Investors urged to adopt long-term strategy

Barbadian investors are being encouraged to “stay the course”, amid heightened economic uncertainty and market volatility, while taking a disciplined and informed approach.

At the Sagicor Investor Summit 2025 at the Hilton Barbados Resort, on Tuesday, financial leaders urged investors to focus on long-term strategic investments rather than fear.

In his opening address, CFA Society Barbados President Anderson Skeete acknowledged the current uncertainty, due in part to the impact of artificial intelligence use on the way markets function and businesses operate.

“We’re also seeing the ripple effects of new trade policies, potentially reshaping global supply chains and introducing a reorganisation of the economic world order,” he added.

He stressed, however, that “there can be no reward without risk. And within risk, lies opportunity. For the astute investor, uncertainty isn’t something to be feared… it is something to be understood, analysed, and strategically approached.”

Vice President of Investment Management Services at Sagicor Asset Management Inc, Dexter Moe, echoed the call for confidence, noting that seasoned investors who ride out volatile periods are often the ones who benefit most.

“Once you go through periods of intense volatility and uncertainty, people tend to become risk averse to some extent,” Moe said, admitting that there has been some sense of caution among investors.

“But I think once you’ve invested and you start to stay the course for a while, you do understand that there are cyclical changes that occur in the economy over the course of time. So, I think the whole emphasis really is to have a long-term perspective, and that’s something that we continue to emphasise.”

He added, “What you find is that those investors who’ve actually invested for a longer-range view have been able to benefit substantially from the returns generated.”

The summit, hosted jointly by Sagicor and CFA Society Barbados, brought together local and international experts to examine the future of investment management.

Discussions focused on artificial intelligence, climate finance, evolving trade relationships, and the role of personalised and sustainable investment strategies.

Moe said the summit was designed not just as a conference, but as a platform to educate and engage.

“What you see here today is an inaugural investment summit. And what we are seeking to do, what we mean to do, would be promoting investor education as well as providing an opportunity for engagement with the investment community,” he said, noting that a broad cross-section of professionals were present, including asset managers, analysts, regulators, and business leaders.

The officials further stressed the importance of investor education in building financial resilience.
(SM)