Markets in Focus

With recession looming in 2023, it’s worth considering how much the Fed can even do at this point, and whether monetary and fiscal policies have a chance of cushioning the shock once again. Jason Richey, CFA, Co-Portfolio Manager at Cougar Global Investments, provides insights on U.S. versus international markets, minimizing risk, and positioning portfolios for an economic slowdown

Global storms are brewing, and a key question for investors is whether a global recession is inevitable. Antonina Tarassiouk, fixed income analyst at Reams Asset Management, and David Vaughn, chief investment officer for non-U.S. and global strategies at ClariVest Asset Management, discuss possible opportunities in emerging markets that may be poised for growth, despite recession fears.

The credit market has been impacted by duration shocks, high inflation, and rising borrowing costs, leading to deteriorating credit risk. Andy Toburen, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager at Chartwell Investment Partners, unpacks it all and shares how investors can navigate the dynamic credit markets and find areas of opportunity.

The business cycle and the strength of the consumer are expected to play key roles in setting the direction of the financial sector in the rest of 2022. Enrique Acedo, Research Analyst on the Equity Income Investment Team at Eagle Asset Manager, joins Matt Orton to discuss signs of worry and signs of promise in financials – an industry group that it is anything but uniform

“Drill, baby, drill” once was the mantra in the energy patch. But for the past decade, deep value investors have set the tone, demanding dividends and saying, “Show me the money.” Now the industry again is in flux, with no shortage of catalysts: pandemic, war, inflation, looming recession, growth in alternative fuels, and more. Explore headwinds, tailwinds, and trends in the energy sector with Eric Mintz, CFA, Portfolio Manager on the small- and mid-cap growth teams at Eagle Asset Management, and Eric Chenoweth, CFA, Senior Investment Analyst on the mid-cap equity team at Scout Investments.

No one thought 2022 would be easy, but the war in Ukraine, with its shocks to global energy and commodity markets, has made taming inflation even harder. James Camp, CFA, Managing Director of Fixed Income and Strategic Income at Eagle Asset Management, shares his perspective on credit and equity markets, the “creative destruction” rippling through the U.S. economy, and how the U.S. Federal Reserve doesn’t have any good choices, just “the lesser of many evils.”

It would be nice if U.S. equities could find a bottom and recover without a recession. That’s what normal market activity often has looked like in the past. Trouble is, we haven’t had a lot of normal market activity in the last 15 years, says Jason Richey, CFA, Portfolio Manager at Cougar Global Investments. And that now makes it harder for everyone: central banks, corporate management, and investors alike. Richey shares his thoughts on the impact of inflation, its effects on the consumer, and how, ultimately, investors can position in a markedly bearish environment.

It’s not new for companies to report on their efforts to curb greenhouse gases and fight climate change, but there are few dependable and universal ways to compare one company to the next. Now the SEC has proposed new rules aimed at standardizing such disclosures. Joy Facos, Head of Sustainable Investing and Corporate Responsibility at Carillon Tower Advisers, explains why the proposed rules will help empower investors to make meaningful judgments about how companies’ work to sharpen the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) focus of their models might – or might not – create long- term value.

Where is blockchain technology right now? Think of the internet in the late 1990s: There’s worlds of potential to transform the economy, but also every kind of practical question to be figured out. Matt Orton, CFA, Chief Market Strategist at Carillon Tower Advisers, talks with Tariq Siddiqi, CFA, Senior Research Analyst at Eagle Asset Management, about how the blockchain isn’t just for cryptocurrency, what makes it a candidate to revolutionize entire industries, and why investors should look at it as a long-term driver of secular growth.

The inflation of 2021 had no shortage of drivers – including spiking consumer demand, supply chain disruptions, and unprecedented monetary and fiscal support for the economy. But what about the inflation of 2022? Rising housing costs are likely to continue to be a factor, while base effects could contribute to inflation peaking. Matt Orton, CFA, Chief Market Strategist at Carillon Tower Advisers, talks with John Lagowski, CFA, Research Analyst with Eagle Asset Management, about inflation’s likely direction and what investors should think about in the coming year.