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Results 1,101–1,150
of 1,645 found.
The Tortoise and the ECB
by Harley Bassman of PIMCO,
It is curious that the ECB continues to slumber while the eurozones trading partners move steadily ahead. While not a certainty, it seems highly unlikely that the ECB will indefinitely allow its main trading partners to competitively devalue versus the euro. And since there is no reason to reinvent the wheel, Europes policymakers will likely unveil a familiar-looking and expansive QE policy designed to accelerate asset velocity and, in turn, reflate their equity market.
Time to Look at Long Credit?
by Mohit Mittal of PIMCO,
?Tactical decisions regarding the scaling of an LDI allocation cannot be based solely on Treasury market dynamics. Given recent underperformance of long credit relative to intermediate credit, LDI investors should consider increasing long credit exposure. A structured approach that combines rigorous top-down macroeconomic-analysis to take views on duration and credit sectors with equally thorough bottom-up credit research to identify companies where fundamentals are improving may deliver alpha that can help clients reduce their funding mismatch over time.
Investment Implications for UK DC Schemes in Light of Tax and Regulatory Changes
by William Allport of PIMCO,
With greater flexibility and choices available to DC savers in the latter stages of their career, we believe DC schemes need to reconsider their traditional pre-retirement approach to providing low-risk, income-orientated and pre-retirement investment portfolios. The primary immediate challenge for UK DC schemes is navigating the need for capital stability versus a portfolio that can generate a sustainable income stream for DC savers in retirement.
Hard to Hit Two Targets at Once: The ECB ABS Asset Purchase Programme
by Felix Blomenkamp of PIMCO,
We believe that reviving the asset-backed securities (ABS) market is a better near-term goal, and the primary target of the European Central Banks (ECB) buying programme should be the new issuance market. Sizeable purchases by the ECB in the European ABS market carry the possible risks of crowding out established investors and suppressing interest in this asset class. By not crowding out existing investors while making the asset class more attractive to issuers and investors alike, the ECB has an opportunity to reach its ultimate goal to spur lending.
Got Loans?
?We believe select investors looking to reposition portfolios may benefit from a move to senior secured floating rate loans.
CLOs have been an important source of demand in the market, and even with more strict risk retention rules just announced under Dodd Frank, we think demand will remain strong.
While the Fed has criticized some banks for not following their leveraged lending guidelines, Fed members themselves, in our view, do not appear concerned about loans having a major impact on financial stability.
Opportunities Amid Divergence
by Michael Gomez of PIMCO,
As in developed markets, the trends of increasing growth and policy dispersion will be borne out in emerging markets over the next 12 months. Brazil has some of the highest interest rates in the world, which presents an opportunity for investors, and we expect the next four years will be marked by a better mix of fiscal and monetary policy. Because our outlook for China has moderated somewhat, we are focusing attention on trade and financial linkages and how the ripple effects of a slower China might unfold.
Is the UK Getting Back to Business as Usual??
In light of the generally buoyant economy, we may start to see more normal conditions returning to the UK labour market and, importantly, upward movement in wage growth over the cyclical horizon. In turn, these developments are critical for the conduct and timing of monetary policy and the behaviour of the Bank of England's (BOE) Monetary Policy Committee. We believe investors may want to treat the BOE's interest rate cycle with caution in shorter-maturity bonds, while valuations offer more protection in intermediate bonds given PIMCO's New Neutral thesis of secularly low real interest rates.
Setting Global Standards for Central Clearinghouses
While a possible central counterparty (CCP) failure is a very remote event, there is no one single solution that alone will prevent it. However, PIMCO believes that if several conditions are met, including 1) a CCP is capitalized correctly and sufficiently with its own skin in the game, 2) segregation of client assets are consistent across cleared derivatives, 3) CCPs have a way to access cash easily to manage liquidity and 4) stress tests are consistently performed and reviewed, a CCP will be much more likely to recover than to be forced into a resolution process.
Practical Policy Prescriptions to Help Offset Geopolitical Uncertainties
by Scott Mather, Greg Sharenow of PIMCO,
We believe Europe should relax fiscal budget constraints to allow for fiscal stimulus to offset any economic drag, while maintaining extremely accommodative monetary policy. The U.S. and its relatively newfound energy renaissance can also play an important role in supporting Europe and the global economy by signaling its intention to compete for energy market share.
Can Anything Go Wrong for the Markets???
by Vineer Bhansali of PIMCO,
?Risk management in proper portfolio construction consists of a combination of dynamic risk balancing, diversified beta sources, explicit options-based tail hedging and a minimum amount of liquidity. Faced with a long and expanding list of things that could go wrong, uncertainties about the likelihood of each shock and the lack of dependable precursory indicators, it seems that a structurally sound portfolio construction methodology that uses all these tools is essential.
