FGB, one of the leading banks in the UAE, launched the UAE’s first Wealth Sentiment Index at its annual Investment Conference today, which took place at the Conrad hotel, Dubai, under the theme – ‘Navigating Trends in Global Markets’.
The new Wealth Sentiment Index measures the prevailing mood of affluent investors in the UAE market, from a personal and business point of view, and is an indicator of the overall sentiment of the market, based on existing fundamental and economic factors.
The new index was launched during FGB’s fourth annual Investment Conference, which featured sessions led by a host of renowned global financial experts who provided insights into recent market trends and practices, as well as future developments and opportunities across the region and globe.
The event was attended by wealth relationship managers from across the UAE and FGB, and explored a host of topics including the role of commodities, the US property market, the outlook for the US equity market, the implications of global politics and referendums, the search for income and emerging markets.
Guest speakers at the conference included Mark Mobius- Executive Chairman of Emerging Markets at Franklin Templeton Investments; Christopher Wyke – Product Director for Commodities & Emerging Market Debt at Schroder Investment Management Limited; Matthew Kaiser – Portfolio Manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management; Nick Peters – Portfolio Manager on the Fidelity Multi Asset Investment Team at Fidelity International; William Davies – Head of Equities, EMEA at Columbia Threadneedle Investments; Mark Cernicky – CFA – Managing Director, Global Portfolio Management at Principal Global Investors; Joshua Rank – CFA – Portfolio Manager at Principal Global Investors and Alistair J. MacDonald, CFA – Vice President, Institutional Portfolio Manager at Templeton Asset Management Ltd.
Hana Al Rostamani, Head of the Consumer Banking Group at FGB, said: “FGB Wealth has made great strides over the years and the launch of our new Wealth Sentiment Index as well as the organization’s fourth annual investment conference is a testament to FGB’s ongoing commitment to share our expertise and support the industry’s continued development and growth. FGB’s Wealth Sentiment Index is another first for the wealth market in the region and we’re pleased to be establishing this important tool which will provide valuable insights into the evolving viewpoints and perspectives of UAE investors.”
Mufazzal Kajiji, Global Head of Wealth Management and Affluent Banking, added: “In today’s rapidly changing global environment, staying ahead of emerging challenges and opportunities is a key success. Our annual investment conference, which has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2013, provided a unique opportunity for wealth managers from across the UAE to gain new perspectives as well as insights into market trends and how they are shaping the industry, now and in the years to come.”
FGB Wealth is dedicated to enabling customers to grow, protect or transfer their wealth through the help of dedicated wealth managers and a disciplined four-step wealth management programme. This includes understanding each customer’s needs and goals, assessing their risk profile, developing and implementing a complete financial plan and providing expert advice about any changes or new opportunities.
