Covid-19 has become the single most important driver for financial markets over the past few months, and lockdown measures have been fundamental in accelerating a global digital transformation. UBS Jersey Client Advisor Philip Legrand discusses how UBS is reacting to these potentially lasting changes
Covid-19 has dealt a serious blow to the global economy, with the simultaneous curtailment of supply and demand. A dramatic monetary and fiscal response by the G10 has placed a backstop against a worst-case economic contraction.
As BL went to press, public health measures were starting to take effect. The Covid-19 case curve is flattening throughout the developed world, bolstering market and credit market sentiment.
Throughout this crisis, we have seen many opportunities for companies driving digital transformation. New technologies have been quickly adopted by companies and the general public, showing their flexibility and helping to support the general resilience of the developed world during this lockdown.
Digital transformation heroes will benefit from the crisis
We have seen many digital transformation heroes emerging from the crisis stronger than ever. Some notable examples include:
• Enterprise cloud computing companies: making it possible to work from home on a large scale and providing video capabilities to enable people to conduct meetings remotely
• Dominant e-commerce platforms: providing a lifeline for the distribution of goods, when conventional retailers faced disruption
• Digital streaming platforms: offering much needed virtual entertainment for the world
• Telemedicine and genomic medicine applications: delivering essential public health tools during the pandemic.
We have been particularly interested in how enterprise cloud computing companies have helped other companies stay in business while the world was going into lockdown – and how they will most likely continue supporting them once they emerge.
The World Economic Forum recently published an article about the likely winners in a post-pandemic economy. It highlights several cases where businesses that have used cloud computing have managed to adapt their offerings in an agile and scalable way to keep serving their customers during the pandemic.
UBS Digital Transformation Dynamic fund
At UBS, we were already anticipating that digital transformation would be a key trend over the coming decade. Our Year Ahead 2020 report predicted a decade of transformation, and the current pandemic is likely to accelerate this transformation rather than change it.
The creation of our UBS Digital Transformation Dynamic fund was already in progress and the timely roll-out of this fund will potentially help our customers seize the long-term opportunities available.
The UBS Digital Transformation Dynamic fund has invested in several companies offering computing services to online businesses, some of which additionally benefit from their own e-commerce ecosystems.
The Covid-19 crisis and the lockdowns put in place have created an immediate need for mobility and flexibility. This has resulted in significant increases in the use of workplace collaboration tools across various countries.
Digital transformation was a top corporate priority before the crisis and is likely to emerge as an even stronger priority now.
Find out more
If you would like to obtain more information about the UBS Digital Transformation Dynamic fund, please contact Philip Legrand, Client Advisor UBS AG, Jersey Branch, 1, IFC, St Helier, Jersey JE2 3BX
tel: 01534 701180
email: philip.legrand@ubs.com
The value of an investment and the income derived from it can fall as well as rise (as a result of market and currency fluctuations) and you may not get back the original amount invested. Past performance is not a reliable indication of future results. Projections or forecasts are not a reliable indication of future performance and may not materialise.
UBS AG, Jersey Branch is authorised and regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission for the conduct of banking, funds and investment business. UBS AG, Jersey Branch is a branch of UBS AG (a public company limited by shares, incorporated in Switzerland whose registered offices are at Aeschenvorstadt 1, CH-4051, Basel and Bahnhofstrasse 45, CH-8001 Zurich) with its principal place of business at 1 IFC, St Helier, Jersey JE2 3BX. Terms and conditions are available upon request. © UBS 2020. All rights reserved. www.ubs.com/jersey
• This advertising feature was first published in the June/July 2020 edition of Businesslife magazine