report by BlackRock
Results for ""
Market Outlooks
Economic growth rebounds but government support expected to roll off
This piece is approved to use with clients.
The recovery continues to pick up speed, particularly in the US and the UK where both nations have successfully vaccinated a majority of the population. The International Monetary Policy (IMF) have raised global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecasts by 0.8% to 6% for 2021.
Market Outlooks
Transitory or sustained inflation?
This piece is approved to use with clients.
That is the question that continues to dominate markets. Central banks have been dogged in arguing the former. Richard Clarida of the Federal Reserve, for example, pointed to transitory factors such as base effects and supply chain bottlenecks that are behind the recent uptick in inflation.
Market Outlooks
Fiscal fails to disappoint
This piece is approved to use with clients.
Following the Democrats’ January win in the Georgia runoff election, we expected the Biden administration and Congress to move quickly on fiscal stimulus, though there were doubts as to whether the package would be as significant as the politicians promised.
Market Outlooks
Back to the future of fixed income, part 2: The search for more income
This piece is approved to use with clients.
In our original Back to the future of fixed income, we explored the value of and demand for income in an era of historically low government yields. For a sequel, we delve into an oft-maligned and misunderstood market segment: high yield. Described less generously as ‘junk’, we see a complex and evolving market segment, one that is essential in any conversation about income.
Market Outlooks
Inflation: base effects versus spare capacity
This piece is approved to use with clients.
The prospect of inflation remains a hot topic for both investors and policy makers. Chair Powell, in his testimony to Congress this month stressed that ‘inflation risks are to the downside’. He stated that inflation in the coming months is likely to jump as a result of ‘base effects.’
Market Outlooks
Inflation: Much discussed but rarely witnessed
This piece is approved to use with clients.
Alongside the prospect for a strong economic recovery, a growing debate has sprung up around the path of inflation and whether it could derail growth.
Market Outlooks
Coronavirus vaccine developments are extremely welcome news
The global economy hailed a series of positive developments on the vaccine front at the start of the month. Pfizer-BioNTech were first to announce successful Phase 3 trials of their vaccine with 95% efficacy. The Moderna and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines also reported positive results. No vaccine has yet received regulatory approval for mass public use.
Market Outlooks
The stock market and the economy: Two different animals
This piece is approved to use with clients.
COVID-19 has cut a swathe through the world economy thanks to government mandated lock-downs and restrictions. No business closes its doors voluntarily and no individuals enjoy confinement to “barracks” for months on end. It is therefore essential that there is an appropriate reckoning when the pandemic passes.
Market Outlooks
The Fed’s new framework and its evolving reaction function
This piece is approved to use with clients.
Amid an accelerating election season, ongoing pandemic and a return to partisan gridlock, the Federal Reserve (Fed) has been a bit less prominent in the news cycle lately. However, at the central bank’s annual August retreat in Jackson Hole, Chairman Jerome Powell announced amendments to the Fed’s Statement on Longer-Run Goals and Monetary Policy Strategy, which had been largely unchanged since 2012. At a recent mini-forum on this topic, we discussed the significance of this change and its implications for future Fed policy and for investors.
Market Outlooks
Turning up the heat on a boiling pot
This piece is approved to use with clients.
The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has created a vacancy in the U.S. Supreme Court with only weeks until the November election. As the country awaits President Trump’s nominee, pundits on both sides of the aisle are claiming this process will strengthen their election chances. We see this process as primarily exacerbating the partisanship of U.S. voters and it is unclear which party will able to drive greater voter turnout or sway more independents
Market Outlooks
The great disconnect between the economy and the stock market
This piece is approved to use with clients.
We concluded our March quarter Perspectives with the comment: “Let’s just hope we now don’t have a gigantic bounce in share prices fuelled by the central bank injections, pushing them back to bubble levels. Or, are we, once again, being naïve?” Yes, we were being naïve. The bounce occurred and it had nothing to do with investment fundamentals.
Market Outlooks
What’s next for China?
This piece is approved to use with clients.
As the first country to tackle COVID-19, China has institutional investors globally wondering about the local situation – and what it means for their portfolios. June Lui, Portfolio Manager, BMO LGM Investments, gives an on-the-ground assessment of China’s economic backdrop and the impact on stocks.