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Global Equity Diversified Income (GEDI) strategy: Recent update amid Middle East developments

30 March 2026

Nathan W. Thooft, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Multi-Asset Solutions Team and Global Equities, Senior Portfolio Manager

Paul Kalogirou, Head of Client Portfolio Management, Asia & Global Multi-Asset Solutions

Recent developments in the Middle East have had a meaningful impact on global markets, particularly through higher oil and gas prices. These dynamics have increased the risks of elevated inflation, slower economic growth, and weaker corporate earnings. Despite the heightened market volatility, the Global Equities Diversified Income (GEDI) strategy has demonstrated resilience. We have made selective portfolio adjustments to address the rising risks and believe that by combining four powerful pillars—growth, value, income equities, and options—the strategy is well positioned to potentially deliver attractive yield alongside long-term capital growth.

 

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  • Global Equity Diversified Income (GEDI) strategy update: Risks and opportunities

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  • Global Equity Diversified Income (GEDI) strategy update: Risks and opportunities

    In early April, developments in the Middle East showed signs of stabilisation, prompting a partial recovery and renewed risk-taking in equity markets. However, beyond ongoing geopolitical risks, other factors—including potential private credit contagion across banks and broader financials—continue to pose downside risks. Despite these uncertainties, we believe an income centric approach, combined with global diversification across growth, value and income equities, has provided both downside resilience and upside participation for the Global Equities Diversified Income (GEDI) strategy.

    Read more
  • Global tech and semiconductors: what’s been driving returns and what to watch next

    Semiconductors have been one of the strongest parts of global equity markets so far in 2026, with performance supported by a powerful mix of demand and improving fundamentals. The headlines have focused on artificial intelligence (AI), but the opportunity set is broader than a single theme or a handful of companies. As AI infrastructure expands, it is driving investment not only in high-performance computing chips, but also in the networking and power technologies that keep modern data centres running. At the same time, parts of the industry outside AI are showing early signs of stabilisation and recovery.

    Read more
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    Global markets turned to a risk off mode in March 2026 as rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East eclipsed earlier optimism about growth and policy support. Equity and fixed-income markets declined as energy price shocks and uncertainty weighed on investor confidence. However, the diversified portfolio construction and income generation focus supported the Manulife Global Fund – Global Multi Asset Diversified Income Fund (“GMADI” or “the Fund”) in delivering relatively resilient performance ( 4%) .

    Read more
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