Aviva Investors

The received wisdom on the euro zone is that it needs to become more tightly integrated to survive. To ensure the resilience of the monetary union, fiscal transfers to peripheral economies and risk-sharing via the mutual issuance of Eurobonds are necessary and perhaps inevitable. Princeton economist Ashoka Mody takes a different view.

Central bank independence is widely regarded as a prerequisite for successful monetary policy. However, with economies having struggled over the past decade and inflation no longer seen as a problem, that view is being contested, argues Stewart Robertson, chief economist at Aviva Investors.

Greenback’s role as a haven is threatened by US debt load and cyclical shortcomings. Much of the sentiment around the recent path of the US dollar has been justifiably bullish. Sweeping corporate tax cuts, the US Federal Reserve’s diverging monetary policy against the rest of the developed world and positive economic fundamentals helped power its rise in 2018.

As breakthroughs in nutritional science challenge assumptions that have driven global food producers to create products loaded with salt, sugar and hydrogenated fat, the industry looks ripe for disruption.

The issues related to antimicrobial resistance and spread of drug-resistant ‘superbugs’ pose serious risks to public health and business landscape. We have engaged with our investees to discuss their strategy on antibiotic resistance.

Does investing responsibly mean sacrificing returns? Such a seemingly simple and innocuous question can cause all manner of confusion.

Gross domestic product is our chief measurement of economic health. But GDP is failing to account for the dynamics of modern economies and damage to the environment — and some experts are calling for reform.

As the fallout from the 1MDB continues, and Mahathir Mohamad returning to power on an overly ambitious reform agenda, it is easy to be sceptical about Malaysia’s ESG credentials. But as Stanley Kwong explains, the reality is far more nuanced.

Given the apparently close historical relationship between various financial indicators and the economy, some commentators have been quick to talk up the danger of a US recession in view of recent market developments. Such fears appear unfounded, even if growth is likely to slow, argues Michael Grady.

With US President Donald Trump accusing China of manipulating its exchange rate to gain the upper hand on trade, we consider the likelihood of an all-out currency war between the rival superpowers.

Cambridge University professor Helen Thompson tells AIQ why the path to a more integrated EU is unlikely to get easier after Brexit.

Can investing responsibly enhance returns? We take an in-depth look at the relationship between responsible investing and performance.

Investors often come under pressure to divest from companies. But engagement can be a more effective way to bring about positive change, argues Steve Waygood.

One of the most serious problems with GDP is that it fails to measure the impact of economic growth on the planet’s finite environmental resources. As economist Kenneth Boulding once put it: “Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist.

Gross domestic product is our chief measurement of economic health. But GDP is failing to account for the dynamics of modern economies and damage to the environment — and some experts are calling for reform.

Star CEOs are bringing into question what makes a good leader in a flatter, networked world. We explore what this means for the overall governance of companies.

The Italian government’s plans to sharply hike spending leave it on a collision course with the EU. But financial markets, as well as Brussels, will determine whether the populists in Rome can deliver on their electoral pledges.

More retailers are turning to corporate voluntary arrangements to restructure their estates - but a dynamic landscape is no surprise for seasoned real estate investors.