New mobility technologies are reshaping how cars are powered, driven and used for years to come.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics have never been more prominent in investors’ minds than they are today. But there’s considerable variation among investment managers about how ESG is considered or integrated.

As investors continue to grapple with market jitters brought on by months of US-China trade tensions and other market uncertainties, Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets Equity’s Chetan Sehgal explains why the recent volatility could present opportunities in the medium to long term.

The longest-ever US government shutdown has finally ended—at least temporarily—while negotiations continue over funding of a US-Mexico border wall. While the government will be reopened at least until February 15, the economic implications of the shutdown and the potential for more disruption ahead has become a source of concern to many global investors.

The longest-ever US government shutdown has finally ended, at least temporarily, while negotiations continue over funding of a US-Mexico border wall. While the government will be reopened at least until February 15, the economic implications of the shutdown and the potential for more disruption ahead has become a source of concern to many global investors.

When we attend the US Consumer Electronics Show (CES) each year in Las Vegas, our goal is to avoid the marketing hype surrounding certain products. Instead, we look for the latest technologies we think are really going to make a difference, some of which may not generate media buzz.

Many equity investors were no doubt happy to put 2018 in the rear-view mirror. The heightened volatility in the fourth quarter of the year in particular took many investors by surprise—but what is often missing in the discussions about the volatility is that it didn’t stem from a broad deterioration in economic fundamentals.

As expected, Theresa May and her government survived the no-confidence vote called by the opposition Labour Party after the UK Parliament overwhelmingly rejected her withdrawal deal. Now UK political attention must turn back to the real job at hand—navigating the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.

Numerous uncertainties weighed on investor sentiment in 2018 and led to a down year for emerging markets overall, although the fourth quarter saw some outperformance versus developed markets.

The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has rarely been far from the headlines in recent years. Its influence now reaches into nearly every sector and geography and holds economic and political ramifications that many experts say are on par with the start of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th Century.

Emerging-market equity investors are likely happy to bid goodbye to 2018—a year filled with challenges and uncertainties.

As global markets increasingly ponder how long US economic growth can continue, Franklin Equity Group’s Ed Lugo says he’s looking for potential investment opportunities outside the United States. He explains why he sees opportunities in Europe and Asia, despite concerns about Brexit negotiations and a slowing Chinese economy.

US members of Congress are finding themselves at a stand-off over the creation of a border wall between the United States and Mexico. President Trump’s threats to shut down the government if the bill is not passed raise questions and uncertainty that will contribute to increased political risks for investors to consider. Stephen Dover, Head of Equities for Franklin Templeton Investments, shares his perspective about the potential impacts.

Continued US dollar strength has focused attention on weaker commodity prices and dented investor enthusiasm for emerging markets in recent months—stoking fears that the current climate could lead to a repeat of the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis.

While big market swings can be unsettling to many investors, there are a number of alternative investment strategies that aim to turn volatility into opportunity, according to K2 Advisors’ Brooks Ritchey and Robert Christian.

Political infighting abounds in the United Kingdom as the clock ticks relentlessly towards the March 29 Brexit date. Amid entrenched positions on all sides, Sandy Nairn, Chairman of Templeton Global Equity Group and CEO of Edinburgh Partners, argues that only a fresh referendum or a general election can break the Brexit deadlock and examines some of the implications for investors.

Our senior investment leaders see plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the year ahead, but recognize investment opportunities may be more divergent.

Collective Investment Trusts (CITs) have been gaining momentum in the retirement space, and for good reason. Jason Colarossi, vice president, national retirement strategist, of Franklin Templeton’s Defined Contribution Division, outlines what CITs are and how they have evolved.

Municipal bond yields moved higher in 2018 and seem likely to continue moving up in 2019 if market expectations for further interest-rate increases play out.

Information, data and research are the fuel for investment decisions. Over the years, as new information has emerged and evolved, investors have found innovative means to harness new insights to help inform their decisions.

In the summer, Sandy Nairn, Chairman of Templeton Global Equity Group and CEO of Edinburgh Partners, authored a paper entitled The Politics and Processes of Brexit.

For some investors, increasing exposure to gold has been a knee-jerk reaction to bouts of heightened financial market volatility. Franklin Equity Group's Steve Land says there's more to gold than that. And he explains why he's positive about both the prospects for gold and for gold equities.

For some investors, increasing exposure to gold has been a knee-jerk reaction to bouts of heightened financial market volatility. Franklin Equity Group’s Steve Land says there’s more to gold than that. And he explains why he’s positive about both the prospects for gold and for gold equities.

The holiday season is approaching, and with it, the busiest time of the year for shoppers as they search for the perfect gifts for their loved ones. But instead of purchasing the latest toy or electronic gadget for your children or grandchildren, what about giving them the gift of a more secure future?

Emerging markets continued to struggle in October amid an environment of heightened equity-market volatility globally. Manraj Sekhon, CIO of Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets Equity, and Chetan Sehgal, senior managing director and director of portfolio management, believe the pullback presents long-term investors with opportunities amid what they dub an overreaction. They present the team’s overview of the emerging-markets universe in October.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has cleared the first hurdle in her bid to secure a soft Brexit. Her Cabinet has backed the withdrawal deal UK and European Union negotiators have agreed to. But David Zahn, Franklin Templeton’s head of European Fixed Income, warns her most difficult challenge lies ahead.

