Insights Now

Financials, the second largest sector in the S&P 500, has had its fair share of ups and downs in recent years. As the Federal Reserve kicked off its aggressive rate hiking campaign in 2022, the yield curve inverted, loan growth slowed and M&A activity plummeted, all of which hampered earnings growth. Then, in March 2023, the failures of several U.S. regional banks sparked concerns about the health of the banking sector and commercial real estate market. The dust from this crisis gradually settled, which, in conjunction with Fed rate cuts and a resilient consumer, helped the sector gain over 30% in 2024. In fact, financial deregulation is now top of mind, with the Trump administration recently naming “regulatory dove” Michelle Bowman as the Federal Reserve’s next Vice Chair of Supervision. Prospects for increased deregulation, in addition to trends in consumer spending, will be key themes moving forward. Companies in financials tend to be represented in the value style and can be a good complement to growth exposure, especially the Magnificent 7. On this episode of Insights Now, Gabriela Santos, is joined by Laura Huang, an equity research analyst covering financials at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, to discuss Laura’s day-to-day, and what she is seeing across her sector. Watch the video version on YouTube. Subscribe to the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast for more insights from Dr. David Kelly: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

In this episode of Alternative Realities, we delve into the transformative landscape of venture and growth equity investing with a focus on technology and healthcare. Dr. David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, is joined by Patrick McGoldrick, Managing Partner of J.P. Morgan Private Capital, to discuss the evolution and current landscape of venture capital. The conversation highlights the high-risk, high-reward nature of venture capital, the importance of skilled management and the strategic approach J.P. Morgan employs in identifying investment opportunities. Join us as we explore the competitive advantages J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers as a partner to its portfolio companies and uncover the potential of venture and growth equity investing in today's market. Watch the video version on YouTube.  Resources: For more resources on Alternatives, visit our Guide to Alternatives, Principles of Alternatives Investing, and Alternatives 2025 Outlook Subscribe to the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast for more insights from Dr. David Kelly: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

As the world emerged from the pandemic, healthcare companies encountered several challenges, including declining COVID-19-related revenues, increased R&D expenses and rising labor costs, all of which impacted earnings. Although the sector began to recover from its prolonged earnings slump in 2024, performance remained sluggish. Healthcare stocks rose just 2.6% last year, with performance suffering most after the election. Importantly, the healthcare sector is comprised of a range of sub-industries and performance beneath the surface has diverged. For example, as the sector has addressed the backlog of elective procedures delayed during the pandemic, healthcare facilities and equipment manufacturers have performed well, while insurers have struggled. When seeking exposure to growth themes driving markets, investors often overlook healthcare in favor of other sectors. That said, whether it be GLP-1 drug development or AI-powered customized therapies, the reality is that the sector is at the epicenter of transformational change. Looking ahead, healthcare earnings are set to improve in 2025. However, policy actions taken by the incoming administration could meaningfully alter the sector’s landscape. On this episode of Insights Now, Gabriela Santos, is joined by Holly Morris, an equity research analyst covering the healthcare sector and a portfolio manager here at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Watch the video version on YouTube.  Subscribe to the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast for more insights from Dr. David Kelly: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

In this episode of Alternative Realities, we explore the world of timber as an alternative investment asset class. Dr. David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, is joined by Angela Davis, President of Campbell Global, a subsidiary of J.P. Morgan Asset Management, to explore the unique benefits and opportunities timber offers to investors. The discussion covers the perpetual lifecycle of timber forestry, the global footprint of Campbell Global’s forest management and the sustainable nature of timber as a climate-friendly product. The conversation also touches on the impact of tariffs, environmental regulations and the growing demand for sustainable building products. Join us as we uncover the potential of timber in providing diversification and protection during periods of market volatility and learn about the exciting developments in carbon offsets and their significance in the timber industry. Watch the video version on YouTube.    Resources: For more resources on Alternatives, visit our Guide to Alternatives, Principles of Alternatives Investing, and Alternatives 2025 Outlook Subscribe to the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast for more insights from Dr. David Kelly: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Utilities have traditionally been known for their defensive properties, which makes the combination of robust economic growth, technological excitement and elevated bond yields an unlikely recipe for their strong performance. That said, the sector’s 23% gain kept pace with the broader market last year. In 2025, this momentum should continue. After two decades of stagnant power demand, the electrification of the U.S. economy and the intense power needs of generative artificial intelligence should prompt demand to inflect higher. Additionally, with our aging grid infrastructure and more frequent extreme weather events, finding enough capacity to provide adequate electricity supply won’t be easy. These themes, and others, should highlight winners across the utilities sector. For investors looking to diversify tech exposure, utilities could offer an attractive way to invest in the many themes driving markets today, but with a very different wrapper. To share what she’s seeing across the utilities sector, Gabriela Santos, my new co-host, will be joined by Teresa Kim, a utilities-focused equity research analyst here at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Watch the video version on YouTube.  Resources: Subscribe to the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast for more insights from Dr. David Kelly: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

