Special Reports provide in-depth FT coverage of countries around the world, as well as industries from tech to luxury and themes ranging from workplace health to entrepreneurship.

FTfm Active Management

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on 09 December 2024

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Active Managers Pile into Private Assets  

Fund managers are launching new products to invest in private assets - both private debt and private or unquoted equity - almost daily. They say it provides access to a much broader range of assets for private investors, which increases the diversification available to them. Additionally, since the global financial crisis, companies have waited longer to IPO, so many of the more investable companies are not listed on public markets. But cynics say it is just a way to charge higher fees, and puts illiquid assets into supposedly liquid funds. Should investors join the rush? 

Why Active Managers are More Sustainable Investors 

Active fund management is always mentioned around sustainable investing — principally because active managers can divest, potentially selling down huge holdings in companies and making their managements think carefully about their commitments to sustainability. In theory, this makes active managers more ethical than passive managers, who are merely required to 'engage'. Do recent cases back this up?

The Coming of Actively Managed ETFs

Loads of active managers are now launching ETFs. It started in the US, helped by tax arbitrage. But the concept is now spreading to Europe. For example, Robeco launched its first active ETFs in October, and Janus Henderson will be launching its first in Europe shortly afterwards. But how do they work and how do they compare with conventional active funds on costs?   

Active Funds and Correlation Bias 

There has been a trend recently among active fund managers to do what others are doing - especially in the US, where the “Magnificent 7” tech stocks have skewed the return profile of index tracking funds. Therefore a lot of active managers have started to look a little more passive in terms of holding the same stocks as others. But what happens when the magnificent & get too expensive? Or there is a sudden drop in their prices? Managers need to be brave and be actually active, rather than just sticking with what seems to be working well now.

Is the Time Right for Active ‘Special Situations’ Funds?

‘Special Situations’ funds are often thought of as investments in distressed businesses, or turnaround situations. But the recent combination of high interest rates and highly leveraged companies has created lots of healthy businesses that appear to have weak balance sheets. These can represent good investment opportunities. Are Special Situations funds taking advantage of these, and other, opportunities in development markets?     

Active Bond Funds 

How and where are bonds being used in portfolios? After 20-plus years of no returns, debt is getting interesting again. Where are investors putting their money, and how can actively managed bond funds be used to diversify a portfolio?

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to [email protected] 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

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Pippa Wallace on +44 (0) 7759 121 350, [email protected]

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or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

FTfm Responsible Investing

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on 02 December 2024

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Navigating the Anti-ESG Backlash

A few years ago, a conservative backlash against the environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment agenda began gathering momentum in the US, when several states proposed legislation against asset managers who "boycott" the fossil fuel or firearms industry. Since then, regulators have become involved and the anti-ESG laws are being challenged in court. With concerns also being raised over greenwashing and misleading ESG definitions, asset managers are having to rethink their stance on this once popular investment theme. What does all this mean for responsible investors?

Cashing in on the Transatlantic Subsidy Race

Joe Biden's climate-focused Inflation Reduction Act has revolutionised the green investment landscape in the US, with vast subsidies and tax incentives for low-carbon energy. Under pressure for a response, the EU has responded with a generous package of its own. With elections this year in both those jurisdictions — and many others — the policy outlook is especially uncertain. As governments jostle to provide the most attractive destination for green investment, which sectors stand to benefit most, and how can investors reap the rewards?

Spotlight on Biodiversity

Nature and biodiversity long received little attention from the corporate and financial worlds, even as concerns about carbon emissions rose up the agenda. Now, the subject is receiving an unprecedented weight of attention, amid increasingly worrying signs of problems from species loss to water scarcity. A growing number of asset management groups are offering funds that promise to help protect the planet's natural ecosystems. How are they pursuing this goal - and can they make a difference?

Why Critical Minerals are Critical to Energy Policy 

One of the biggest challenges in energy transition is securing the critical minerals needed to power it. But a major report from the International Energy Agency has found that mineral supplies are worryingly concentrated. Over 70 per cent of the world’s cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than two-thirds of global rare earth metal extraction is in China, which also accounts for the vast bulk of processing of minerals including lithium, cobalt and copper. At the same time, miners are struggling to clean up their act and there has been little progress on the sustainability of critical mineral production. What needs to be done to improve supply? 

Waking up to Modern Slavery

Despite its powerful green credentials, the global solar industry is heavily reliant on the Chinese province of Xinjiang, where there have been serious and widespread allegations of forced labour. With 50mn people living in modern slavery according to the International Labour Organisation, such human rights violations may be present in supply chains across many other industries. Major new regulation in the EU will force companies to report much more extensively on this issue. How can investors navigate the risks around forced labour – and play a role in eliminating it?

Tackling the Data Shortfall

Fund managers pursuing ethical investment strategies have long complained of a chronic shortage of reliable data. A growing field of data providers have emerged to seek to fill that gap – but they vary widely in their quality and rigour, according to some observers. What approaches are major investors taking to access the best information, and what is the most innovative work being done to provide it?

