Insights Now

So far this season, we've talked about the bond market from a number of different angles and in this episode we look at fixed income as a global asset class. In our recently launched 2Q23 Guide to the Markets, we have a chart that shows that the majority of global debt is international, with the U.S. share accounting for less than 40% today. Moreover, divergent central banks and brighter growth prospects overseas paint a different fundamental landscape than that of U.S. fixed income assets. On today's episode, Dr. David Kelly is joined by Iain Stealey, International Chief Investment Officer within the Global Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities (GFICC) group, to dive into the outlook for global monetary policy and what this means for opportunities in international bonds.   Access the Guide to the Markets here. For more resources visit the On the Minds of Investors webpage. ​

Plenty has happened over the last few weeks—Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, Credit Suisse was taken over by UBS, and several other pressures emerged among regional banks. These events and their implications for credit conditions and monetary policy have sent markets through a series of twists and turns and raised questions about the risk of a US recession later this year. On this episode, Dr. David Kelly is joined by Kelsey Berro, Portfolio Manager on our Global Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities Group, for a discussion on these issues and how it's shaped both the outlook going forward and the fixed income landscape.    

This episode dives into positioning within fixed income. Dr. David Kelly is joined by Bill Eigen, portfolio manager for an unconstrained fixed income strategy at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Bill offers a unique perspective, as his fund uses an opportunistic go-anywhere strategy that aims at delivering positive returns – no matter what’s happening in fixed income markets. In today’s particularly uncertain macro environment, Bill offers important insights on where he’s seeing opportunities, what areas he’s steering clear from and his latest thoughts on the markets and economy. For more insights, tune into the Notes on the Week Ahead podcast and follow David Kelly on LinkedIn.    

This episode kicks off our sixth season of Insights Now, entitled a “A Bond's Eye View", and we've decided to center this season around fixed income. Over the course of this season, Dr. David Kelly will sit down with slate of market strategists and portfolio managers to discuss the outlook for the Fed and other global central banks, the outlook for the dollar, diversifying within fixed income and how to think about bonds when positioning long-run investment portfolios. On this episode, Dr. David Kelly is joined by Jordan Jackson, Global Market Strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, to discuss the outlook for the Fed and opportunities within fixed income. For more insights on fixed income investing, please visit our latest piece Bonds are Back. ​

As we plan for our next season, please provide your thoughts and any suggestions on our podcast. You can reach out to our team, Market Insights, at mi.questions@jpmorgan.com. 2022 has been a brutal year for investors, with unusually large sell-offs in both stocks and bonds resulting in one of the worst years ever for balanced investing. However, 2023 may be the calm after the storm of this year, with markets stabilizing, inflation receding and the Fed nearing the end of its tightening cycle. Moreover, precisely because markets have been so battered, lower equity valuations and higher bond yields present some of the most attractive entry points for investors in over a decade. On our last episode of this season, I am joined by Jack Manley, Global Market Strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management to discuss the key takeaways from our Investment Outlook for 2023 and the importance of asset allocation in a challenged environment.

Tune in to hear Dr. David Kelly and Bob Michele, CIO and Head of the Global Fixed Income, Currency & Commodities group, discuss the outlook for fixed income and how investors can take advantage of opportunities. Higher rates and rising inflation have created a particularly challenging environment for bonds this year, with the U.S. Agg. down a whopping 13% year-to-date. However, the selloff has also brought valuations down to their most attractive levels in years, and the backup in yields means bonds can once again provide investors with a reliable source of income and diversification. While economic uncertainties remain about the timing of a Fed pivot and the potential for U.S. recession, the case for bonds is as strong as it's been in over a decade.  To discuss the outlook for fixed income markets and how investors can take advantage of these opportunities, Dr. David Kelly is joined by Bob Michele, CIO and Head of the Global Fixed Income, Currency & Commodities group, at JP Morgan Asset Management.

Earlier this month, Americans went to the polls for the midterm elections. While some were expecting a red wave, what resulted was more of a red ripple with Republicans garnering a slim majority in the House and Democrats likely maintaining control of the Senate. In today's politically polarized climate, divided government means gridlock, and as the country grapples with high inflation, the potential for recession and heightened geopolitical tensions, this will have important implications for the kind of government action or lack thereof, we may see over the next two years.  On this episode, I am joined by Michelle Mesack, Head of Federal Government Relations at JP Morgan Chase with extensive experience in government and public policy, as well as my colleague Meera Pandit, Global Market Strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, to discuss the main takeaways for investors from the midterm elections.

The global pandemic, supply chain problems and heightened geopolitical tensions from Russia's war in Ukraine have all raised questions about whether the long trend towards globalization is being thrown into reverse. Our 2023 Long Term Capital Market Assumptions, available now, features a paper that tackles the future of globalization. In this episode, Stephanie Aliaga interviews two of the authors from the paper, Dr. David Kelly and Kerry Craig, to discuss the potential future paths of globalization, and implications of a multi-polar world order for the global economy, inflation and valuations. Episode topics: History and drivers of globalization (1:18), Russia-Ukraine (8:00), future paths of globalization (9:55), global energy transition (16:40), trade in goods vs. services (19:08), implications for the dollar (21:50), implications for inflation (24:15), regional winners and loser (26:45), China (30:32), valuations and sector outlook (32:15). We also encourage you to also read the full report, linked here. 

In this episode, Dr. David Kelly is joined by David Lebovitz, Global Market Strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, for a discussion on the outlook for U.S. equities and what investors can expect from 3Q22 earnings season. Higher inflation, higher interest rates and slowing consumer demand have all posed considerable headwinds to U.S. equities and contributed to the large selloffs experienced in markets this year. As third-quarter earnings season kicks off, investors are hoping to gain insight into how earnings, revenues and margins are holding up as the macro environment gets rockier. While the risks dampening investor sentiment right now are very real, valuations have also come down significantly, paving the way for potentially very attractive expected returns going forward.

In an already challenging year for markets, the energy crisis in Europe and recent fiscal actions by the UK government have rattled market sentiment and caused further disruption to currency and global bond markets. A higher reliance on Russian supply has put Europe in a particularly vulnerable position as winter approaches, with electricity prices soaring and increased risk of gas shortages. All of this, and its consequences for consumer spending and business confidence, has increased the likelihood of a near-term recession in Europe. On today's episode, Dr. David Kelly is joined by Hugh Gimber, Global Market Strategist, to shed some light on these issues and the outlook going forward for the UK and Europe.