ShareKUWAIT: Kamco Invest, a regional non-banking independent financial powerhouse with one of the largest AUMs in the region, hosted a joint exclusive workshop in collaboration with IQAM Invest, a modern fund manufacturer with more than 30 years of market experience, to share their views on the changing paradigms in economic policy and the threat of persistent inflation. The workshop was attended by qualified investors including institutional, family offices and high net worth individuals.
Key topics discussed during the workshop included the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russian-Ukrainian war, the monetary and fiscal measures taken by the central banks of key developed markets to combat inflation, and the ability to navigate the tumultuous market environment in the face of uncertainty.
Faisal Al-Othman, Director of International Investment Services at Kamco Invest gave the opening speech at the event, welcoming Dr Ulrich Neugebauer, Speaker of the board and Head of Quantitative Investments at Deka Investment and Chairman of IQAM, and Dr Thomas Steinberger, Managing Director and Chief investment Officer of IQAM Invest.
Al-Othman gave a summary of Kamco Invest's achievements through its various pillars, Asset Management, Investment Banking, and brokerage. He described the important role that Kamco plays in providing the necessary tools and opportunities to navigate the current and upcoming environment through clearly defined objectives that are met through careful opportunity selection.
Al-Othman noted that the firm's inhouse managed strategies are clearly ranked at the top of its peers when compared on both a short-term and long-term basis. The firm's mutual fund business has among the longest track records in the region and its real estate transactions offer the best-in-class opportunity sets for clients to consider. While Investment Banking is clearly one of the most active across debt and equity capital markets regionally.
Kamco Invest firmly relies on its key partners globally to provide solutions to its clients. It not only sources the best opportunity sets but also relies on the most pertinent information to assist clients in making the soundest investment decisions in the face of such challenges experience in the markets today. This workshop is a part of Kamco Invest's initiative in sharing this knowledge with investors regionally.
Al-Othman introduced the team from IQAM who then went on to deliver their comprehensive presentation. Dr Neugebauer provided a brief overview on Deka Investment and IQAM Invest, which are members of Deka Group, the central financial solutions provider for German savings bank. They provide all quantitative solutions required by Deka Group and its various subsidiaries and investors catering mostly to institutional clients of the Group on a customized solutions basis. Deka Group manages approximately USD370 billion on behalf of its clients and various stakeholders.
Dr. Steinberger proceeded to deliver a presentation on the present state of the markets taking into account key economic indicators such as inflation, interest rates, and volatility in major developed market currencies and indices. A global rise in inflation driven by rising commodity prices due to geopolitical tensions has certainly presented pressure on markets that forced central banks to take desperate measures. These measures were described through IQAM's presentation and then followed by a detailed description of the causes and effects of these measures.
IQAM truly believes that relief from current and upcoming economic stress will not be felt before 2024 due to the severity of persistent inflation and continued geopolitical tensions. Despite these uncertainties developed market economies seem stronger during this recession than recessions of the past. IQAM offered five major recommendations that investors can resort to during these stressful times which include diversification geographically and by asset class, focusing on real assets such as real estate, and adopting long/short strategies (hedge funds) in addition to measurable risk and choosing the appropriate time for market participation.
All of the recommended measures are ones that Kamco Invest employs in assisting clients to navigate their portfolios during these distressful times. The Company offers its clients access to the best of breed opportunities from within the region and internationally through its well-established advisory service.
Al-Othman concluded by thanking the representatives from Deka Investment and IQAM Invest for their time and availability to share their thoughts on the subject. Strategies offered by Deka Group subsidiaries are a testament to the level of quality and sophistication that Kamco Invest demands on behalf of their clients. This is how Kamco Invest remains competitive across their products and services, regionally and globally as it is consistently ranked among the top performers regionally through their products and consistently invest in the best of breed managers and strategies globally.
