Magnificent Seven

Tariffs will make a difficult job almost impossible. Hitting and sustaining a precise 2 percent inflation target is more about luck than judgement. It requires both the starting point for inflation expectations and any inflation/deflation shock to combine perfectly to 2 percent. While structural inflation expectations in the euro area and Japan could be close to 2 percent, those in the US and the UK will be stuck uncomfortably above 2 percent. We discuss the investment implications for rates and FX. Plus: gold is vulnerable to a tactical reversal.

In this Second Quarter Strategy Outlook, we explore the major trends that are set to drive financial markets for the rest of 2025 and beyond.

European equities have surged on hopes of a low-inflation boom—but the rally has likely gone too far, too fast. With a pullback now likely, how should investors position themselves over the next 3–6 months?

Eurozone banks have quietly outpaced the Magnificent 7—can they keep winning? With strong balance sheets, rising profitability, and structural tailwinds, European lenders still offer value despite short-term risks. Meanwhile, German equities continue to defy expectations, but is a near-term pullback on the horizon?

We expect market volatility to remain elevated due to uncertain economic, monetary, and trade policies. Barbell is the best portfolio strategy at this time. We recommend boosting defensive allocations to lower portfolio beta.  We downgrade Industrials to equal weight and upgrade Pharma to overweight.