HSBC Global Investment Summit

The inaugural HSBC Global Investment Summit took place on the 8 to 10 April 2024 in Hong Kong, bringing together over 3,000 delegates to discuss the global trends and topics shaping our world.

At a time of profound change and often competing priorities, the HSBC Global Investment Summit allows for an open and frank exchange of thoughts and ideas between world-class experts, political leaders, institutional investors and top decision-makers. Our speakers offer their unique insights, perspectives and knowledge on a wide range of critical topics affecting the global economy.

Held in the days immediately after the HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, this event welcomed visitors from all over the world to a truly exceptional global occasion.

Emerging markets are the powerhouses of global growth. Economic development in these dynamic countries delivers improved living standards for their citizens, while at the same time providing attractive opportunities to businesses and investors. Several of these countries are now among the largest economies in the world, making them influential actors on the world stage.

At the Global Investment Summit, we explored some of the fastest growing and most exciting economies in the world – such as China, India, and the ASEAN bloc of nations. Expert insight was provided by a wide range of prominent business leaders, leading economists, and influential investors, who shared ideas on how to navigate the emerging market landscape with confidence.

Investors face a challenging financial environment – lingering inflation and monetary policy are just two topics that are creating high levels of uncertainty. But at the same time, periods of volatility can present interesting investment opportunities.

Short-term and long-term financial developments were discussed at the Global Investment Summit. The immediate outlook for US monetary policy was the subject of an in-depth analysis by a former Fed central banker, while more fundamental shifts in finance were considered by top investors and prominent economists – such as the ongoing shift towards private markets and the future of the US dollar as a reserve currency.

We are living in a period of dramatic technological change. The advent of artificial intelligence, for example, is the latest innovation that looks set to transform the world, and there are widespread expectations that it will have an enormous impact on the world of work, as well as how we live our day-to-day lives.

The Global Investment Summit looked to the future, with a special focus on how business leaders can thrive in a fast-changing technological environment that never stands still. Furthermore, we took a deep dive into generative AI and how it is transforming everything from investing and healthcare to the way we interact with technology.

Robust international commerce is essential for the health of the international economy. But trade tensions threaten to disrupt the flow of goods and services between countries, with tariffs and other tools of protectionism being used more by a number of major economies. There are even concerns that globalisation itself could be under threat.

How global trade is evolving was a central theme for the Global Investment Summit, which brought together speakers to discuss the ways that globalisation appears to be in danger, but also the ways a connected global order can be repaired. At the same time, we heard about the new trade corridors that opening up between regions – most notably linking Asia with the Middle East – and the potential for these new commercial ties to shape the world over the coming decades.

At the Global Investment Summit’s Private Wealth Sessions, we assembled a wide range of experts from across the world to discuss the future of investing and how to navigate the uncertain investment landscape. The sessions began with Nuno Matos, Chief Executive Officer, Wealth and Personal Banking, HSBC giving a broadly optimistic outlook on the global economy, with a focus on the demographic, technological and sustainable opportunities in Asia.

This was followed by a fireside chat with two titans of the financial industry: Michael Gitlin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Capital Group, and Robert Kapito, President and Director, BlackRock, who discussed the differences between active and passive management, and the reasons for moving out cash holdings. There was also a panel on the rise of the markets for private assets.

The final panels moved away from investment topics to look at the broader developments that affect how we live our lives. This includes the rise of technology, especially the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence; as well as an exploration of how businesses can best serve the evolving needs of Asia’s wealthy.