Beyond Markets

In this episode of Beyond Markets we take a closer look at water. With water scarcity and extreme weather events on the increase, what do listeners need to know about water-related challenges and opportunities from both a societal and investment perspective? We are joined by Carsten Menke and Maeve Timoney from Julius Baer’s Next Generation Research team to answer these questions and much more.   Hosted by Emily Rookwood, Head of Thought Leadership at Julius Baer. 

Like in the Star Wars movie “The Phantom Menace”, the taxation of trade routes is leading to turmoil, including market turmoil. Bond and oil prices suggest the economy is about to abruptly slow down, following US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcements. The hope is the rest of the world will quickly come and negotiate with Trump, and some are. But the largest bilateral trade relationship is between China and the United States. China has called his bluff, raising its tariff on US imports to 52%.Comparisons of indicators such as volatility ratios, deviations from averages and investor sentiment between today and previous flash crashes, all indicate high chances of the S&P 500 index being higher a year from now. But fundamentally, there’s no way to know what things will look like a year from now. We expect US valuations to compress and valuations to expand, as foreign savings fund domestic growth in Europe and China.

New tariffs will surely lead to a rise in inflation, as will the oil price, if Iran ignores Trump’s ultimatum to a new nuclear deal. With inflation expected to stay high, we look for only one rate cut this year, and think 2026 will be an easier year to cut rates. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index is technically weak, having broken its March low. It is heavily weighted toward the champions of Artificial Intelligence that have driven the bull market of the past five years. The consensus forecast for 2025 S&P 500 index EPS growth that was over 13% in February, is below 10% today. But since World War 2, April has been the second-best month of the year for the S&P, and in the years when the S&P fell by 3% or more in March, April had an average gain of 6%.

The second inauguration of Donald Trump has resulted in something of an upheaval for equity markets. The imposition of tariffs, or the threat of them, has led to uncertainty and heightened volatility, prompting a rotation out of US megacap stocks and into European and other global equity markets. It’s not an easy time to pick stocks.In this episode of the Beyond Markets podcast, Bernadette Anderko, Investment Writer, talks to Philipp Lienhardt, Head of Equity Research, about his team’s approach to stock selection, what sectors they favour currently, and the subsectors that may offer the best opportunities in the months ahead.00:31 – Introduction and background02:37 – The impact of tariffs03:25 – Our preferred Regions/Sectors05:20 – Our stock-picking process06:46 – Financials and Industrials09:36 – Information Technology10:32 – Stand-out subsectors14:00 – Balancing equity portfolios in the current environment15:43 - Conclusion16:20 – Legal disclaimerWould you like to support this show? Please leave us a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

This year, the S&P 500 index has been in what technical analysts call a “broadening formation” of wider swings, that signals increasing volatility and typically precedes large price moves. While the second Trump administration is less chaotic​​ than the first, it is overwhelming any opposition with a blitz of activity. The thinking is there is no time like the present, and it’s better to do the hard things first to get any economic slowdown they might cause out of the way, before mid-term elections are held in November next year. Meanwhile, the uncertainties Trump has created have ignited animal spirits in long-dormant and lazy economies, and by extension their stock markets.

The world is witnessing a rapid shift towards de-globalisation, accelerated in part by the new US administration. Meanwhile, ongoing disputes over tariffs, trade imbalances, and the widening US fiscal deficit continue to dominate global discussions.In this episode of Beyond Markets, Rishabh Saksena, Head of Investment Specialists Asia at Julius Baer, is joined by Vance Serchuk, Executive Director of the KKR Global Institute. They discuss the implications of these issues on the global economy, and examine which regions are well-positioned to thrive amid this increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape.  

There has been a significant correction in US markets since mid-February, with the S&P index down around 8%, and the Nasdaq down around 12%. Surprisingly, this has come on the back of reasonably good earnings from the previous quarter and forward-looking guidance. This shift in investor sentiment appears to be driven by rising policy risks, and a decrease in the "Trump put" effect - the market's previous belief that government intervention would support asset prices.In this episode, Bhaskar Laxminarayan, Chief Investment Officer Asia at Julius Baer, shares his expectations for markets, sectors we favour, and insights on the bond markets in this uncertain environment. 

Germany’s surprise €500bn infrastructure plan marks a historic break from fiscal restraint, shaking up markets and boosting European stocks.Meanwhile, US economic uncertainty under Trump is fueling recession fears, pushing Treasury yields down and challenging USD strength.We also break down Japan’s bond market surge and what it means for global investors.This episode is presented by Magdalene Teo, Head of Fixed Income Asia at Julius Baer.

The initial read of the third session of China's 14th National People Congress has been generally in line with economist expectations. Concurrently, ongoing shifts in US policies, especially on tariffs, continue to disrupt the broader macro narrative. Surprisingly, Hong Kong stocks have rallied steadily amidst these developments, whilst US stocks have reacted much more negatively. What is our outlook for these markets, and what does it mean for the US dollar? This episode is presented by Richard Tang, China Strategist and Head of Research for Hong Kong at Julius Baer, and Hong Hao, Partner and Chief Economist at GROW Investment Group. This episode was recorded on 6 March, 2025.

An unprecedented clash between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the White House last Friday has called into question the strength of the US-Europe relations. Investors are also watching several other key macro events this week – potential additional tariffs from the US on China, Canada and Mexico, as well as China’s “Two Sessions” annual meetings taking place on March 5 and 6. This episode is presented by Eric Mak from the Equity Research Asia team at Julius Baer.