Market Returns
While we expect both direct and indirect exposure to generate solid risk-adjusted returns, favor direct given its overall portfolio impact, lower correlation to financial assets and better inflation protection.
The Treasury curve will bear-flatten between now and a likely December rate hike. Beyond December, our strategy will depend on how the dollar responds to increased rate hike expectations. For now, maintain below benchmark duration and favor convexity risk over credit risk.
Equities are celebrating domestic economic disappointment rather than re-pricing the risk of ongoing profit struggles. This reinforces that liquidity and share price momentum are still the dominant market forces.
Wedged between an improving labor market but icy global conditions, the Fed may be on the verge of conducting a policy mistake. This would be dollar and yen bullish. Commodity and EM currencies should bear the brunt of any pain. The pound's upside is limited, but so is the downside. NZD should soon buckle. Draghi did nothing, yet the euro rebounded little.
Forget about the production-cooperation pact agreed between Russia and KSA over the weekend at the G20 meeting in China. With or without it, rebalancing of the oil market will force global inventories to draw beginning in 2016Q4 and continue into next year, setting the stage for a gradual rise in prices - slightly above our central tendency for WTI of $50/bbl - to encourage more rigs to return to the U.S. shales.
A common perception is that the euro has been a failure for Italy. We challenge this perception and explain why it is so important for investors, whether it is wrong or right.
With recent comments strongly hinting that the Fed is on track for a rate hike in December, the dy-namics of the Fed Policy Loop make spread product appear extremely vulnerable.
Transport stocks have discounted a recession, trading below trough bear market relative valuations. That is too cheap given signs of stabilization in global export growth.
The August payrolls report did not change our view that a Fed rate hike is likely in December, but not before that.
Given the rising odds of another Fed move before year-end, and the uncertainty that additional easing can be delivered in Europe and Japan, we re-iterate our tactical call to maintain a below-benchmark duration stance.