Our DNA
by Douglas M. Hodge of PIMCO,
Our investment process, which lies at the heart of the value we offer clients, is ingrained it is stamped into our DNA. Our culture of rigorous and open debate will continue to animate quarterly forums of our global investment and executive leadership, as well as the daily meetings of the Investment Committee. We remain a team-oriented organization. Indeed, it could hardly be otherwise in a firm which over many years has grown to nearly 2,500 investment professionals and staff stationed in 13 global offices, with nearly $2 trillion in assets and a full suite of strategies, including co
PIMCO Cyclical Outlook for the Americas: Recovery Remains Intact, Yet Uneven
U.S. growth can potentially exceed expectations over the cyclical horizon, in part bolstered by a healing consumer and a very accommodative Federal Reserve. While real growth in Canada has been modest in recent years, it increased to 3.1% in the second quarter and we expect that positive momentum to continue this year. In Latin America, we expect growth will pick up for the region as a whole with outperformance by smaller economies like Colombia and Panama.
Slower Growth in China and Japan Pressures the Region
Our forecast for the global economy is below consensus mainly because of our views for regions outside of the U.S., including Asia, the emerging markets and Europe, although higher growth in the U.S. should offset some of the slowdown we see coming from China. Japan made a kick start under so-called Abenomics with massive monetary and fiscal reflation policies, but the recent data suggest to us that the effectiveness of those cyclical policies are already challenged by secular and structural headwinds.
Europe’s Commercial Real Estate Deleveraging: ‘Not Too Fast, Not Too Slow’?
by Tareck Safi, Tom Collier of PIMCO,
As European bank deleveraging accelerates, we expect that commercial real estate (CRE) will continue to constitute a significant proportion of bank assets to be sold, albeit with a shifting geographical mix. We believe CRE opportunities remain in the form of single assets and complex structured transactions in particular; but a disciplined approach will be key given competition in specific types of assets and in certain jurisdictions. This will require flexible capital, local investment expertise and hands-on asset management, in addition to strategic sourcing capabilities.
Equities: Finding the Path to Value?
Going forward, earnings growth and stock selection - more than multiple expansion and beta - will likely play a bigger role in driving positive returns. Our research has uncovered numerous examples of stocks trading below our estimate of intrinsic value - notably in Europe and various special situations. Investors with the capacity for deep, fundamental research and a long-term unconstrained equity strategy may be positioned to capitalize on these opportunities.
Emphasize Barriers to Entry?
by Mark Kiesel of PIMCO,
We see many bottom-up investment opportunities in the global credit markets, particularly in industries with high barriers to entry. We view healthcare, lodging, Asian gaming, master limited partnerships/pipelines, energy, wireless telecom, cell towers, cable, satellite, media and U.S. banks as attractive industries. Companies unique patents, licenses, brands, content and intellectual property, among other advantages, can help support investment returns in both bull and bear markets.
Distressed Corporate Credit: A Tale of Two Markets?
by Sai S. Devabhaktuni of PIMCO,
Middle market distressed credit may be an attractive source of higher returns in an overall low yield environment for investors able to access these opportunities. However, the higher return potential comes with greater risks. Imbalances in middle markets are building. ?Investors looking toward distressed credit markets should focus on companies that will likely be able to withstand periods of economic inertia, to undertake careful valuation practices and to strictly adhere to the absolute priority rule (in which senior creditors are paid in full before junior creditors).
Will Russia Derail the Eurozone Recovery?
by Nicola Mai of PIMCO,
Geopolitical tensions from Ukraine and the evolving trade war with Russia are threatening what is already a weak recovery in Europe, and could shave approximately 0.3%0.4% off eurozone growth. Should the situation escalate, we could expect an even greater drag with potential to push the eurozone back into recession. Looking ahead, we see attractive opportunities in peripheral bonds and favour an underweight currency position in the euro.
Congress Will Go Out With a Whimper, But the Next Could Come In With a Roar
by Libby Cantrill of PIMCO,
A government shutdown is highly unlikely this year, and most need-to-pass bills will likely pass either before the election or during the "lame duck" session of Congress. Should Republicans take the Senate, we should expect heightened policy uncertainty around issues such as the debt ceiling increase in 2015.
For Wonks Only???
by William Gross of PIMCO,
A credit-based financial economy (as opposed to pure cash) depends on an ever-expanding outstanding level of credit for its survival. Without additional credit, interest on previously issued liabilities cannot be paid absent the sale of existing assets, which in turn would lead to a vicious cycle of debt deflation, recession and ultimately depression.
Late, Not Lost: The Economic Drag From the Millennial Generation
We believe concerns of a student debt "bubble" and perpetual financial weakness among Millennials are largely overstated. Understanding Millennials' financial trajectory is critical to our secular (3-5 year) outlook for home prices and the broader economy. We expect Millennials' financial position to improve, and pent-up demand could result in longer-term strength in housing and housing-related assets.
