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Investing Ideas
Evaluating Stocks as Growth Continues to Grow
This piece is approved to use with clients.
Portfolio Manager Doug Rao discusses the phenomenon of concentrated market leadership and what that means for long-term investors.
Key Takeaways
- When market returns are driven by a handful of stocks, active investors face difficult decisions, especially when underweighting or not owning these stocks may significantly impact portfolio performance.
- The recent phenomenon of large-cap tech stocks driving a significant portion of stock market gains may be justified by the fact that these companies are strongly tied to themes related to digital disruption.
- Investors may benefit from focusing on competitively advantaged companies positioned to profit from these themes, which have only accelerated amid the COVID-19 pandemic and are likely to persist over the coming months and years.
Investing Ideas
Sustainable Design in Consumer Products
This piece is approved to use with clients.
An in-depth look at the role of sustainability in consumer products.
Key Takeaways:
- The apparel sector is well known for its detrimental effects on the environment. However, as consumers become more aware of their own environmental footprints, there has been a surge in demand for sustainable goods.
- A circular economy is based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.
- Companies including Nike, Adidas and DS Smith have incorporated a circular approach to the design and production of their goods, creating durable and long-lasting products with a reduced environmental footprint.
Fixed Income Insights
ISG Insight: A mostly benign outlook for US inflation
This piece is approved to use with clients.
The stabilisation of US economic growth amid unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus has raised questions about the likelihood of inflation returning. Jim Cielinski, Global Head of Fixed Income, and Andrew Mulliner, Global Bonds Portfolio Manager, both members of the Fixed Income ISG, explain why they do not see significant risks of sustained higher inflation materialising in the next few years, though caution that short-term spikes are possible and investors should evaluate the diversity that their fixed income portfolios provide.
Market Outlooks
Transamerica: Make The Most Of Your Legacy
Using Transamerica's annuities in irrevocable trusts
Portfolio Construction Insights
Nationwide: Valuing annuity benefits for required minimum distribution and Roth conversions purposes
When deferred annuities are owned by qualified accounts these guarantees must be taken into account when calculating required
minimum distributions (RMD) and the taxable amount of a Roth IRA conversion.
Market Outlooks
Nationwide: Relief for small businesses
In March 2020, three important pieces of legislation were signed into law in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Market Outlooks
Nationwide: Planning impacts of the coronavirus relief legislation
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act has been signed into law.