The OMFIF Podcast

OMFIF outlook: what’s in store for 2023?

OMFIF Economist Taylor Pearce and Chief Economist Neil Williams delve into what to look out for in the year head in this lightning round podcast. They cover the monetary and fiscal balance for governments and policy-makers, the resulting impacts on growth, currency and asset (re)allocation and heightened geopolitics.

EU bonds: towards sovereign status

Siegfried Ruhl, hors classe adviser to the director-general for budget at the European Commission, talks with Clive Horwood, OMFIF’s managing editor and deputy CEO, about the European Union’s borrowing plans for 2023. He discusses the new unified EU-Bonds funding approach, efforts to improve liquidity in EU debt, the role of primary dealers and the continued commitment to green bond issuance.

20 Minutes Coffee with Neil Williams and Antonio Curia

Neil Williams, chief economist, OMFIF, joined Antonio Curia, senior executive director of Wimmer Family Office, to provide a quarterly update on macroeconomics and a relevant view from policy-makers around the globe.

Reflecting on COP27: scaling up climate finance and ensuring a just transition

While COP26 revolved around what needs to be done to secure global net zero by 2050, COP27 focused on how to move from pledges to implementation. Mobilising finance is critical to delivering urgent action and has become one of the key aims of Egypt’s COP27 presidency.  This year’s climate summit intended to amplify the voices of developing countries and raise the topics of sovereign debt for nature and climate investment, reducing the cost of green borrowing, scaling up financing for both adaptation and resilience, loss and damage, and ensuring a just transition.

 

In this podcast, OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute Head Emma McGarthy talks to Alex Michie, Head of Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), on the key outcomes of COP27, the state of climate finance and moving from commitments to tangible action, GFANZ framework for transition planning and driving co-operation, convergence and forging the path to COP28.

OMFIF Public investor outlook 2023

As they head into the new year, what are the primary concerns for public asset owners? Where should they expect continuities from 2022, and where will there be divergence? How will they adjust to the new reality of higher risk, more uncertainty and more a volatile macro environment? 

Max Castelli, head of strategy and advice, global sovereign markets, UBS Asset Management, joins Taylor Pearce, economist, OMFIF, to discuss these key questions and delve into diversification, inflation, quantitative tightening, environmental, social and governance concerns and other priorities for reserve managers in 2023.

Everything FTX

Sinan Yilmaz, account and content manager at OMFIF, sits down with Lewis McLellan, editor of the Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss everything related to FTX and its downfall. Including, but not limited to the domino effects, if MiCa would have prevented this, and how Enron compares to Enron in the early 2000's.

If you have any requests, ideas or questions for our speakers, do drop us an email at enquiries@omfif.org. 

Jana Harvey on the debt outlook for EM sovereigns in 2023

Jana Velebova-Harvey, senior portfolio manager in the emerging markets team at BlueBay Asset Management, speaks to Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, on the issuance conditions for emerging market sovereigns in 2022 and the outlook for the year ahead.

Velebova-Harvey talks about the challenges EM sovereigns have faced in accessing the primary market, innovative environmental, social and governance-themed debt restructuring such as debt for nature swaps and carbon-backed bonds, and Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery.

Responsible lending with BNPL

Wenbin Wong, head of GrabFin Singapore, and Lewis McLellan, editor of the Digital Monetary Institute, discuss ‘buy now, pay later’ — a rapidly growing form of consumer lending. The ease of use and accessibility that BNPL offers could make it a valuable tool for economic empowerment, but as consumer exposure grows, it is vital that regulators keep a close eye on unintended outcomes in the marketplace. This podcast explores the benefits that BNPL can bring for individuals, particularly in south east Asia, who are underserved by traditional banking services, as well as the recent Singapore BNPL code of conduct, which could provide a framework for other jurisdictions looking to keep their burgeoning BNPL markets safe.

Is this the end of globalisation?

Geopolitical tensions were apparent even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, clearly evident in the US-China trade war and exacerbated by prolonged supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic and surrounding policy measures. Some economists have argued that we’re entering – or that we have already entered – an era of multipolarity and global economic fragmentation. Discussing the various pillars of globalisation, Massimiliano Castelli, head of strategy and advice, and Philipp Salman, strategy and advice, global sovereign markets, UBS Asset Management, speak with Taylor Pearce, economist, OMFIF on why the deglobalisation story is more complicated than it seems, with a particular focus on emerging trends in global trade and finance.

The views expressed are as of November 2022 and are those of the author and not necessarily the views of UBS Asset Management. This podcast is a marketing communication and the information herein should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation to purchase or sell securities or any particular strategy or fund. Information and opinions have been provided in good faith and are subject to change without notice.

Christian Kopf on liquidity and volatility in the European SSA bond market

Christian Kopf, head of fixed income at Union Investment, speaks to Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, about the difficult market conditions European public sector borrowers face.

Kopf outlines the macro environment for fixed income and the rate hiking cycle, deteriorating liquidity and high volatility for European government bonds, and why he sees an opportunity for certain supranational and agency borrowers. Kopf also gives his thoughts on the sterling bond market and why it will take time before confidence is restored following the chaos of the controversial mini budget. This podcast was recorded on 1 November.