Viewpoint

With regional banks in the US concerned about deposit flight, financial conditions are tightening, increasing the probability of a hard landing for the economy. Quality companies that do not rely on leverage and whose earnings tend to be more resilient during times of economic weakness can be an attractive option for investors.

Multinationals listed in the US can provide exposure to global revenues. But an international approach also offers access to world leading companies that have no equivalent in domestic markets. And with valuations at a wide discount to the US, and below long-run averages, the story in international equities is both timely and compelling.

Is China’s property market on the mend? Are there any more humps in the road before it turns the corner? Our emerging markets credit specialists Cosmo Zhang and Wouter van Overfelt explain how contrarian investors who may have missed the strong rebound in December can now spot potential opportunities for generating alpha.

Low interest rates, declining tax rates, and constrained wages contributed to margin expansion for large US companies over the past decade. Companies whose growth is driven by these temporary factors may be more vulnerable in tough conditions, while quality companies with structural growth drivers designed to succeed in all conditions may prevail.

After the “great repricing” of 2022, is corporate credit now ready for takeoff? Our corporate credit experts, Mondher Bettaieb Loriot and Christian Hantel, analyze the reasons behind the revival of high-grade corporate credit and explain why they remain optimistic about investment-grade markets in Europe and the US.

2022 was the worst year for bonds in living memory. So, could 2023 be similarly bad for other asset classes? Chris Bowie looks at the case for short dated investment grade credit for 2023.

ESG research is an extension of our philosophy of long-term thinking and fits seamlessly into our existing research process. We focus on material issues rather than broad ESG scores, which enables us to understand and get ahead of risks that can jeopardize earnings predictability.

When comparing the earnings trajectory of emerging markets corporates with that of their developed-market counterparts, many investors consider this a lost decade. Are emerging market stocks now set to bounce back?

What’s behind the demands for unions globally? When are higher wages a threat to the bottom line? And which companies are best placed to manage the risk? In his back-to-basics blog on organized labor, Sudhir Roc-Sennett answers these critical questions for investors.

In our view, European credit now represents a strong medium term value opportunity that investors cannot afford to ignore.

As China readies for the Year of the Rabbit, there are several causes for celebration, says Fixed Income Boutique Credit Analyst Cosmo Zhang. Economic recovery could come earlier and stronger than expected in the first quarter of 2023, as mobility and supply chains return to normal despite a Covid surge.

While European ABS was not immune to negative returns amid the considerable fixed income headwinds of 2022, it gave investors largely what they look to this allocation for – lower volatility and better performance than mainstream bonds. In our view, the forward-looking opportunity looks equally compelling.