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Xavier Baraton and Willem Sels

Think Wealth CIO Exchange
Energy
Think Wealth
Bonds
cio exchange
AI

Thinking beyond AI: bonds, EM and energy...

Sep 15, 2026

A dialogue with leading investors enriches the debate and helps define the trends that really matter. Asset managers are on the front line of security selection, liquidity management and positioning — a different lens from a private bank’s, and one worth holding up against our own.

For this episode, we’re delighted to sit down with Xavier Baraton, Global CIO, HSBC Asset Management. The AI trade has delivered outsized alpha, but it’s also reshaping some of the established market wisdom— bond-equity correlations are behaving differently, and beta across emerging markets is fracturing into distinct stories rather than one trade. So where does real conviction sit today? And while AI has driven this cycle so far, what carries it from here?

The accompanying CIO Exchange report is available exclusively to HSBC clients. If you’re interested, please reach out to your HSBC Relationship Manager or Investment Counsellor.

CIO Exchange with Xavier Baraton and Willem Sels Watch the video: Xavier Baraton and Willem Sels

In this video, Willem Sels, our Global CIO, and Xavier Baraton, Global Chief Investment Officer, HSBC Asset Management get together to debate and discuss on:

  • AI’s real-world impact on jobs, growth and inflation — and where earnings visibility sits across the AI stack (infrastructure, chips, cloud, applications)
  • Why bond markets feel uneasy (Fed uncertainty and shifting supply dynamics) — and how to think about income and diversification in this regime
  • Emerging markets as differentiated opportunities — the split between energy exporters/importers and AI supply-chain winners, with Asia a key focus
  • Durable structural themes beyond AI — what it takes to run AI at scale (electricity, grids, energy security), plus infrastructure and valuation dislocations/under-owned regions

This is a marketing communication from HSBC Private Bank, which is the main private bank business within the HSBC Group. Private banking services are delivered by various HSBC companies around the world, depending on local laws and regulations. The services described in this document may be provided by different HSBC entities, and members of the HSBC Group may also trade in the products mentioned here.

 

This document is not independent investment research under the European Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (‘MiFID’) or other relevant regulations and is not subject to restrictions on dealing ahead of its distribution. This means HSBC and its staff may have an interest in the products or services mentioned before this document is shared with you.

 

The information in this document is for general information only and is intended for HSBC Private Bank clients. It does not constitute, and should not be construed as, legal, tax or investment advice, or a solicitation, offer, or recommendation to buy or sell any financial products or services.

 

Some HSBC offices may act only as representatives of HSBC Private Bank and are not permitted to sell products, provide services, or offer advice to customers. Not all products or services are available in all jurisdictions. For a complete list of HSBC Private Bank entities and their regulatory status, please visit our HSBC Private Bank website.

 

Before proceeding, please refer to the full long macro disclaimer and the Terms and Conditions available at HSBC Private Bank website which provide further important information about the use of this material.

 

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