May 23, 2018 Beyond the FAANGs: Technology Stocks and Downside Protection by Kent Hargis, Chris Marx, Sammy Suzuki Technology stocks are widely seen as powerful return drivers—with a lot of volatility attached. But surprisingly, shares of many companies that enable the technology revolution can provide solid returns and even downside protection. Equities, Volatility Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 22, 2018 US Economic Growth: A Sustainability Story? by Dan Roarty US stocks have boomed for nine years, supported by one of the longest economic expansions in the postwar period. Can this growth be sustained? Much depends on how the challenges of environmental and social sustainability are addressed. Equities, Responsible Investing/ESG Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 21, 2018 Income…but at What Cost? by Morgan Harting, Karen Watkin There are a lot of suggestions these days about where to get extra income, but less discussion about the cost attached to it. A diversified multi-asset approach can help—and provide additional growth potential. But how it’s designed matters. Multi-Asset Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 17, 2018 Markets Unfazed by Rising Risk of Populism in Italy…for Now by Darren Williams While Italy’s bond yields have risen, investors have so far reacted relatively calmly to the rising probability of a populist Italian government. Based on the fundamentals, the potential downside scenario looms larger than markets seem willing to consider. Economics, Fixed Income Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 14, 2018 Should Investors Worry About US Earnings? by James T. Tierney, Jr. US companies reported stellar first-quarter profits this year. But some investors suspect that earnings growth has plateaued. Our research suggests that slowing earnings growth means nothing for stock prices. Equities Likes 1 SHARE Bookmarks
May 11, 2018 Want Sustainable Income? Spread Your Risk Around by Gershon Distenfeld Investors often say they’re worried about having too much high-yield bond exposure so late in the credit cycle. But many are still chasing returns in equities and other assets with even higher risk. We’ve got a better idea. Fixed Income, Volatility Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 09, 2018 Will Real Change Result from New Regs? That’s Up to Investors On May 14, new MSRB regulations will require the disclosure of the often dramatic markups that retail investors are subject to when buying individual municipal bonds. Will this accelerate the shift into active municipal bond management? Active & Passive , Fixed Income, Municipals, Policy & Regulation Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 09, 2018 Energy Stocks: A Surprising Defensive Play? by Kurt Feuerman, Robert Milano With volatility rising, many equity investors are thinking proactively about downside protection. But traditional safe havens may not do the job. Defensive equity positions can be found today in surprising places—like the energy sector. Equities, Volatility Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 07, 2018 Small-Cap Stocks Can Help Shield Against Inflation by James MacGregor, Shri Singhvi, Erik Turenchalk As concerns about inflation spread, it’s time to gauge how different types of stocks will respond. Smaller companies in niche markets may be better positioned to cope with rising prices—especially in consolidating industries. Equities Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
May 03, 2018 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Three Reasons US Rates are Going Up by Eric Winograd The US Federal Reserve decided against an official short-term rate hike at this week’s meeting—hardly a surprise. But US Treasury yields continue to climb in 2018, and not all the explanations are good news. Economics, Rising Rates Likes 1 SHARE Bookmarks
May 03, 2018 What High-Yield Investors Can Learn from Big Blue’s Big Mistake by Will Smith How do you blow a No. 2 draft pick? For the New York Giants, it was a combination of bad math and overconfidence. But at least Big Blue can take comfort in having plenty of company: investors, particularly high-yield bond investors, are prone to similar mistakes. Fixed Income Likes 1 SHARE Bookmarks
May 02, 2018 Will the Emerging-Market Equity Rally Resume? A Wall Street Journal blog on Wednesday warned that the emerging-market trade is under threat. But we think investors shouldn’t be swayed by short-term market moves. History shows that EM equity performance cycles typically unfold over several years. Emerging Markets, Equities, Rising Rates Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
April 24, 2018 Dangerous Yield Curves Ahead? by Erin Bigley There’s new rumblings about an inverting yield curve ahead. Is it time to panic? Time to stick our heads in the sand? Or time to think sensibly? Economics, Fixed Income Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
April 20, 2018 Volatility Is Back—And That’s a Good Thing for Active Management by Richard Brink, Walt Czaicki, Scott Krauthamer It’s been a rocky start to 2018 for equity markets globally—volatility has returned with a bang and February saw the first 10% market correction in a while. So, why are active managers smiling? Active & Passive , Equities, Volatility Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
April 17, 2018 Who’s Afraid of Rising Rates? by Douglas J. Peebles Investing 101 tells us that rising interest rates are bad for a bond portfolio. But if you’ve got a long investment horizon, that isn’t necessarily so. We think investors should be more concerned about the end of the credit cycle than rising rates. Fixed Income, Rising Rates, Volatility Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
April 16, 2018 Safety Stocks: Mind the Debt by Nelson Yu Rising rates are adding new risks to equity markets. Stocks of companies that are saddled with debt have underperformed recently. And leverage is especially high in sectors widely seen as safe havens. Equities, Rising Rates, Volatility Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks