THREE THEMES FOR 2021

• Why an ESG strategy is critical to your success
• Lessons from the 12 Trillion dollar institutional ESG market
• How to marry ESG approaches with your investment outlook

Investing in Environmental, Social and Governance focused ETFs is nothing new, and yet the past 2 years have brought a sea change in how real world investors can use ESG effectively in portfolios.  Far behind simple values-based investing, current evidence suggests that ESG is both a critical risk management tool, and a potential source of outperformance in the decade to come. In this one hour session, Sarah Kjellberg, Director, Head of U.S. iShares Sustainable ETFs and MSCI’s Guillermo Cano, Executive Director, Index Solutions Research walk through how institutional investors have been leading the charge, and how that creates real opportunities for advisors.

• The right allocation to developed and emerging markets in 2021
• How global trends are changing the traditional model of risk and reward
• How soon is too soon to look to emerging markets

In 2020, investors largely ignored their international exposure, distracted by the economic and humanitarian impacts of Covid-19. But while the world has adjusted to the new normal, the geopolitical landscape has been shifting. Tensions have never been higher in the South China Sea, the Middle East remains a hot bottom region, and the future of a European recovery is still in doubt. So how does an advisor maintain a global perspective? In this one-hour session, Jeffrey Spiegel, US Head of iShares Megatrend and International ETFs, and MSCI’s Raina Oberoi, Head of Americas Index Solutions Research, uncover the latest trends and research on international investing the emerging global wealth megatrend theme.

• Why the style box is just the beginning
• How risk-management factors like Quality are positioned for 2021
• Where you should allocate to factors … and when

For the past 40 years, savvy investors have realized that factors are often the predominate driver of returns.  But the market action in 2020 has caused many advisors to take their eyes off the ball.  Factor strategies are about much more than “when will value be back.”  An effective use of factors is a key pillar of risk management and portfolio construction.  In this informative 1 hour session, Blackrock’s head of Factor ETFs, Bob Hum, and MSCI’s Anil Rao, Executive Director, Index Solutions Research, cover the state of the art when it comes to factor investing, with actionable ideas on how to implement factor strategies with your clients.