Portfolio Intelligence Podcast

College admissions coach Nancy Steenson returns to the podcast to chat with our host John P. Bryson about the challenges that families face in today's increasingly competitive college admissions environment. She explains the reality of grade inflation in high schools around the country and the exceptional portfolio of students who get into the top-tier universities. Furthermore, Nancy explains the nitty-gritties of demonstrated interest and how students can make the most of it. She also delves into her changing attitude about early decision-making and explains why she is now encouraging her students to consider it. Finally, Nancy offers a variety of tips to help students and parents in the ever-evolving process of college admissions.

Emily R. Roland, CIMA, Matthew D. Miskin, CFA, co-chief investment strategists, John Hancock Investment Management, return to the podcast to talk about positioning portfolios for a moderating economic environment. The strategists discuss what stood out to them in terms of cross asset class performance for Q1. They explain their short- and long-term fixed-income outlooks and share insight for investors currently stressed about their bond portfolios. Matt and Emily also assess whether now is the time to build in some defense into portfolios for a potential recession on the horizon. Finally, they discuss their Fed outlook for 2022 and into next year.

Joshua C. White, CFA, and David T. Cohen, CFA, portfolio managers, Boston Partners, join podcast host John P. Bryson to talk about the short-term and long-term case for value stocks for today’s investors. They also talk about Boston Partners’ value strategy and approach and how they stuck to it during times of volatility. Josh and David, who are also portfolio managers of John Hancock Disciplined Value Fund, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, throw light on where they’re finding the most opportunities in the current environment. Finally, they offer their insight and advice to help investors navigate these volatile times.

Brendan Barca, a coach, speaker, and consultant at Brendan Barca Solutions, returns to the podcast with tips on best practices for virtual meetings for financial professionals. He also explains what mistakes to avoid and shares top virtual meeting techniques. In this episode, Brendan also discusses the best way to set expectations with new and current clients regarding what's going to be virtual and what's going to be in person as we navigate a hybrid model going forward.

In this episode of Portfolio Intelligence, Co-Chief Investment Strategists Emily R. Roland, CIMA, and Matthew D. Miskin, CFA, discuss their 2022 economic projections and investment outlook. The strategists also share what factors they’re currently watching, their expectations from the U.S. Federal Reserve, and their concerns for the U.S. and global economy in 2022. Finally, the strategists share their views on the positioning of fixed income and equity investments in 2022.

Brendan Barca, a coach, speaker, and consultant at Brendan Barca Solutions, returns to the podcast with tips for financial professionals using LinkedIn Sales Navigator as a business-building tool. He discusses why it might be worth it for advisors to pay for the service rather than using the free version of LinkedIn. Barca also explains how LinkedIn Sales Navigator has built-in customer relationship management tools that can help advisors concentrate on the most promising leads while best serving existing clients in their practice.

Co-Chief Investment Strategists Emily R. Roland, CIMA, and Matthew D. Miskin, CFA, join the podcast to address valuation worries and why overall market price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios have been steady due to strong earnings growth. The strategists also discuss what retail sales, jobs reports, and other indicators are saying about the health of the U.S. economy. Finally, they weigh in on what higher inflation means for investors and their outlook for lingering supply chain disruptions.

Global environmental change is one of the strongest factors driving interest in sustainable investing. In this podcast, Dr. Sarah Cornell of Stockholm Resilience Centre and Gabriel Micheli, CFA, senior investment manager at Pictet Asset Management, discuss thematic and sustainable investing during a time of accelerating climate change. Listen to this episode to hear expert insight on how sustainable investing works in practice and how to incorporate it into portfolios.

The inflation rate has been running hot lately, and Co-Chief Investment Strategists Matthew D. Miskin, CFA, and Emily R. Roland, CIMA, discuss how supply chain delays and supply shortages are affecting the consumer price index (CPI). The strategists think inflation will remain elevated for the next couple quarters, but that supply and demand will ultimately come back into balance. They also share their top portfolio ideas now for the equity and fixed-income markets.