Emerging markets (EMs) are a big, heterogeneous universe of economies and markets that can be subject to big volatility. They also are a large and fertile hunting ground for investment opportunities. Stock picker Emily Fletcher offers a grand tour of the “wild” EM equity landscape.

In a difficult year such as 2023, rebalancing between asset classes that are declining may seem a futile exercise. But rebalancing, even in down markets, remains vital to keeping a portfolio within the right risk/reward ratio and is a key element of the value that an advisor can provide to their clients.

While the Fed wants to retain optionality on further hikes and affirm rate cuts are not on the horizon for this year, we anticipate that slowing economic momentum and easing inflation pressures will lead to the beginning of an easing cycle in 2024.

When it comes to their equity portfolios, US investors have historically exhibited a high degree of home-country bias. But in today’s fast-changing global market landscape, they may find that there are good reasons to rethink regional allocations to stocks.

Anne Walsh, Chief Investment Officer for Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, joins Bloomberg TV to discuss fixed-income market opportunities, managing climate change risk, and the Fed’s path forward.

As markets continue to respond to an uncertain macroeconomic environment, the current fundamentals in the municipal bond market are creating an investment opportunity to capture strong after-tax total returns according to Stephen Dover, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute.

The Fed’s refusal to pause rates through the first five months of 2023 raises the odds of a hard landing. The magnitude of the yield-curve inversion has increased the risk inherent in the US banking and financial systems. The impending recession is unnecessary and self-inflicted.

This article will examine four real estate ETFs that investors and advisors can consider for their portfolios in 2023. Whether investors are seeking exposure to a specific sector or a diversified portfolio, there is a real estate ETF available to meet their needs.

If price stability is the legal mandate of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), and the central bank’s official target for price stability is 2%, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI),* then why are fluctuations in prices the norm for Japan?

The debt ceiling crisis has been averted—but this short-term relief might come at the cost of greater future peril. Franklin Templeton Fixed Income CIO Sonal Desai analyzes the debt-ceiling resolution and delves into the potential longer-term risks that rising public debt poses to financial markets.

Value equities have faced years of tough sledding, outside a run of outperformance following “vaccine day” and the lift-off from zero rates. Broadly, this has left value stocks extraordinarily cheap relative to growth. However, looking closer, the cheapest 20% of stocks – what we call “deep value” – trades unusually cheap today despite offering surprisingly attractive fundamentals.

With stocks struggling to break out of their range, rates climbing, and valuations stretched investors are rightly asking whether it’s time to sell.

Andy Rothman provides a first-hand perspective from his first trip to Shanghai and Beijing since the start of COVID in 2019.

Transitioning into the post-COVID investment environment shifts the foundations of portfolio construction that investors relied on in recent decades. On full display in 2022, inflation and recession risk punished both bonds and stocks together to historic declines.

For this edition of Bull vs. Bear, Nick Peters-Golden and Karrie Gordon discussed the fundamentals for and against investing in Japan ETFs.

Of course, over 300,000 people getting new jobs is good in itself, particularly for those with newfound opportunities. But, for the last several years, as the “great resignation” took hold, there were not many new workers coming into the workforce, leading to falling unemployment.

The first few years of the 2020s have seen a number of acute economic, financial, and geopolitical disruptions on a worldwide scale, and it will take time for the ultimate consequences of these shocks to be fully felt.

Despite market headwinds, investors remain bullish on real estate. As traditional sectors, like office and retail, continue to underperform, farmland presents an opportunity for investors seeking capital preservation and downside protection.

ChatGPT and AI seem to be everywhere these days, but what do they really mean for asset management and financial advisors? Does AI arrive as just a theme, or can it really have an immediate impact on financial advisors’ work?

We have used the word “unprecedented” to talk about the economy during and after COVID. We have never before locked down economic activity, while printing trillions of new dollars to help finance trillions of extra government borrowing to pay people not to work.

Anne Walsh, CIO for Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, discusses drivers of returns going forward. She also offers advice to young women looking to make a career in asset management.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank will likely lead to tighter credit conditions as banks pull back from lending. Private credit managers are poised to fill the void that banks have left and can negotiate favorable terms, according to Franklin Templeton Institute’s Tony Davidow.

Several key economic indicators are released every week to help provide insight into the overall health of the U.S. economy.

