At the end of 2010, fund managers were optimistic about the 2011 outlook for public equities and emerging markets, despite potentially higher volatility.

The challenges facing the funds industry place an extra importance on the election of the next Efama president this year, says Nick Fitzpatrick

But the growth of alternative strategies that are being sold as ETFs is a challenge for the industry and for investors, says Debbie Fuhr of BlackRock

Changes to financial services are underfoot. Tony Collins of Opal gives the lowdown on what the RDR means and its effect on consumers and the industry

Luxembourg will become a centre of choice for alternative fund managers under the Aifm directive, claim Michael Hornsby, Kerry Nichol and Olivier Coekelbergs of Ernst & Young

The knock-on effects of the European debt crisis continue to exert pressure on the fixed income market, says Céline Fernandez of Standard & Poor’s Valuation & Risk Strategies

Liability-hedging portfolios are poorly defined at nearly half of pension funds, and many have not defined their liabilities precisely, finds Samuel Sender of the Edhec-Risk Institute

Regulatory uncertainty is leaving many buy-side firms undecided on whether to participate in a reformed OTC derivatives market. Nicholas Pratt examines what the potential cost of this indecision could be

The growth of alternative Ucits funds has thrust some asset managers into an unfamiliar world of compulsory checks and limits. Nicholas Pratt looks at how compliance management systems are helping them meet regulatory requirements

Blame the political uprisings in the Mena region for a drop in emerging market local currency debt yields at your peril, writes Fiona Rintoul. This asset class is more resilient than you think