The US On Thursday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered (virtually) a longanticipated speech at the Kansas City Fed’s Economic Policy Symposium, which is typically held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Powell announced the results of the central bank’s review of
Global Matters Weekly “Year 1862: amid the chaos of the American Civil War, the three gunslingers Blondie, Angel Eyes and Tuco (a.k.a. the Good, the Bad and the Ugly1 ) are competing to put their hands on a buried cache
After a bumper few months for equity markets, a recent report1 from Calastone, the global funds network, showed June was one of the worst months on record for outflows from UK equity funds. That follows positive UK market performance for
Europe and the U.S. Consider State Aid Is China’s Rebound Sustainable? Mortgage Rates Hit Bottom
Wall Street began last week on a negative note, with worries about the resurgence of the coronavirus across much of the US seemingly weighing on sentiment. Renewed shutdowns in California appeared to be a particular focus of worry, with indoor
How to sum up 2020 so far? A rollercoaster is probably the best way to describe it; both from an emotional perspective but also in terms of what the markets have been up to. Over the first quarter, market participants
Stocks snapped a three-week winning streak as markets sank sharply last week.1 Worries about an uptick in coronavirus cases, the Federal Reserve’s downbeat assessment of long-term economic growth and President Trump’s declining poll numbers all contributed to negative sentiment. But
For those of you that don’t know, this Friday is the midpoint of summer and as I have a Swedish partner this means there will be a celebration. Midsummer, or Midsommar in Swedish, is an annual celebration in Sweden which
Key points Bad news on the pandemic front triggered some measure of market turmoil last week. Contagion from equity to credit market was limited though. Central bank support shows. We take a look at money supply growth. It may ultimately
The Special Situations strategy went through a roller coaster since February. Typically, due to their long structural market beta, managers tend to underperform in risk-off episodes. However, as they also tend to look beyond short-term volatility, they usually rebound faster.
Weekly Economic Commentary I grew up on the South Side of Chicago in the 1960s. The latter part of the decade was a challenging time for our city, and for our country. I lived close to the University of Chicago,
Macroeconomic policy has undergone a necessary revolution in just three months, but this is a slippery slope without proper guardrails. The key to the policy response has shifted to ensuring successful execution and avoiding policy fatigue before the shock passes.
Upside surprises in labour market data appeared to drive much of last week’s positive sentiment. Stocks rose sharply on Wednesday, following a much smallerthan-expected decline in ADP’s tally of monthly payrolls. The payroll processing firm reported that private sector jobs
Against a rapidly changing investment landscape, and with bond yields at ever lower levels, it would be unwise to rely solely on observed historical data to inform expectations about future cross asset class returns. We believe that robust scenario testing
Last week began on a positive note, with investors seemingly encouraged by the partial lifting of lockdowns in some states and the gradual reopening of major economies overseas. Coronavirus infection and hospitalisation trends also appeared to be encouraging in some
Dual shocks from COVID-19 and falling oil prices have hit the global economy. The key concern now is that significant dislocation in financial markets ricochets back onto the real economy, raising risks for the outlook. At the margin, we see
This weekly update provides a snapshot of changes in the economy and markets and their implications for investors. Risks: Impacts from COVID-19 may cause a global recession. Political headlines may foment market volatility. Earnings growth has slowed and could stall
Optimism about a U.S.-China trade deal, and data releases suggesting recent global industrial weakness may have bottomed, lifted risk assets in November. Major government bond markets sold off, with Italian government bonds and emerging market (EM) local currency debt particularly
We believe global growth will remain moderate in 2020 (coming in around 3.25% for the year, essentially maintaining the current rate of annualized growth in 2019), thereby mitigating the imbalances and vulnerabilities (e.g., increasing inflation, sharp increases in commodity prices)
Week Ahead The draft budgets of France, Italy and Spain for the coming year were (not unexpectedly) not well-received by the European Commission. Despite high debt ratios, none of the three countries plans to make any significant budgetary adjustment. Therefore,
A review of the week's top global economic and capital markets news. For the week ending 22 November 2019 As of noon on Friday, global equities are on pace to close modestly lower on the week. The yield on the
Equities rose for the sixth straight week, marking the longest streak in two years.1 Trade issues remained in focus, as investor optimism over the Phase One trade deal has been rising. Investors have also been focused on modest improvements in
After a weak Q4 so far for rates markets, the last week provided a reversal of this fortune with prices higher in most areas. It was big week for economic data releases. The European economy continues to stumble on, as
The big news item of the week was Germany’s third quarter GDP which rose 0.1%, narrowly missing a move into recessionary territory. Expectations were for a 0.1% drop and second quarter GDP was revised down to -0.2%. However, over a
For the week ending 15 November 2019 As of noon on Friday, major US equity indices are on pace to close at record highs as fears of recession dissipate and hopes for a US-China trade agreement endure. The yield on
Core bond yields were higher over the course of the last week with the benchmark 10-year US treasury note at its highest yield since mid-September. This comes amid a more constructive tone to trade talks between China and the USA.
