Jan Barbe

KBC AM is an active manager which invests in equity and fixed-income without following any particular investment style. They are also a passive manager for certain asset classes or portfolios. Within the group, the firm defines the investment strategy and undertakes a large part of the group's investment product development. They are also a competence center, contributing the bulk of the group's economic research. Research teams combine in-house research with outsourced investment intelligence to obtain risk estimates for all asset classes in which the firm invests. KBC AM’s investment process is primarily top-down. They first seek to identify market trends, then tactically allocate assets within a previously defined strategic framework and construct portfolios, aided by a qualitative bottom-up overlay.