In recent years, US market strength has lifted markets globally, despite recent bouts of market volatility. According to Templeton Global Equity Group, that US market strength has led to a widening valuation gap between US and global equities.

Tuesday’s US midterm elections shifted US Congress to split control. Yet, Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Solutions CIO Ed Perks says this expected alteration in the balance of power is unlikely to change his US economic outlook or lead to major changes in US policy. He also explains why he looks at multiple fundamental factors when assessing markets, rather than political outcomes alone.

The US equity market’s ascent paused in October as investors digested rising rates, slowing global growth and the persistent question: “Are things as good as they’ll get?”

In recent months, there has been heightened activity in Washington DC in the area of retirement policy, with plans and proposals that could meaningfully alter the landscape. Drew Carrington, head of Institutional Defined Contribution at Franklin Templeton Investments, and Michael Doshier, vice president, Retirement Marketing, discuss the latest legislative developments and ideas.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation present enormous investment opportunities, some in ways we don’t even know yet. As the world adapts to technological advances, Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets Equity’s Sukumar Rajah and Eric Mok think some promising developments in Asia could dictate the pace of change in the burgeoning AI market.

Renewable energy has been gaining steam for many reasons, as have the investment opportunities in the space. Ketul Sakhpara, portfolio manager and research analyst, Franklin Real Asset Advisors, outlines the three main drivers of interest, and where his team sees potential.

In their fourth-quarter (Q4) 2018 outlook, K2 Advisors’ Research and Portfolio Construction teams take a deeper look at alpha, and why they feel it’s misunderstood. They believe offering these insights will help investors better understand the rationale for owning retail mutual funds that invest in hedge strategies.

October has lived up to its reputation as a volatile month as concerns about rising US interest rates, slowing growth in China and upcoming US midterm elections have spooked many investors. Franklin Equity Group offers a few words on the recent turmoil, why volatility can unlock compelling opportunities and why the investment team still sees a compelling case for technology companies.

Templeton Global Macro Chief Investment Officer Dr. Michael Hasenstab and Vice President and Deputy Director of Research, Dr. Calvin Ho, discuss emerging-market turbulence, the persistent concerns around trade policy and divergent growth trends in the developed world.

There has been a lot of talk this year about the flattening of the US yield curve—which is a graphical representation of the spread between short- and long-term interest-rate instruments.

Retirees got some good news from the US Social Security Administration, as it recently announced a 2.8% bump in benefits in 2019, the largest increase in seven years. Unfortunately, the good news also came with some bad news—higher Medicare premiums that could offset those gains.

The current widespread optimism about the US economy is largely justified, in our view, by its strong fundamentals, particularly the positive backdrop for consumers. Despite the economy’s robust growth, we do not view the recent rise in US Treasury yields as heralding the start of a major selloff across bond markets.

Templeton Global Macro CIO Michael Hasenstab shares his thoughts on why he thinks US Treasury yields have moved higher. He also gives his take on recent weakness in emerging markets.

After more than a year of tense talks, Canada, Mexico and the United States have replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Some of the market’s most innovative companies now call a new sector home, as part of a revamp of the Global Industry Classification Standard used by index providers to classify stocks. 

In the 16 years since the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) were first unveiled there’s been a sea change in awareness and concern for the environment among the general public. But that hasn’t necessarily been reflected in the asset management world.

The US Federal Reserve (Fed) raised its benchmark short-term interest rate for the third time this year, which was no surprise to most market participants. Chris Molumphy, chief investment officer, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Group, offers his take on the Fed’s “normalization” path in light of what he sees as an overall positive US economic backdrop.

Some investment-grade bonds are riskier than their ratings imply, while high-yield bonds have seen some positive tailwinds. Meanwhile, a large number of bank loan agreements now favor borrowers over lenders. Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Group's Glenn Voyles, Marc Kremer, Matt Fey, Brian French and Reema Agarwal take a look at these areas of credit landscape today. They explain how credit research and long-term orientation helps them discern cash-flow durability in the companies they analyze and outline how they negotiate for better terms in credit agreements

A number of market headwinds—including trade tensions, rising interest rates and a general fear the long-running US economic expansion may be facing fatigue—have cast a shadow over the markets in the first half of the year.

A little over 10 years ago, few people had heard of mortgage-backed securities (MBS). Yet that changed when MBS brought the global financial system to its knees. Today, they’re still a pivotal part of the system, with the US Federal Reserve (Fed) the largest holder.

In light of the Turkish lira and Argentine peso currency drops, fears of emerging-market (EM) contagion appear to be on the rise, and various EM currencies have been under pressure. Here, Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets Equity provides perspective on some of the impacted countries in the headlines recently: Argentina, Turkey, South Africa and Indonesia.

The United States is rapidly expanding its ability to export liquefied natural gas (LNG), as more countries look to embrace cleaner energy. Franklin Equity Group’s Matt Adams gives his outlook for US LNG and the possible investment implications.

The months of July and August are traditionally a little quieter for markets in Europe as participants take a summer break. But things don't stop completely. As the wheels get back up to speed, David Zahn, Franklin Templeton's Head of European Fixed Income, considers a few developments in Europe over the summer months that might have slipped under the radar.

Now that the US equity bull market has officially hit the history books as the longest on record, some observers are concerned it could soon stumble. Grant Bowers, vice president and portfolio manager, Franklin Equity Group, outlines why he thinks it could keep running into 2019.