October 2025 summary
Thank you for joining us for another edition of Manulife Investment Management’s global institutional commentary, where we share a comprehensive overview of our latest insight, articles, and in-market strategies.
2025 private markets conference: a look back and a look ahead
We recently hosted our 2025 Private Markets Investor Conference in Boston, bringing together leading institutional investors, portfolio managers, and industry experts to explore the evolving landscape of private markets. The event served as a platform to reflect on key milestones, share forward-looking insights, and deepen relationships across our global investment community.
A highlight of the conference was a keynote from best-selling author James Clear, who spoke on the power of building lasting habits—an idea that resonates with our long-term investment philosophy. We also examined five transformative megatrends—digitization, decarbonization, deglobalization, demographics, and democratization—that continue to shape our strategic direction and investment approach across asset classes.
Get a sneak peek into the highlights below:
Sustainable forestry can offer investors a resilient opportunity that combines competitive returns with climate and ecosystem benefits, making it a potentially powerful addition to modern portfolios. As the world’s largest timberland investment manager,¹ Manulife Investment Management leverages nearly 40 years of experience to help deliver market-rate returns and measurable impact for climate, nature, and communities.
This quarter, investment opportunities are being influenced by changing economic strategies and regional developments. The Multi-Asset Solutions Team delves into market trends, spotlighting the surge in U.S. tech, shifting global trajectories, and notable macroeconomic strength in Spain.
AI is helping streamline investment research and unlock deeper insights—while keeping human judgment at the center. Listen to our approach from Colin Purdie, global CIO of public markets, as he shares how inclusive partnerships and embedded collaboration are driving responsible innovation.
Ed Ritchie, ASIP, head of Japan equities, joined Asset TV to discuss why Japanese equities have recently been outperforming the U.S., driven by inflation, wage growth, and corporate reform. From banks to semiconductor suppliers, key sectors are benefiting from Japan’s structural economic shifts.²
Portfolio manager Elina Theodorakopoulou spoke on Asset TV about how emerging markets debt (EMD) can offer yield and diversification across 80+ countries. With developed markets facing headwinds, now may be the time for institutional investors to tap into EMD’s hard and local currency opportunities.²
We’re excited to announce the close of Manulife Infrastructure Fund III at US$5.5B—our largest private markets fundraising to date. This milestone exceeded our target and will propel our U.S. mid-market infrastructure strategy forward, backed by strong investor confidence.
We’re expanding our global timberland holdings with the acquisition of 18,100 acres in Australia, an important step in our commitment to sustainable resource management and climate action.
We see data as the foundation for analysis that unlocks insight and ultimately drives performance. Made possible through close collaboration between our investment and AI development teams, AI enhances this journey and helps us serve our clients more effectively.
Explore these case studies to see how we’re aligning governance, sustainability integration, and environmental stewardship with long-term value creation.
We partnered with a small-cap company to strengthen its executive compensation framework, aligning incentives with long-term performance and shareholder value. This case highlights how effective governance can support sustainable business growth.
We continue to evolve our sustainability integration approach in senior loan investments to meet growing market expectations and stakeholder needs. By enhancing transparency and risk management, we’re driving sustainable outcomes in private credit.
We’re proud to support the conservation of New Zealand’s endangered blue duck by integrating sustainable forestry practices and restoring native habitats. This initiative reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship and long-term value creation.
For more information on Manulife Investment Management, visit our website.
¹ IPE research as of 1/24/2025. Ranking is based on total natural capital AUM, which includes forestry/timberland and agriculture/farmland AUM. Firms were asked to provide AUM and the as of dates vary from 12/31/2023 to 12/31/2024.
² The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers at the time of recording and are subject to change as market and other conditions warrant. This video is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be, nor shall it be interpreted or construed as, a recommendation or providing advice, impartial or otherwise, recording any specific product or security. Unless otherwise noted, the speakers are not affiliated with Manulife.
This newsletter is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or investment or advisory service, or a recommendation of any such security or service, that may be referenced.
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