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to [email protected] 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Isaac Thomas on +44 (0) 7513 833 941, [email protected]

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or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Investing in America

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report on December 10, 2024

We plan to include the following pieces of content (please note this list is provisional):

Biden’s FDI Record: The Final Verdict. 

Joe Biden has staked much of his legacy on his ability to promote investment in the US’s manufacturing sector, which has been particularly attractive to foreign investors in the battery, EV and microprocessor industries. As he leaves the White House, the FT takes a data-led look at whether all the big greenfield investment announcements have borne fruit or just been a lot of public relations hype. 

A New President, A New Industrial Policy? 

With a new president coming into office, there will inevitably be changes in approach to attracting foreign investment. Tariffs have gained bipartisan political support, and some Republicans have even threatened to roll back incentives in Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act. We look at what the new administration could bring when it comes to foreign companies in the US. 

Case Study: Nippon Steel. 

On its face, the Nippon Steel acquisition of US Steel should have been a win-win for both companies, as well as the United Steelworkers, who at any other time may have welcomed an investment from an allied country with long and deep roots in the American economy. But the deal was announced in the maw of a presidential race where protectionist sentiment had run rampant. What went wrong? 

The Great AI Land Rush. 

After it became clear that fast-growing green energy companies were scrambling for greenfield sites to build new plants, states across the US began priming locations to attract their investment. But the new AI boom has complicated these efforts: sites that had once been begging for customers are now being inundated with inquiries from Big Tech groups looking to build data centres and energy plants for the booming AI industry. We visit a site in Indiana and tell the tale 

The Secret to Chinese Success. 

Chinese investment in the US have faced hurdles that have made headlines across the world: threatened bans for TikTok, crypto miners kicked out of Wyoming, Shein’s New York IPOs thwarted. But one sector of the Chinese business community has quietly made a success of its American ventures: the solar industry. How have Chinese solar companies done it? 

Has the Semiconductor Boom Stalled? 

The threat posed to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry convinced legislators in Washington to back a government-led industrial policy to incentivise chip fabs on American soil, including by foreign giants like TSMC and Samsung. But complex Commerce Department regulations have stalled several of these investments, and foreign companies have faced the brunt of the red tape. 

The New American Koreatowns. 

Few countries have invested more capital in the US than South Korea, moving the Asian powerhouse into first place among foreign countries announcing greenfield investments in the US. That has led to a boom in Koreatowns in unexpected places, from Kokomo, Indiana to Savannah, Georgia 

Case Study: Toyota in North Carolina. 

It was the largest single investment by a Japanese company in the biggest new plant ever built in North Carolina: Toyota is building a $13.9bn battery plant in Greensboro, a town of 300,000 in the heart of the state’s old tobacco country. How has the Toyota investment changed the small, historic town? 

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to [email protected] 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Don Janocha M +1 917 513 5925, [email protected]

Jonathan Florez  M +1 917 551 5041, [email protected]

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised that Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Global Brands

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on 21 January 2025

We plan to include the following pieces of content (please note: this list is provisional)

Our special report will draw upon Kantar’s industry-renowned Global Brands data - and exclusive analysis, available only to the FT, to produce 8 articles, each with an accompanying mini-ranking or graphic.

These will be split into (provisionally):

3 x articles on the fastest-growing brands in these growth markets: 

India

Biggest area is technology and specifically technology service provision; outsourcing in particular - they have been by far the fastest growth brands; challenge has been overcoming cultural perceptions such as bias to IBM, and being thought of as global leaders, TCS can be just as good a choice; how local brands can challenge the multinationals, perform better; comparison with patriotic duty to buy Chinese in China     

Mexico 

The growth in alcohol brands, cultural export of brands, closeness of the US and export of Latino aspects into the US, fast food brands doing well; beer as a signifier of which culture is up   

United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia 

Brands that demonstrably meet consumer needs are being rewarded; Kantar data shows that Emirati and  Saudi brands that improved their scores on ‘Meeting Needs’ also saw significant upticks in measures of usage. Consumers don’t just feel more positively about ‘meaningfully different’ brands - they turn to them more. Three new entrants to Saudi’s ranking include: BSF; Al Rajhi Takaful and Aldrees; telecom giant e& (etisalat and ) remains the top Emirati brand, followed by Emirates and FAB; multi-specialty hospital brand Burjeel enters the Emirati ranking for the first time. 

1 x infographic on the up-and-coming brands with momentum, globally

2 x articles on the brand and sales dynamics within specific sectors, eg 

• Use of AI in non tech industries; 
• Shifting brand values in the electric vehicle market;

2 x newsworthy data-led stories, eg 

• What next for the 'Go woke, go broke' argument? It had been debunked by data showing that inclusivity=sales, but the re-election of Donald Trump and influence of anti-woke billionaire Elon Musk suggest businesses will suffer for promoting equality;  
• Using data to predict return on investment on marketing spend. 