In this episode of Alternative Realities, we explore the dynamic world of alternative investments and their increasing accessibility to a broader range of investors. As these asset classes become more mainstream, we discuss their role in diversifying portfolios and enhancing returns. Dr. David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, is joined by David Lebovitz, Managing Director and Strategist at the Multi-Asset Solutions Group, to discuss the inception and evolution of the Guide to Alternatives. They delve into the structure and importance of alternative investments, the integration of alternatives into multi-asset portfolios and the challenges of sizing these allocations. Watch the video version on YouTube.  Resources: For more resources on Alternatives, visit our Guide to Alternatives, Principles of Alternatives Investing, and Alternatives 2025 Outlook Subscribe to the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast for more insights from Dr. David Kelly: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Despite lagging the broader index, industrial stocks performed well in 2024, gaining over 17% on a total return basis. Sector fundamentals, however, have been more challenged. After an impressive post-COVID recovery supported double-digit earnings growth in 2022, industrial earnings have been in the doldrums alongside U.S. manufacturing activity. In fact, on a year-over-year basis, the sector is on pace to see earnings contract for the last three quarters of 2024. That said, prospects ahead look brighter. With AI and policy tailwinds, increased focus on domestic infrastructure investment and the Fed now easing policy, earnings growth is expected to accelerate in 2025, providing investors with a broad menu of investment options to choose from within the sector. On this episode, Gabriela Santos, is joined by Rob Maloney, an equity research analyst covering industrials and a co-portfolio manager here at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Watch the video version on YouTube.  Resources: Subscribe to the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast for more insights from Dr. David Kelly: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

When people think of the financial sector, they typically think of boring businesses like banks or insurance companies. But the ongoing global shift to electronic payments has created a new, growthier industry of financial technology companies. These businesses tend to feature recurring revenues, high free cash flow, and low capital expenditures. The financial services sector, which houses Visa and Mastercard, returned 28% last year, while the consumer finances sector, home to credit card companies like American Express and Capital One, returned 55%, outperforming the Magnificent 7. Continued growth in consumer spending, a steeper yield curve, and prospects for deregulation could support further upside, though there are risks if regulatory relief isn’t as significant as markets expect. Nonetheless, for investors looking for high-quality growth opportunities outside of mega-cap tech, fintech could certainly be a good place to start. On this episode of Insights Now, my new co-host, Gabriela Santos, will be joined by David Chan, an equity research analyst covering payment and business services companies here at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, to discuss what David is seeing across this space. Watch the video version on YouTube.  Resources: Subscribe to the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast for more insights from Dr. David Kelly: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

In this episode of Alternative Realities, we delve into the evolving landscape of alternative investments and their growing role in institutional portfolios. As the world of alternative investing becomes more accessible, we’ll explore how institutions have historically leveraged these assets for diversification and enhanced returns. Dr. David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, is joined by Kathryn Pasqualone, Client Advisor within our North America Institutional business, to discuss key themes such as vintage year diversification, liquidity considerations, and the importance of strategic and tactical asset allocation. Watch the video version on YouTube.  Resources: For more resources on Alternatives, visit our Guide to Alternatives, Principles of Alternatives Investing, and Alternatives 2025 Outlook Subscribe to the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast for more insights from Dr. David Kelly: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

U.S. equities have been on a tear in recent years. After climbing 26% in 2023, the S&P 500 finished up 25% on a total return basis in 2024, marking the best two-year stretch for the index since the late 90s. That said, with a select few companies driving the bulk of this rally, markets have become unbalanced, and concentration risk remains a significant issue heading into 2025. In times like these, active management is as important as ever. Our thirteenth season of Insights Now, titled “The Analyst’s Edge: A day in the life of equity research analysts,” will be all about the research backing our portfolio managers’ investment decisions. We will sit down with best-in-class buy-side equity research analysts from across J.P. Morgan, exploring a range of sectors and diving deeper into the most exciting trends driving markets today. With a new administration taking the White House, 2025 is likely to be another exciting yet volatile year for equity investors, so stay tuned to learn more about the opportunities we are following most closely. At the heart of the recent equity market rally sits the semiconductor industry. Home to companies like Nvidia, Broadcom and other key beneficiaries of the AI frenzy, semiconductor stocks gained over 75% in 2024, far outpacing the broader market. That said, semiconductor applications extend far beyond just artificial intelligence. Companies serving traditional end-markets, like automotive, consumers, aerospace or defense, have lagged behind. While artificial intelligence will remain a key source of demand for the industry, improving demand from these other end-users could drive the next leg of the rally. To share the latest on the semiconductor industry, Gabriela Santos, the new co-host, will be joined by Eric Ghernati, a technology-focused equity research analyst here at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Watch the video version on YouTube.  Resources: Subscribe to the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast for more insights from Dr. David Kelly: Apple Podcasts | Spotify