Beyond Markets

A survey done by the National Federation of Independent Business finds a surge of optimism among small business owners in the United States since the election. Meanwhile, not one of the world’s largest economies is expected to be in a recession next year. That sentiment is reflected in the world stock market index, which is back to touching the upper band of its ascending channel, for the first time since late 2021. A large venture capital-backed unicorn has a successful IPO last week, despite still being loss making. With 27% of the S&P 500 index’s market capitalisation in just five companies, concentration in the stock market is at an all-time high. But concentration has never been a useful predictor for forward returns; in fact high levels of concentration have historically coincided with good forward returns.

In 2024, we witnessed the normalisation of many economic variables, notably inflation and growth, clearing the path for monetary policy easing in the US and Europe. Looking to 2025, with a new Republican administration in place in the US there will be plenty of changes to digest. Our analysts believe that the key to success will be closing significant fiscal, geopolitical, and corporate deals whilst also achieving economic growth. What does this mean for financial markets and those who invest in them?In this episode of the Beyond Markets podcast ‘Market Outlook 2025 – The art of the real deal’, Christian Gattiker, Head of Research, and Mark Matthews, Head of Research Asia, talk to Bernadette Anderko about the market environment, why they expect broadening equity returns, and which sectors are set to benefit from likely growth and policy shifts in 2025.00:37 Introduction to topic and speakers01:06 Broad expectations for 202502:08 Monetary policy oulook02:43 Trump tariff implications for Europe03:18 Trump tariff implications for Asia04:45 Equity preferences in Asia06:19 Developed market equity stance06:57 Preferred cyclical sectors07:35 The impact of the Republican sweep10:02 USD bond opportunities10:27 EUR bond opportunities11:02 The duration sweet spot11:29 Emerging market bonds11:49 Our view on gold’s outlook12:44 Next Generation: Cloud computing & AI; Extended longevity14:39 Next Generation: Future cities15:14 Summary of our outlook for 202515:50 Closing commentsWould you like to support this show? Please leave us a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

As our world continues to be riven by instability and conflict, global wealth inequality is becoming one of the most pressing matters of our time. With the divide between the haves and the have nots continuing to grow, increasing numbers of people are dedicating their time and resources to tackling this societal imbalance as generational attitudes to creating impact and having social purpose are changing. This episode of Beyond Markets features CEO of the Julius Baer Foundation Laura Hemrika discussing the state of modern philanthropy and how people can get involved and is hosted by John Franklin, Marketing Specialist at Julius Baer.

In this engaging conversation, Hong Hao, Partner and Chief Economist at GROW Investment Group, shares his insights on the implications of Trump's tariff threats. He discusses whether these moves are a strategic negotiation tactic or a game changer for global trade. The conversation dives into how U.S.-China trade dynamics might shift, the potential impact on China's economic policies and stock market, and the future trajectory of the yuan amidst these pressures. A fascinating look at the intersection of politics and economics!

​​The market wants to close the year on a high note, with the S&P 500 index’s total year-to-date return exceeding 30%. The consensus estimates around 13% earnings growth for both 2025 and 2026. The futures market implies a Fed funds rate of 3.65% by February next year, an over 100 basis point decline from where it is today. In such circumstances, it’s not hard to imagine the bull market in stocks could keep going, barring an inflation shock.​​Keywords: S&P 500 index, all-time high, earnings growth, interest rate cut, Fed funds rate, deregulation, David Perdue, ambassador to China, Hang Seng indexPast performance and simulations are not reliable indicators of future performance. Returns reflect all ongoing charges excluding transaction fees. All investments have inherent risks, and investors may not recover their initial investment. Returns may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations.

The growing demand for solar power is fueling concern about a looming shortage of silver. But how much of this is fact, and how much is speculation? What does the future hold for this essential metal?Join Chris Irwin, Head of FX and Precious Metals Trading Asia and Carsten Menke, Head of Next Generation Research at Julius Baer, as they dive into the data and uncover the realities of silver’s supply, demand, and its role in energy transition.

The Economist magazine ran a story recently, titled “Should investors just give up on stocks outside America?”. It epitomizes the view that many have taken; although the US economy is only 25% of the world economy, its stock market is 75% of world stock market capitalization. Yet the reasons for this are not without merit. Companies would rather list on the US stock market than those of their home countries. Further tax cuts are likely to happen in the US. And its economy has emerged from the pandemic more powerful than any other. As a case in point, a decade ago the GDP per capita of the United States and Canada were almost the same. This year, that of the US is expected to be $86,000, and Canada’s just $54,000. US economy, stock market, tax cuts, December, strategist S&P 500 index forecasts, Canada, Mexico, BRICs, tariffs, sanctions

The Q3 earnings season is out of the way, US elections resulted in a swift and decisive Republican sweep, and the incoming president has nominated a likely equity-friendly nominee for the post of Treasury Secretary. The ducks still seem to be in a row for a year-end rally, but what tweaks have our strategists made to their calls, and where do they think investors should focus their attention as we head into the final stretch of the year?In this episode of the Beyond Markets podcast, Bernadette Anderko, Investment Writer, talks to Mathieu Racheter, Head of Equity Strategy, about how the earnings results compared in Europe and the US, and what the dynamics are going forwards. They delve into which cyclical sectors are preferred and Mathieu also explains why some sectors have now fallen out of favour and why others should now be in focus.00:31 Introduction to topic and speaker01:14 Summary of US Q3 earnings season02:33 Summary of Europe Q3 earnings season03:30 Stock price reactions to earnings04:10 Is it too late to join the equity rally?06:47 Why we overweight Financials and prefer US stocks08:06 The reason Industrials remain overweight09:04 Our preference for mid-caps over small-caps10:22 Healthcare moves to Neutral12:10 Thoughts on tech and the Magnificent 712:29 Latest ratings changes on equity sectors14:28 What to take away from the conversation15:18 Closing commentsWould you like to support this show? Please leave us a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Following the shift in the political landscape, Julius Baer experts expect higher nominal growth driven by both real growth and inflation in the US. Given less room for rate cuts, they anticipate yields to stay higher for longer and Fed funds rate to be above neutral next year. Although it is too early to quantify the consequences of the political shift in terms of trade and fiscal policy, investors now benefit from a better starting point in bond markets.  In this episode of Beyond Markets, Magdalene Teo, Head of Fixed Income Asia at Julius Baer, discusses the near-term outlook and strategy for fixed income going into 2025.

In this episode of Beyond Markets, Carsten Menke and Norbert Rucker, Next Generation Research experts at Julius Baer, discuss the boom in AI and data centres and what this means for energy and the econom