The Asset Allocator Podcast is back from its summer break, but two of its hosts are not: deputy editor Damian Fantato sits in while Dave Baxter and David Thorpe are away to have a chat with Alex Funk, chief investment officer at Schroder Investment Solutions.

They discuss the current state of fixed income and why Alex has been buying emerging market debt, they explore some of the equity market trends of 2023 so far including the strong start Japan had to the year and the AI-driven resurgence of US stocks. Finally they discuss the prospect of a bitcoin ETF which has been in the news recently, and whether this would have a role in portfolios.

The Asset Allocator Podcast is a fortnightly series aimed at discretionary fund managers, fund selectors and wealth managers, providing insight into the issues that drive investment decisions.