“There is a dual purpose for capital. It is both to generate returns for investors and also to fund the ecosystems we want to live in. ”
— Asha Mehta
Emerging and frontier markets are full of opportunities often overlooked by the mainstream investment community.
Today’s guest will help us understand these markets better and prove how systematic investing in publicly listed equities can unlock their potential for alpha and impact generation.
Meet Asha Mehta, the managing partner & CIO at Global Delta Capital, a US-based equity long-only investment manager focused on harnessing the power of capital to fuel social and economic development in international, emerging, and frontier markets.
Asha has charted a unique path through the financial world. With a background that begins with medical and anthropological studies at Stanford and a well-traveled upbringing, she developed an interest in microfinance lending in India after witnessing its extreme poverty in the late 90s. This experience ultimately led her to pioneering roles in sustainable and quant investing, making a mark on the international investment scene.
Recognized as one of the Top 10 Women in Asset Management and dubbed a “Brilliant Quant” by Forbes, Asha’s career highlights include leading emerging market strategies at Acadian Asset Management, where she launched the first quantitative/systematic frontier fund.
Asha is also a Board Member of CFA Society Boston and an Advisor to the High Meadows Institute. In addition, she is an active advocate of financial literacy and financial empowerment, supporting several related organizations, including Compass Working Capital and 100 Women in Finance.
At the core of this episode is Global Delta Capital’s combination of systematic stock selection and a fundamental thematic overlay on the opportunities present in emerging and frontier markets that are ripe for potential. Asha and her team are not just seeking high returns; they’re using their combined expertise to leverage ESG data and make a tangible impact on the world’s financial, environmental, and social landscape.
We also discuss a range of topics, including the importance of financial literacy, the meaning of quantamental investing, examples of emerging markets that Global Delta Capital has invested in, and Asha’s take on the future of investment in developing economies.
If you’re intrigued by the power of capital to drive global change and want to learn from one of the leading voices in the field, this is an episode you cannot miss.
Tune in and be inspired by this adventure capitalist.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
SELECTED LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE:
- Connect with Asha Mehta: LinkedIn
- Asha’s book ‘Power of Capital‘
- Global Delta Capital
SHOW NOTES:
[00:00] Episode introduction
[02:47] Asha Mehta’s background and transition into finance
[24:43] Founding Global Delta Capital
[35:06] Overview of Global Delta Capital’s strategy and focus areas
[41:07] Asha explains quantitative investing & strategies for sourcing reliable data
[55:16] The investment process at Global Delta Capital
[01:03:52] Discovering opportunities in the emerging markets: Saudi Arabia’s case
[01:11:39] Shareholder engagement, risk management, & examples of impact
[01:21:03] Asha’s book “Power of Capital” & emerging market predictions
[01:32:45] Rapid fire questions
MORE ASHA MEHTA QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW:
“It’s palpable how mainstream the emerging markets have become in every way except investor allocation. ”
— Asha Mehta
“We see sustainability measures as alpha-generative. Companies that are well-governed with strong environmental and social practices across the globe will outperform by investing in them. In emerging markets, where there’s more dispersion on these types of themes, we actually see the payoffs to sustainability factors to be twice as high. ”
— Asha Mehta
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are that of Asha Mehta’s only, for informational purposes, and should not be relied upon as investment advice or be used as a basis for making any investment decisions.
