UBS Wealth Insights 2020

The previous decade was a phenomenal one for financial markets. The S&P 500 gained 190% and the Nasdaq Composite Index tripled. But investing might not be as straightforward from hereon. What will the next 12 months – and the next decade – bring? What impact will the US presidential election and the China-US trade conflict have on investments? And how should investors position themselves in a low-yield, late-cycle environment?

More than 1,100 attendees gathered at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre for UBS Wealth Insights 2020 Singapore to hear UBS – as well as external – experts weigh in on these issues. Kicking off the day was UBS CIO Global Wealth Management, which has a somewhat-optimistic view of equities, expecting global central banks to continue their easy monetary policy. The move from tightening to loosening liquidity in markets played a big role in pushing assets higher in 2019, and CIO expects this to continue in 2020.

Against this backdrop, however, geopolitical risks will bring uncertainty to markets. The top concern remains the China-US trade conflict, according to guests surveyed at the event. Guest speakers agree that the rivalry between the two largest economies is likely to stay, with China likely to push ahead with structural reforms and US, attempting to contain the former's emergence as a global superpower. The other risks are the US presidential election at the end of the year, the results of which may bring changes to the taxation and trade policies of the current administration.

Here are some highlights of Wealth Insights 2020 Singapore.