Het Britse House of Commons heeft het ontwerp voor het vertrekakkoord goedgekeurd, maar verwierp het versneldetijdschema. Het lijkterop dateerste minister Boris Johnson veel verder staat dan Theresa May ooit is geraakt. DeAmerikaanseen Chinesetopambtenaren voor de handel hebben elkaar ontmoet om
One beneficiary of a perceived easing in the U.S.-China trade conflict: EM debt, which has rallied recently and outperformed developed market peers. We see factors further supporting EM debt from here: a likely Fed rate cut this week and the
Brexit commotion dominated market sentiment after the agreement reached by Boris Johnson failed to go to a vote in the Commons over the last weekend. The UK prime minister eventually got a majority for his text but accelerated adoption was
Geopolitics’ clout on markets persists The impact of the protectionist push on the global economy and markets is playing out: Global growth is slowing, and geopolitical volatility has increasingly swung markets. A perceived easing of U.S.-China trade tensions and the
We have relatively cautious expectations for this week’s U.S./China trade negotiations. A potential truce or de-escalation in the trade war is a “good news” card for President Trump, and he could wait for additional political developments over the next six
As demand for duration sends US Treasury yields down towards 1.50%, we look at the factors that could potentially push rates through this key psychological level.
Broad market volatility spilled into the loan market this week, as the S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index (the “Index”) lost -0.41% for the five business days ended Oct. 10, led lower by a 51 basis points reduction in the Index bid
Equity markets rebounded this week while bonds experienced a correction. Investors continue to attempt to gauge the reality of the deterioration in global manufacturing activity and the impact of the countermeasures in the form of monetary and fiscal support. Short-term
The fourth-quarter holiday seasons have expanded to unacceptable lengths. I noticed Halloween candy for sale in August, Thanksgiving cards out in September, and Christmas decorations on the shelves…virtually year-round. I realize the commercial aspects of these occasions have taken on
Bonds continue to be sought after, despite ever longer maturities sporting negative yields. In addition to economic uncertainties caused by the trade war and Brexit, liquidity shortages in US repo markets requiring supportive interventions by the Fed have recently unnerved
Apart from a technical lift on the last day of the third quarter, markets retreated as a fresh wave of bad political and economic news arrived. Both industrial and services ISM data fell much more than consensus expectations. Manufacturing ISM
Argentina and the IMF: A Bad Case of Déjà Vu Congressional Distractions Will Limit U.S. Economic Policy Capital Flows Get Drawn Into the Trade War
We see third-quarter earnings season offering some limited support to U.S. stocks in the near term, as a growth rebound is months away. Signs of weakening economic activity beyond the manufacturing sector have revived concerns about the growth backdrop. U.S.-China
Core government bond yields were lower last week and are back to close to the recent lows. They were pushed along this path by lower manufacturing sentiment indices. Specifically, the release of PMI data in the US reinforced the idea
Once again, markets danced to the tune of developments in US politics and the trade war. The Democrats started a pre-impeachment procedure against Donald Trump. Washington is still looking for a broad agreement with Beijing, one that goes beyond simply
Government bonds enjoyed another strong week with yields lower in the key areas. The release of PMI data in Europe offered little in the way of good news. It showed that the manufacturing downturn has taken another leg lower, driven
Weekly view from the desk As we continue assessing global oil market conditions, key factors we’re monitoring include the restoration of the Saudi Aramco facilities’ capacity vs. actual production, the likelihood that a geopolitical risk premium remains embedded in crude
Currencies fell last week in the region, but the stronger the yield declines of bond markets, the more robust the weakening in the currency that took place. We saw that regional markets reacted not much to international market developments (Saudi
Macro / government bonds Core bond yields were meaningfully higher and yield curves steeper last week in the face of better economic data and higher inflation in the US and some more conciliatory action between the US and China with
Alle ogen waren afgelopen week gericht op de vergadering van de ECB. ECB-voorzitter Mario Draghi stelde niet teleur met de aankondiging van een hele reeks aan verruimende maatregelen. Conform verwachting werd de depositorente verder verlaagd. Ook werd het opnieuw opstarten
Markets breathed a sigh of relief last week on signs of easing U.S.-China trade tensions. We see ongoing policy support, the absence of obvious financial system vulnerabilities and resilient consumer spending helping extend the U.S. economic expansion. Yet trade tensions
US-China tensions eased further over the week and Beijing exempted US products from import duties only a few days before both sides were due to meet for talks. China might even resume importing US agricultural products like soya. Meanwhile, over
Equity markets finally rebounded on reduced tensions in Hong Kong, mounting obstacles in Boris Johnson’s way towards a no-deal Brexit and news that US-China talks were to resume. Economic data remained mixed between upbeat consumer services and fears of an
