The era of low growth and inflation ("Great Moderation") is ending.
Supply-side factors (geopolitical fragmentation, deglobalization, climate change, etc.) and demand-side pressures (high debt, increased spending on defense, climate, pandemics, etc.) are contributing to stagflation.
These factors are reducing growth and increasing inflation, making traditional portfolio balancing strategies less effective.
Increased spending combined with limited revenue-raising capacity will lead to larger structural budget deficits.
Investors need new diversification strategies to navigate this changing economic landscape.
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Transcript
Episode notes
For years, investors have relied on the classic 60/40 portfolio of stocks and bonds. The idea behind this was simple: bonds tend to go up when stocks go down, so the two things should act as a natural hedge. But when inflation spiked in 2022 and 2023, the 60/40 portfolio performed terribly and bonds failed to act as a safety cushion. In this episode, we speak with Nouriel Roubini, chief economist and portfolio manager of the new Atlas America Fund, an ETF that is trying to create a new type of safe asset that can withstand big risks, including stagflation, deficits, and de-dollarization. We also talk about the outlook for the US economy in 2025, and the big risks that the chief economist and portfolio manager of the Atlas America Fund sees on the horizon.