Welcome to Vontobel

ESG frameworks have faced rising political pushback and growing skepticism, with some investors questioning the feasibility of climate goals under current political and economic conditions. We believe, even during turbulent times, the transition to a low-carbon economy is here to stay. Read the latest Impact Report for more insights.

FX is fragmented by nature — and that’s exactly what makes it valuable. Our latest Quanta Byte explores how FX trends offer independent return streams that passive hedging misses. Discover what happens when FX diversification starts doing more than just reducing volatility.

Accelerating rating upgrades and renewed inflows into the asset class are likely to support EM spreads relative to their historical levels and other credit markets. Absent a major global shock, we expect EM bonds to remain resilient, offering stable carry even if capital appreciation becomes more difficult to capture.

Strong performance of EM local currency bonds has been driven by a bearish US dollar and fundamental factors supporting sustainable appreciation toward a stronger equilibrium.

With strong fundamentals, broad region and sector diversification, and a track record of weathering financial crises, emerging-market investment-grade (EM IG) bonds have evolved into a high-quality asset class, in our view. Yet, despite a robust risk-return profile, EM IG remains significantly underrepresented in actively managed, dedicated strategies.

Our research shows sectors deliver both top and bottom returns, while factors—especially Quality, Dividend Strength and Minimum Volatility—offer more predictable, diversified, and stable performance. We use sectors tactically based on business cycle signals, but our strategic focus remains firmly on factors for consistent, risk-adjusted returns. Discover the Hybrid Investment team’s view on Minimum Volatility equity strategies over the business cycle at the Quantitative Investment Boutique.