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Market Outlooks
The meaty realities of food production
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Initiatives such as Veganuary and meat-free Mondays are a sign of how patterns of food consumption are changing. People are increasingly aware that their eating habits can come with dramatic environmental and social costs. As investors, we are particularly interested in how companies are managing ESG risks in both their operations and supply chains, as well as whether they are seeking opportunities in high-growth areas such as vegan protein.
Market Outlooks
The state of the municipal market
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What caused the extreme municipal market volatility in March 2020? In a nutshell, fear and panic. But that’s understandable in the face of a virulent, deadly enemy that you can’t see and is difficult to contain without mass testing. The unknown is menacing, and investors reacted as they have historically — by raising cash and improving liquidity. In many ways, it is similar to the 2008-09 crisis when the bursting housing bubble caused an indiscriminate rush to sell any assets other than Treasuries. What was shocking this time was the unprecedented speed of the sell-off, and the ensuing recovery. Even after 30 years in the business, it was quite alarming.
Market Outlooks
Dark clouds to clearer skies
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A torrent of events in 2020’s first quarter rattled the global economy and markets. What’s the outlook for investors for the rest of the year? Join Phil Orlando, R.J. Gallo and Linda Duessel as they share insights.
Macroeconomic & Geopolitical
Locking in near-term profits
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Expecting challenging fundamental news in coming weeks, we pared our allocation to equities.
Investing Ideas
Seeking shelter means being active
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As investors navigate this storm, ESG is becoming a leading quality factor.
Market Outlooks
Virtual girl
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As Linda settles in at home, she ponders if we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Fixed Income Insights
Neither bulls nor bears last forever
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While bull markets don’t last forever, neither do bear markets. Since 1928, the strength and duration of S&P 500® bull markets has meaningfully outweighed that of bear markets.
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Market Outlooks
A four-month shopping spree
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Measured from October to January, holiday retail sales impressed.
Market Outlooks
The Brexit Election: What now for the UK and the EU?
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Few political earthquakes come as big as this one. Boris Johnson has defied his critics and skeptics, including many in his own Party, and redrawn the political map of the UK. It is no small triumph that will become part of British folklore. It takes the Conservative electoral support back to the Thatcher years whilst wrenching seats from Labour that had, in many cases, been regarded as untouchable since the 1930s.
Market Outlooks
Fixed Income Market Update
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U.S. economic data surprised to the upside in December with strong employment and growth results and the Fed remained on hold as expected. Progress on tariffs and U.K. election results lowered geopolitical noise for the time being. These developments led to continued improvement in risk sentiment.
Market Outlooks
Low volatility equities: Why now, why active?
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Against the backdrop of a continuing bull market in equities, investor uncertainty has increased with a number of key economic and geopolitical risks, resulting in rising market volatility.
Investors have logically sought to de-risk* portfolios, and given the low interest rate environment, they have rotated significant amounts of money into defensive equities, resulting in stretched valuations for certain pockets of these stocks. At the same time, equity upside remains attractive as accommodative policy and the potential for trade resolution between the U.S. and China could support future gains. As a result, investors now face three competing objectives: how to de-risk portfolios, without overpaying for defensive equities, while maintaining equity upside.