The Growing Importance of Asia Equity Long/Short

Equity long/short investing is one of the most widely adopted strategies by hedge fund managers in Asia. Its importance has increased over time, and we believe that this strategy can play a key role within a global hedge fund portfolio. There have been several positive developments in recent years that build the case for investors […]

August 2022

Do Municipal Bonds Still Have a Role to Play in Taxable Portfolios?

Yes. Munis still have value on an after-tax basis over the long term, and their near-term outlook has improved following the rise in yields and spreads during this year’s sell-off. Still, the economic and policy backdrop remains challenging. Thus, we believe it is reasonable for most taxable investors to hold a reduced portion of their […]

August 2022

Should Investors Start Adding High-Yield Bonds and Loans to Portfolios Given the Recent Sell-Off?

No, as the risk/reward remains uncompelling and spreads may widen further if a recession ensues. However, the sell-off has enhanced our enthusiasm for collateralized loan obligation (CLO) debt, which offers attractive pricing, solid fundamentals, and lower interest rate sensitivity than most other credit investments. Prices for most credit assets have declined in 2022, as have […]

July 2022

VantagePoint: Have US Equities Hit Bottom?

US equities have entered official bear market territory with a more than 20% price decline. Some markets have seen sharper drops with speculative tech stocks (e.g., the Ark Innovation ETF) falling more than 75% from early 2021 peaks and many crypto assets seeing similar declines. Given the uncertain economic and profit environment, have markets bottomed […]

July 2022

Should Investors Underweight Emerging Markets Equities Today?

No. Emerging markets (EM) equities face a challenging macroeconomic environment, but many of the same issues are also plaguing their developed markets (DM) peers. We think EM allocations outside of China should be in line with policy, given that the risk of a widespread EM debt crisis is low, valuations relative to DM peers are […]

June 2022

Fed Tightens by 0.75% and Projects Softer Economy

The Federal Reserve announced that it was raising the target range for the Fed funds rate by 75 basis points (bps) to 1.50%–1.75%. An apparent briefing to the financial press last week meant that this course of action was fully priced in by the rates market beforehand, despite just 50 bps being priced as recently […]

June 2022

Small-Cap Stocks Present Large Opportunity

US small-cap stocks have underperformed large-cap peers in recent years, opening a significant valuation discount that seems hard to justify based on relative earnings strength or balance sheet health. Looking ahead, the sector exposure of small-cap stocks may make them better positioned for the current environment of rising interest rates and high commodity prices. While […]

June 2022

Are Global Corporate Earnings Expectations Too Lofty?

Yes, we think corporate earnings expectations are likely too high. This is because earnings are well above the long-term trend, and we expect inflation and higher policy rates will put downward pressure on profits margins. After growing by more than 50% in 2021, global corporate earnings are significantly higher than the long-term trend. However, nominal […]

June 2022