment and highlight where we think opportunities exist to help position portfolios for a brighter future. Investors need to be clear on their timeframe, be prepared for business as unusual and position for climate change.