Portfolio Intelligence Podcast

Director of ETF Capital Markets Will Creedon discusses how investment professionals are preparing for year-end tax planning and how ETF tax efficiency can help make their jobs easier. The 2020 market volatility has created tax-loss harvesting opportunities that haven’t been seen in several years, he tell host John Bryson. Will also provides insight on which asset classes might be ripe for tax harvesting, how the U.S. tax code may change after the election, and where to learn more about smart tax strategies. To learn more about using ETFs for tax-loss harvesting in volatile markets, explore this Viewpoint: https://www.jhinvestments.com/viewpoints/etfs/using-market-volatility-for-tax-loss-harvesting-with-etfs

In today’s environment, financial professionals can’t really maximize their businesses’ potential without using virtual technologies. National Sales Manager Andy McFetridge joins John Bryson to talk about making the most of these technologies and techniques—including online meeting platforms, strategies for personalizing the client experience, and other best practices for communicating through virtual meetings. Learn how using today’s technologies well can enhance your connections with clients while unlocking new value for your business. Financial professionals: Check out our resources on virtual meeting essentials.

Co-Chief Investment Strategists Emily Roland and Matt Miskin weigh in on the recent market volatility and what investors should focus on in the weeks leading up to the crucial U.S. election. The strategists also update host John Bryson on what the latest economic data is hinting about the growth trajectory during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, Emily and Matt share their highest-conviction ideas for the equity and fixed-income markets, the outlook for the U.S. Federal Reserve, and what credit spreads and currency markets are forecasting for the markets.

College admissions coach Nancy Steenson tells host John Bryson how students can distinguish themselves from thousands of other college applications, particularly during the time of COVID‐19. She also provides tips on taking the SAT, if a gap year is appropriate now, why the high school transcript is so important, and how to write engaging essays to get noticed by college admissions boards. Finally, Steenson shares the most common mistakes she sees when students apply to colleges, and discusses strategies for parents to save for college and qualify for financial aid.

Thomas Mucha, geopolitical strategist for Wellington Management, offers an expert and timely opinion of what to look for in November, and how markets may react in various election scenarios. The veteran political and macro economic analyst tells host John Bryson which polls and battleground states he’s watching and how the COVID-19 pandemic may figure into the upcoming elections. Finally, Mucha provides insight into sectors that could be most affected by which party controls the White House and Congress, and why climate change and U.S.-China relations are among the top challenges he sees for the global economy and markets.

As markets continue to mend despite still-difficult economic conditions, Co-Chief Investment Strategists Emily Roland and Matt Miskin update host John Bryson on how their investment forecasts are faring in 2020. Their tilt to higher-quality segments of the equities and bond markets have been a tailwind, but high-yield bonds have rebounded more than expected. The strategists also describe why they continue to see a Nike “swoosh”-shaped economic recovery, rather than a rapid V-shaped bounce. Finally, Emily and Matt look ahead to the November election and explain why investors may actually want to pay more attention to the macroeconomic backdrop rather than letting politics influence portfolios.

As exchange‐traded funds (ETFs) continue to grow in popularity, Director of ETF Capital Markets Will Creedon discusses how investors have been using ETFs for tax efficiency during today’s unprecedented volatility. Will gets into the important nuances of how ETFs differ from mutual funds and explains why ETFs are notable for their tax efficiency. He also provides insightful context on ETF liquidity during the extreme volatility in 2020, and offers some trading best practices to keep in mind in fast‐moving markets. Finally, Will and host John Bryson discuss how the pandemic is creating sector dispersion and ETF investment opportunities growing out of that theme. To learn more about John Hancock Multifactor ETFs, visit https://www.jhinvestments.com/etf.

It’s just after quarter end, so Co Chief Investment Strategists Matt Miskin and Emily Roland are back to discuss their latest outlook for capital markets with host John Bryson. Citing a bottoming in U.S. economic data as well as hints of a turn around in earnings estimates, they point at higher‐quality components within tech, communication services, and healthcare, as well as the nascent leadership of mid‐cap stocks.With cash piling up ininvestors’ portfolios, the discussion also dwells on opportunities ininternationa lequities and where to search for yield opportunities in fixed income without incurring excessive risk—particularly areas that are enjoying U.S. Federal Reserve support.

Jay Feeney, chief investment officer at Boston Partners, explores value investing and questions about the persistence of the value premium. According to Jay, when value is out of favor, that’s not the time to lose your conviction in the investing style’s future potential. While the severity of value’s underperformance relative to growth has repeatedly challenged investor expectations in recent years, today’s extreme spreads in valuation between growth and value stocks suggest a rising probability of mean reversion.

Markets have come a long way fast since their late March lows. But with forward guidance from the U.S. Federal Reserve indicating near-zero interest rates through 2022, what does that mean for portfolios looking forward? As Co-Chief Investment Strategists Emily Roland and Matt Miskin discuss with host John Bryson, there’s a record amount of cash on the sidelines—$4.7 trillion—and investors want to know where to get the best bang for their buck across the yield curve and economic sectors. Faced with the prospect of a Nike “swoosh”-shaped recovery, in which the economy drops sharply and then slowly rebuilds, Emily and Matt counsel a diversified, balanced approach across stocks and bonds, maintaining a focus on intermediate-term bonds, a neutral stance with respect to value and growth styles, and a continued emphasis on higher-quality opportunities. This podcast is distributed by John Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC, member FINRA, SIPC.