8:30 – 9:00

REGISTRATION

9:00 – 9:05

WELCOME REMARKS

Rick Chau, Managing Director, Head of Sales, Asia Pacific, S&P Dow Jones Indices

9:05 – 9:30

KEYNOTE: Market Outlook For 2027 and Beyond

As global economies adjust to shifting growth patterns, policy divergence and structural change, we’ll examine the key forces that could help shape markets in 2027 and beyond.

Topics will include:

-       Growth, inflation and monetary policy divergence

-       U.S.–Asia market leadership and valuation considerations

-       Potential interest rate, credit and currency scenarios

-       The effects of AI investment, energy pressures and geopolitical fragmentation

Louis Kuijs, Chief Economist, APAC, S&P Global Ratings

9:30 – 10:10

U.S. Equity Indexing at Scale: From Benchmarks to Implementation

Recent developments in both institutional and retail investment have refocused attention on passive approaches to the U.S. market. This panel will explore the role of benchmarks in U.S. equity strategies and discuss recent shifts in U.S. sector and factor dynamics, as well as index-based investment tools' adoption and implementation.

Topics will include:

-       The role of benchmark-based investing in U.S. equities, including broad-market, sector, factor and equal-weight approaches

-       How recent changes in U.S. market leadership, sector composition and factor performance are influencing investment decisions and performance

-       How investors are adopting and using index-based tools to access efficient, transparent, and scalable U.S. equity strategies

10:10 – 10:40

Fixed Income: Looking Beyond Domestic Bond Markets

Fixed income indices are increasingly being used to analyze and access opportunities beyond domestic bond markets. This session will explore how investors can use index-based frameworks to evaluate global and regional fixed income markets and evolving risk considerations.

Topics will include:

-       Approaches to using global government, corporate and emerging market bond indices as reference points

-       Balancing yield, duration and credit profiles alongside currency and interest rate dynamics

-       Extending the opportunity set to areas such as leveraged loans and broader credit segments through index‑based frameworks

-       The role of indices in benchmarking, liquidity analysis and ETF implementation

10:40 – 11:00

COFFEE BREAK

11:00 – 11:30

Multi‑Asset Approaches: Index Solutions for Insurance, Structured Products and Wealth

Multi‑asset and systematic approaches, underpinned by transparent indices, are being used to support insurance, structured products and wealth solutions. This panel focuses on their implementation across Asia.

Topics will include:

-       Combining different asset classes within rules‑based index approaches to address specific risk profiles

-       How multi‑asset frameworks may inform the design of products such as indexed universal life (IUL)

-       The use of quantitative investment strategies (QIS) built on indices in outcome‑oriented solutions

11:30 – 11:45

Indices Spotlight: Measuring and Leveraging AI Advancement for Allocation

11:45 – 12:15

From Emerging to Mainstream: The Evolving Digital Assets Markets

As digital assets continue to evolve, market participants are seeking more transparent ways to classify, measure and monitor this developing market. This panel will explore the role of indices in bringing structure and transparency to digital asset markets and consider their application across institutional and market-monitoring contexts.

Topics will include:

-       What constitutes an investable and representative digital asset market index

-       How index-based classification and measurement frameworks can help improve transparency across the digital asset ecosystem, including areas such as DeFi and Web3

-       The role of benchmarks in research, market monitoring and institutional oversight

-       Data, governance and risk management considerations in digital asset markets

-       The evolving landscape for asset tokenization and digital asset infrastructure

12:15 – 12:45

ETF Connect in Hong Kong: Expanding Cross-Border Access and Shaping the Next Generation of ETFs

ETF Connect has developed as a bridge between Mainland China and Hong Kong. This session will explore its potential to broaden cross-border investment opportunities, as well as how index development supports the continued growth of the Connect program.

Topics will include:

-       How index development can help support innovative solutions that meet evolving investor needs across regional and global markets.

-       HKEX’s role in supporting trading, connectivity, liquidity and the broader operating framework for ETF Connect.

-       Opportunities and challenges for issuers, investors and market participants, including product diversification, international participation and continued market growth.

12:45 – 12:50

CLOSING REMARKS

Angeline Choo, Managing Director, Client Coverage, Greater China and Southeast Asia, S&P Dow Jones Indices

12:50 – 14:15

NETWORKING LUNCH