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to [email protected] 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Luke McGreevy: +971 (5) 087 63027, [email protected]

Mark Magrane on +44 (0)7855 352 176, [email protected]

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

FTfm: Fixed Income 

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on January 27, 2025

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Is There a Future for Traditional Bond Funds? 

Investors are avoiding traditional actively-managed bond funds and preferring to use either low-cost exchange traded funds or alternative fixed-income assets such as private credit and infrastructure debt funds, says BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. He has called this the “barbell effect” - because it looks like money is collecting at the two far ends of the spectrum. It is similar to the division in equity investment, where investors are bifurcated between passive index funds and high-fee private equity funds. But what will this mean for conventional bond funds? Do they still have a use? Or do their returns no longer justify their fees?

Is the Trump Trade to Buy Bonds? Or Equities? 

Investors have long been preparing for a second Donald Trump presidency. And the one outcome they seem to agree on is inflation. A big increase in trade tariffs, and tax cuts for businesses and wealthy individuals, plus deregulation look like a recipe for higher stocks and higher inflation, which is bad for bond prices. But, when it looked more likely Trump would win, and create geopolitical chaos by abandoning Europe and Taiwan, bond prices rose. Investors sought safety in US Treasuries government bonds —the go-to asset in times of geopolitical stress. So will Trump's isolationist, protectionist, populism be good or bad for fixed-income investors? 

Will Lower Inflation mean Higher Demand for Bonds?

With inflation finally falling after years of rising prices, bonds appear to offer a reasonable return, again. In Britain, the 10-year government bond yields 4.2 per cent, while in the US, the equivalent Treasury bond offers 4.4 per cent. Assuming that central banks manage to keep inflation to 2 per cent a year, this means bonds offer a real (after inflation) yield of more than 2 percentage points - for the first time in ages. Does this mean they are a serious option for your portfolio?

Is there a dangerous bubble in China's sovereign bonds? 

The People’s Bank of China has been worried about a bubble forming in the country’s sovereign bond market. So worried that it intervened in the market: borrowing several hundred billion renminbi of long-dated bonds that it can sell into the market to try to satisfy demand. The central bank fears that regional banks may be buying at too high a price, creating problems if the value of their holdings suddenly drops - a crisis similar to that which caused the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank last year.

Can Emerging Market Bonds Keep Outperforming?

Resilient economies and domestic reforms have helped emerging market bonds outperform western counterparts. Argentina’s bonds have been among the top performers, as investors have welcomed a radical austerity package and deregulation by incoming president Javier Milei. Meanwhile, dollar bonds in Sri Lanka, Ghana and Zambia have all delivered double-digit returns this year as they enter the final phase of their debt restructuring processes. Significant support from the IMF and other official creditors has also reduced the likelihood of more sovereign debt defaults. So are these the bonds to hold for the best total returns in months and years ahead?  

Are Junk Bonds too Risky if Interest Rates Stay High?

Fixed-income investors have been selling out of the US junk bonds and switching to higher-quality debt, as fears persist over a much longer period of high interest rates and a surge in bankruptcies. They seem worried about companies potentially losing access to funding and defaulting on their debt as borrowing costs stay high. Market expectations for US interest rates have swung wildly in 2024: in January, investors were expecting six or seven rate cuts in the year; they are currently pricing in about two quarter-percentage-point cuts. Does that make junk bonds too risky? 

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to [email protected] 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Charlotte Morgan +44 (0) 20 7775 6822, [email protected]

Ben Tobin +1 929 746 1463, [email protected]

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

FT Business Education:  Global MBA Rankings

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report on February 17, 2025.

We plan to include the following pieces of content (please note that this list is provisional):

Introduction

An analysis of the FT ranking of leading MBA programmes around the world and trends in the sector.

The Global MBA Ranking:  The 2025 ranking of MBAs, plus profiles, key and methodology.

MBA Rebound

MBA applications are growing at top US and European business schools, reversing a two-year post-Covid decline and helping to restore confidence in the degree, which some had claimed was past its peak. But do the numbers tell the full story? 

US Business Schools

An exploration of the big trends in North American business education, where there is growing demand for the subject at undergraduate level but fresh uncertainties against the background of the new administration.

Entrepreneurship

Business schools are increasingly offering incubators, start-up advice and entrepreneurship teaching as more students seek to create their own businesses. A look at the leading schools and the debate around the trends.

Networking

Alumni networks have long been a crucial part of the MBA offering, building connections that continue to power career development after graduation. A look at the impact of such networks and how they are using innovative ways to create a supportive and close-knit environment.

Interview

An in-depth interview with a graduate about their studies and what it has meant for their career. 

Data: FT ranking specialists explore trends in courses, illustrated by charts.

In Real Life

A graduate explains what it was like to take an MBA and what it has meant for their career, in their own words.  

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to [email protected] 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

 Gemma Taylor +44 (0)20 7873 3698, [email protected]

Matt Rodford +44 79212 50719, [email protected]

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised that Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.