Real estate ETFs have become a popular investment option for investors who want to gain exposure to the real estate market without owning physical properties. However, with some experts predicting a real estate recession, advisors may be wondering if such funds remain a good option.

Two weeks ago, we noted that Congress would soon raise the debt ceiling, but that this could set up unexpected consequences for investors. Now that the debt ceiling is raised until 2025, the US Treasury is free to fund the government’s liabilities since January.

Zehrid Osmani, Head of Global Long-Term Unconstrained at Martin Currie, discusses the recent positive earnings reports from large U.S. banks and explains why their firm has no plans to invest in the banking sector.

Investors have had a lot to contend with thus far in 2023. Moderating economic growth, persistent inflation, volatile interest rates, falling profits, stress in the banking sector, war in Ukraine, and the debt ceiling debate all combined to weigh on sentiment.

Earlier this month, WealthManagement.com announced the finalists for its 2023 Industry Awards (the “Wealthies”). VettaFi is one of two firms to be recognized for outstanding achievement in research innovation. The Wealthies was the first award program of its kind to honor companies, organizations, and individuals supporting financial advisor success.

Chief Economist Eugenio J. Alemán discusses current economic conditions.

Top Silver Mining CEO: "On the demand side, it’s pretty phenomenal…"

We see the market’s focus returning to higher-for-longer rates and sticky inflation after a U.S. debt ceiling deal. We prefer an up-in-quality portfolio.

As Pride month begins, financial advisors have an opportunity to reflect on how trans-friendly their practices are and take steps to make them warmer, more inclusive, and more appealing to transgender clients.

The drama characterizing the first half of 2023 may abate, with potentially milder returns for investors due to the effects of the Cardboard Box Recession.

Some investors may not want to go all-in on AI, preferring a more diversified approach to their investments. For those investors, there are stock picker ETFs that have holdings in AI-focused companies but won’t bet the house on AI.

Lately, we discussed macro-related market issues such as the” A.I., chase,” but a technical review can help manage shorter-term risks. Currently, the debate is about the market rally from the October lows. Is it a resumption of the 2009 bull market trend or an extended bear market rally?

It has been over seven months since the October lows, and during this time, the S&P 500® has rallied over 19%. Naturally, investors are pondering whether this marks the beginning of a new bull market.

Nvidia’s (NVDA) management team is sending a signal to the market.

In the United States, Core PCE Inflation is still 5.0% after a recent reversal in disinflation. This measure is followed by the Fed and excludes volatile food and energy inflation.

The measure ends weeks of negotiation and unease about a potentially catastrophic government default.

Doug Drabik discusses fixed-income market conditions and offers insight for bond investors.

Portfolio Manager Alex Zarechnak identifies six key themes from the COVID years—some new, some familiar—to help anchor investors in today’s emerging markets.

The passage of the debt-ceiling deal removes a significant threat to the economy and markets. The focus now shifts back to where it’s been for the past 18 months: inflation, the Fed, and recession risks.

Tony Davidow, Senior Alternative Investment Strategist with Franklin Templeton Institute, illustrates the potential impact of adding alternative investments to pursue growth and income—as well as seek to dampen volatility—during the accumulation and distribution phases of retirement.

The US debt ceiling negotiations brought considerable volatility to market prices.

Tired of the AI hype yet? It’s OK, I understand. I’m tired of it too. The pace of human progress — and our insatiable need to be entertained by the shock of the new — seems to be forevermore in the “hockey stick” part of the growth curve.

Improved value proposition in credit.

Could monetary conditions be supportive of the “soft landing” scenario? While the “recession” versus “no recession” debate rages, there is a precedent for a “soft landing” scenario. Such is where the economy slows substantially but avoids a deeper contraction.

A robust implementation strategy and real-world implementation capabilities are both necessary in order to achieve your portfolio’s preferred position.

The industry group Airlines for America predicts that approximately 257 million people will travel on U.S. commercial airlines this summer, representing a 9.5% increase from last year. That would also set a new record, as volumes are projected to surpass the summer 2019 levels by around 2 million passengers.

“Crisis” is an overused word. Actual crises are those rare times when we are on the knife edge of disaster. It’s not a crisis when a bank fails, or Congress can’t agree on a budget. Those are annoyances (unless it's your bank). While not good, they don’t spell immediate catastrophe.