Insights

Ramiz Chelat finds bright spots in areas such as med tech and software. For sectors that will have a longer recovery, like consumer discretionary and staples, differentiation is key. Companies with strong balance sheets will be poised to take market share from weaker rivals once the crisis is quelled.

Jin Zhang portends that now is a good time to allocate to emerging markets. Major EM countries can survive the short-term effects of a stronger dollar and have adhered to fiscal discipline. Jin anticipates resilience in e-commerce, online entertainment, IT services and memory chips.

Ed Walczak maintains that demand for consumer staples is intact over the long term, finds opportunity in companies that can benefit from lower oil prices, and believes that investors should assess whether portfolio holdings can withstand a protracted downturn.

David Souccar discusses a focus on quality in times of turmoil, the importance of a strong balance sheet and opportunities to upgrade portfolios.

Donny Kranson talks about opportunities arising from indiscriminate sell-offs, how a company can survive the downturn, resilience in essential services, and acceleration of the shift to online retailing.

Brian Bandsma maintains that e-commerce and IT infrastructure will be long-term beneficiaries of the shift to online activity. He discusses Chinese stimulus measures and how India and Indonesia can withstand the crisis.

3 steps to help navigate the storm: recognize change, keep an eye on your horizon, and get ahead of structural shifts that will follow the shock of death and economic damage. How we frame the crisis in terms of capital preservation and recovery will affect investment decisions.

We are now witnessing a market panic as the continued spread of the coronavirus is threatening a global recession. Portfolio managers Ramiz Chelat, Jin Zhang and David Souccar explain how they are adjusting their portfolios to take advantage of market dislocations and why quality growth businesses can help provide downside protection.

The past weekend gave investors a pause to reflect on what has been the worst week in terms of price performance for many equity indices since the global financial crisis in 2008. For example, the S&P 500 lost 11.5% on Friday’s close, compared a week before. Emerging markets equity investors were also strongly impacted, as the MSCI EM lost 7.3% over that period.