January 02, 2020 2020 Brings Less Uncertainty, But Not Certainty by Matthew D. Palazzolo 2019’s equity markets turned out to be better than many investors predicted. Despite this strong performance, not everything’s rosy. The economy is still somewhat fragile, and one issue, in particular, may be the critical driver of US growth this year. Capital Markets Outlook, Economics, Equities Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
December 02, 2019 Energizing Europe: Regional Markets Show Signs of Recovery by Nicholas Davidson European stocks have outperformed US equity markets in recent months, after several years of underperformance. Is this the start of a longer trend? It’s too soon to say, but some unfolding developments could signal a reversal of fortune for a long-unloved asset class. Capital Markets Outlook, Equities, Europe Now Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
November 01, 2019 Can Munis Continue to Deliver? by Daryl Clements Despite the municipal market’s strong year-to-date rally, an aging US expansion and low yields continue to top municipal investors’ concerns as we enter the home stretch of 2019. When conditions are evolving and visibility is limited, active and flexible strategies can help balance risk and reward. Active & Passive , Capital Markets Outlook, Fixed Income, Late-Cycle Investing, Municipals Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
October 02, 2019 Evaluating the Headwinds To the Economic Outlook by Darren Williams The global economy faces its most challenging year in over a decade. Policymakers still have options, but can they use them effectively? Capital Markets Outlook, Economics Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
September 03, 2019 Are We Closer to a Recession Post-August? by Matthew D. Palazzolo, Christopher Brigham To help us assess the macroeconomic environment and put the recession fears into perspective, we look at our dashboard, which continuously monitors numerous metrics that provide insights into the health of the economy. Today, five metrics are particularly telling. Capital Markets Outlook, Economics Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
July 31, 2019 US Corporate Cash Is Down—Will Stocks Follow? by Sharat Kotikalpudi, Caglasu Altunkopru The recent decline in US corporate cash hasn’t raised a lot of eyebrows, but it has caused one of our equity-quality indicators to flash a warning. Since equity quality is one of the signals with a strong track record of predicting market sell-offs, should investors be worried? Capital Markets Outlook, Equities, Multi-Asset Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
July 01, 2019 The X’s and O’s of Tariff Management by Matthew D. Palazzolo Despite seemingly constructive talks between the US and China over the weekend at the G20 Summit in Osaka, the threat of further trade escalation looms. The initial rounds of US tariffs on Chinese goods were focused mostly on industrial products. But, if the US proceeds with tariffs on “List 4”–the remaining $300 billion of Chinese goods not yet tariffed–consumers are likely to feel the effects. The reason? This next and final round places a 25% tariff on predominantly consumer goods like toys, apparel, sporting goods, and sneakers, among others. Capital Markets Outlook, Trade Wars Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 31, 2019 Will Modern Monetary Theory Go Mainstream? by Eric Winograd Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) has moved from the fringe to broader public discussion recently, fueling concern from some investors about growing debt levels. We don’t expect MMT to replace our current economic structure, but its populist-inspired underpinnings will likely have a sizable influence on policy. Capital Markets Outlook, Economics, Inflation Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 01, 2019 Is the China Rally Real? by John Lin The China A-shares market fell 33% last year as a multitude of concerns—trade wars, slowing economic growth, tightening monetary policies, and political rhetoric—converged. But in an about-face, the Chinese market is the best performing global market this year, up just over 33% through April. This turnaround has investors wondering if the rally is sustainable. We think it is. Capital Markets Outlook, Emerging Markets, Equities Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
April 01, 2019 Top Five Questions on Your Mind by Matthew D. Palazzolo Thinking ahead to the remainder of 2019 and into 2020, we look at the most frequent questions we’ve been getting from our clients and how certain issues may play out over the foreseeable future. Here we discuss the top five questions on your mind. Capital Markets Outlook, Economics, Equities, Inflation Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
March 01, 2019 Value Equities: Is the Long, Dark Winter Ending? by James MacGregor, Cem Inal, Shri Singhvi Value investing has always been about challenging the consensus—but never more so than today. After several tough years, we’re seeing signs of a value recovery brewing. Yet fresh approaches are needed to capture the potential in today’s complex markets. Capital Markets Outlook, Equities Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
February 01, 2019 Populism Is Alive and Well: What’s the Big-Picture Impact? by Guy Bruten It’s been two years since our initial research on populism, and populist-inspired policies continue to advance today on multiple fronts. As we see it, investors should expect more of the same ahead—influencing everything from global economic growth and inflation to policies directed specifically at the corporate sector. Capital Markets Outlook, Economics, Policy & Regulation Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
January 02, 2019 What a Difference a Year Makes by Matthew D. Palazzolo 2018 began with a bang…and ended with a bust. After a string of 15-months of positive performance for global markets that commenced in November of 2016, 2018 was capped by the worst quarter since 2011*. What changed so drastically from the year prior? Capital Markets Outlook, Equities, Fixed Income, Wealth Planning Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks