Conference 2009 - investment themes for the future

The UK investment community is behind continental Europe when it comes to thematic investing, according to Paul Gaston, head of UK sales at Pictet Funds.

Gaston argues that long-term demographic trends paint a clear picture of which sectors will grow in the 21st century, and believes Pictet's range of thematic funds will deliver strong returns while helping to tackle global development issues.

Tim Ames of Cathedral Financial Management finds clients warm to the idea of thematic investing, both geographic and sectoral, but Yellowtail Financial Planning's Dennis Hall finds the reverse.

Also in this series:

• Hourly fees and exit strategies
• Historic opportunity in corporate bonds?
• Crunch time for ethical funds?
• Using pension guarantees to manage risk