The economy continues to reopen, more people are receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, and the day when the pandemic is no longer a significant part of our lives draws closer. In light of this, the Capital Markets Strategy team discusses their economic outlook at the end of the first quarter of 2021:

• Could massive pent-up demand and low inventories affect the economic rebound?

• How does monetary and fiscal stimulus factor into the markets?

• Equities or fixed income — which is currently the biggest challenge when building a portfolio?

• Is inflation always a bad thing?

• What stage of economic recovery are we in?

Hear the answers to these questions … and learn about revenge spending and envy spending.

Inflation rates — should we be paying attention to them now? And what do they have to do with long-term bond yields? The Capital Markets Strategy team weighs in on several subjects related to inflation and fixed-income investments:

• Will inflation increase in 2021?

• What do bond yields tell us about the economy?

• Where do unemployment, wage pressure, and fiscal stimulus fit into this scenario?

• How could investors react to a low-yield environment that’s moving higher?

… and they banter about beer and bitcoin too!

What happens when a dividend growth strategy is applied to exchange-traded funds (ETFs)? In this episode of Investments Unplugged, Brett Hryb, Head of Beta Management at Manulife Investment Management, joins host Philip Petursson to talk about this and related topics, including:

• portfolio building and management

• dividend payout ratios

• blending active and passive investment strategies

• what equity investors should consider.

Market corrections happen often. But exactly when they’ll occur, no one can say with any certainty. “Trying to pinpoint why is a fool’s game,” says Philip Petursson. Listen in as Philip and the Capital Markets Strategy team discuss several topics related to market corrections:

• What are corrections and why do they happen?

• What’s a bear market and how’s it different from a correction?

• How can you tell a big bear from a baby bear market?

• Why do sell-offs offer investment opportunities?

What about bonds? Roshan Thiru and Sivan Nair, from the Canadian Fixed Income team at Manulife Investment Management, talk with host Philp Petursson in this episode of Investments Unplugged. They discuss challenges, opportunities, and the outlook for fixed-income investments:

• the flexibility of investing in different kinds of bonds

• disciplined approaches to strategic and tactical asset allocation

• credit markets’ impact on bond yields

• the effect of the Biden administration’s fiscal policy

… and much more.

Join the Capital Markets Strategy team for a lively discussion about what they think could happen in the economy and financial markets through 2021. The team’s energetic exchange covers many possibilities for this year, including:

• market returns

• inflation and interest rates

• oil prices related to the demand for oil

• an extension of the 2020 gold rally.

Listen in.

Sandy Sanders, Head of the U.S. Core Value Equity Team at Manulife Investment Management, joins host Philip Petursson for this Investments Unplugged episode. Sandy and Philip talk about where we’ve come from in 2020, where we are now, and what we’re looking toward in 2021. They cover a variety of areas that may affect markets in the new year:

• COVID-19 vaccines

• Joe Biden as the next U.S. president

• interest rates at record-low levels

• potential earnings growth

… and many other topics.

Gaining insight about what the future holds, and the financial benefits that could come with it, takes more than hope and guesswork. In this episode of Investments Unplugged, Gertjan Van Der Geer, Senior Investment Manager on the Thematic Equities Team at Pictet Asset Management, joins the Capital Markets Strategy team to share his expertise and discuss:

• how COVID-19 affects market trends

• whether or not Bitcoin will gain traction as a future currency

• emerging megatrends and investment themes to look out for

• why thematic investing is the better approach to portfolio construction

… and more.

This episode of Investments Unplugged continues the Q&A of episode 38. The Capital Markets Strategy team once again answer some of the burning questions they’ve been asked during COVID-19 pandemic.

Their responses cover many topics:

• What effect will government stimulus and mounting debt levels have on equities and fixed income investments?

• Is a services-based economic recovery important to the markets?

• Are investors looking more at growth or value now?

• What about emerging markets? Are they attractive investments?

• Is the 60/40 investment portfolio dead?

… and more.

This episode of Investments Unplugged features Daniel Janis, Head of the Global Multi-Sector Fixed Income Team at Manulife Investment Management, who joins Philip to talk about what the fixed-income portfolio looks like heading into 2021. Dan shares how his team analyses and assesses risk within fixed-income investing, and how they pivoted their portfolio in 2020. Philip and Dan also discuss modern monetary theory and their outlook on the U.S. dollar.