Insights Now

Watch the video version on YouTube.  Deficit spending is not at all a new phenomenon in the United States. In fact, it is the norm, and the U.S. has run a budget deficit in 81 of the last 95 years, or 85% of the time since 1929. What is abnormal, however, is how large the pile of U.S. debt has grown relative to the broader economy. In fiscal year 2023, U.S. debt held by the public ballooned to $26.3tn, or a striking 97% of GDP, while the budget deficit rose to 6.2% of GDP, and projections from the Congressional Budget Office suggest that the debt dilemma may only get worse in the coming years. With the election quickly approaching, and last year’s debt ceiling and downgrade drama still fresh in investors’ minds, we often get asked “How will rising federal debt impact the markets and the economy?” To help us dive deeper into this question, Brandon Hall, Research Analyst, interviews the usual host of the show, Dr. David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Watch the video version on YouTube.  Before 2021, the United States hadn’t seen a major bout of inflation for almost 40 years. And even when inflation peaked in June 2022, consensus estimates showed that most thought inflation would be almost back to 2% by the end of 2024. However, the journey to 2% has been more challenging than expected. Since mid-2023, inflation has remained in the 3-4% range, primarily due to persistently high shelter and auto insurance prices. This has caused the Fed to be on an extended pause. However, the latest CPI report brought some positive news, showing a month-over-month decline in prices for the first time in over a year. Year-over-year CPI inflation now sits at 3.0%, still well above a number consistent with the Fed’s 2% target for the personal consumption deflator. This episode explores if inflation can get back to its 2% target, the potential obstacles, and whether inflation even needs to be 2%. With this and the outlook for short-term interest rates being among the most dominant drivers of financial markets today, we think this discussion will be particularly useful. To help us dive deeper into this question, Mary Park Durham, Research Associate, will be interviewing the usual host, Dr. David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Watch the video version on YouTube.  Going into 2023, almost everyone was predicting a recession within the next 12 months. However, what we saw was quite the opposite: the U.S. economy grew at a 2.5% year-over-year pace, and the unemployment rate stayed below 4%. This positive momentum has continued into this year, although the economy is gradually cooling. This robust economic performance has been puzzling because many of the typical recession indicators have been flashing red for a while. The U.S. had two consecutive quarters of negative growth in 2022, the yield curve remains inverted, and credit markets are notably tighter. Despite these warning signs, the U.S. economy has managed to stave off a recession and appears resilient to higher interest rates. This raises the question: how long can the U.S. continue to avoid a recession, and if one were to occur, what would likely trigger it? To help us dive deeper into this question, Mary Park Durham will be interviewing the usual host, Dr. David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Watch the video version on YouTube. After the Federal Reserve’s dovish pivot in December, many investors came into this year expecting multiple rate cuts. In fact, in early January, markets were pricing in over six full cuts in 2024 alone. Since then, sticky inflation has caused the Federal Reserve to reassert its hawkish tone, and the outlook for the economy, inflation and monetary policy has become increasingly uncertain. As a result of this, investors often ask us “When will the Federal Reserve begin cutting rates?” To dive deeper into this question, Brandon Hall, Research Analyst, will be interviewing the regular host of the show, Dr. David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Watch the video version on YouTube. Excitement around artificial intelligence has been a key driver behind strong market performance over the past year. This makes sense, as it has potential to be one of the most transformative technologies in modern history. That said, widespread AI implementation is still in its early stages, and its broader implications for the economy and investing remain unknown. This has left many investors wondering, “How will AI shape the markets and the economy?” To help answer this question, Dr. David Kelly is joined by Joe Wilson, Portfolio Manager, for a discussion on artificial intelligence and its potential impacts on the economy and markets.

Watch the video version on YouTube.    As technology has improved, so has market efficiency, and generating alpha through active management is as challenging a task as ever. In light of this, “tax alpha,” or creating value through tax management strategies, has grown in importance and popularity and has left investors asking, “How can I minimize taxes in your investment strategy?”   For today’s episode, Dr. David Kelly is joined by Jack Manley, Global Market Strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, to discuss the outlook for taxes, and how investors can minimize their tax burden.

Watch the video version on YouTube.  From Baby Boomers to Generation Z, each generation has faced their own unique set of investment challenges and opportunities during their lifetimes. While the bulk of wealth in the U.S. belongs to older generations, wealth amongst younger generations is growing rapidly, and they represent an increasingly important piece of the investment pie. As advisors prepare for the next generation of investors, the question of “how do, and how should, different generations invest?” has been top of mind. To help answer this question, Dr. David Kelly is joined by Jack Manley, Global Market Strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management. For more insights visit our website here.

Watch the video version on YouTube. A long cycle of U.S. equity outperformance over international equities has left investors wondering, “why add international stocks to a portfolio?” However, as the global economy has turned a corner, so have prospects for international equities, and many international markets have performed well in 2024 so far. In fact, more than half of the 50 top performing companies this year are located outside of the U.S. In addition to favorable valuations, an improving economic backdrop and positive fundamentals should highlight plenty of opportunities across the globe. On this episode, Dr. David Kelly is joined by joined by Gabriela Santos, Chief Market Strategist for the Americas here at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, to share her views on the benefits of allocating internationally.

Learn about the history and benefits of actively managed ETFs in reshaping investment portfolios. Explore the advantages of active ETF management in concentrated markets and the importance of innovation, talent, and transparency in the ETF industry.

For our next season, we want to hear from you as we will be counting down the top 10 questions investors have concerning the economy, the markets and investing. Please provide suggestions here. This episode concludes the ninth season of Insights Now and marks the end of our deep dive into the world of alternatives. As investors continue to face elevated valuations across equities and abnormal interest rate volatility, the case for investing outside of traditional markets is as strong as ever. Whether investors are searching for outsized returns, stable income or diversification, alternatives offer a solution that can achieve these outcomes, and we hope this season helped bring those opportunities to life. For our final conversation this season, Dr. David Kelly is joined by Anton Pil, the Global Head of Alternatives at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Anton sits in a very unique seat given he oversees our entire alternatives platform, so tune in to hear how he views the balance of risks and opportunities across the asset class. For additional insights on alternatives visit our website here.