Share and Share Alike??
by Richard Clarida of PIMCO,
Labor compensation as a share of national income fell sharply in 20092010 and has remained depressed: The share of national income at the end of 2013 was the smallest slice paid to labor in at least 60 years! During the last three U.S. business cycles, the rise in labors share that commenced during the expansion phase of the business cycle was not accompanied by a material rise in PCE inflation.
Australia’s Terms of Trade: Implications For Credit Investors
by Tracy Chin, Aaditya Thakur of PIMCO,
Australia is contending with a multi-year decline in the terms of trade and a rebalancing toward the non-mining sectors of the economy. For companies, the macroeconomic consequences of a downswing in the terms of trade provide both challenges and benefits. For investors, it is important to find companies that have a clear, demonstrated understanding of the macro environment and can navigate the headwinds through operational efficiencies, cost control, market positioning and balance sheet management.
Principled Populism?
by Paul McCulley of PIMCO,
In the years before retiring from PIMCO in 2010, I often interviewed candidates for professional positions here, usually at the end of the process, after they had been thoroughly vetted through several rounds of interviews. My task was not so much to test candidates qualifications as to take their measure and for them to take mine!
Strengthening the Euros Governance Structure?
by Andrew Bosomworth of PIMCO,
?Todays relative tranquillity in eurozone financial markets owes largely to the ECBs willingness to hold the single currency together. However, history suggests the eurozones citizens ultimately will have to choose between returning to a regime of flexible exchange rates or retaining the single currency and deepening political and fiscal integration.
Money Market Reform: Reflections on This Critical Inflection Point for Cash Liquidity Investing
by Jerome Schneider of PIMCO,
Under the SECs new regulations, institutional prime and institutional municipal money market funds will transition to a floating net asset value. All money market funds (except government-focused funds) are required to impose liquidity fees and may use redemption gates if liquid assets fall below certain levels. Investors, both institutions and individuals, should view this industry inflection point as an opportunity to revisit their approach to cash investing. Actively managed short duration strategies are a compelling solution.
Is Timing Everything? Practical Implementation of Tail Risk Hedging??
Just in time hedging is nearly impossible: By the time an investor decides to hedge, the market may already price in the significant risk of a tail event. Instead, hedges could be included as a permanent part of an asset allocation: what we might call just in case hedging. An optimal strategy may involve averaging into a hedging allocation. In addition, using a broader set of hedge instruments may help lower the costs. We believe that tail risk hedges have a place in any portfolio that has a substantial allocation to risk assets. ?
The New Neutral: Investment Implications for Insurance Companies
by David Braun of PIMCO,
Low rates are unhelpful to an industry with legacy long-term liabilities containing rigid embedded credited rates; they exacerbate asset-liability mismatches and pressure earnings margins. Insurers may want to recalibrate their expectations of future interest rates, as well as broad bond and equity market returns. In The New Neutral, with beta from stocks and bonds likely to be relatively low, insurers should look to enhance buy-and-hold return potential via active management.
Are Prices Too High in U.S. Commercial Real Estate??
by John Murray of PIMCO,
The recovery in commercial real estate (CRE) has been driven more by low rates than improvements in fundamentals. However, fundamentals are improving and capitalization rates should remain low amid low New Neutral policy rates. We expect capital flows in both debt and equity to CRE to continue to increase, and we see opportunities for investors resulting from capital flows, demographics, loan maturities and regulatory reforms. ?
Choosing Winners in Asian Credit: Key Trends and Themes
Key trends include Asian credit supply, which is on track for another record year in 2014, and China's priority to promote cleaner and more efficient energy. Our bottom-up research and careful risk assessments informed by macroeconomic perspectives have us favoring select investments in several sectors of Asian credit markets, including state-owned enterprises in China and Korea, investment grade new issues and Basel III Tier 2 bank capital bonds. ?
One Big Idea??
by William Gross of PIMCO,
?Investing and business success can often depend on one BIG idea and its timing. The peaking of short-term interest rates at 20% in the early 1980s and the bursting of the DotCom and NASDAQ bubble 20 years later were excellent examples of big ideas that made or broke investment portfolios.
Could Events in Iraq Shock Your Portfolio?
by Greg Sharenow of PIMCO,
We expect a relatively small impact on oil prices for the rest of the year once the dust settles and sectarian lines are drawn. These events call into question Iraqs ability to keep increasing oil production, which will likely support elevated prices in the years to come. We believe owning oil as a portfolio defense presents an interesting opportunity. ?
Designing Balanced DC Menus: Considering Inflation-Hedging Strategies????
by Stacy Schaus, Ying Gao of PIMCO,
Inflation-hedging strategies are fundamental to DC investment lineups and participants? need to build and preserve purchasing power in retirement. Plan sponsors should evaluate these assets separately and in combination before adding them to core lineups and target-date strategies. Selected assets or blends should be designed to deliver the primary benefits of inflation responsiveness, diversification relative to stocks, volatility reduction and downside risk mitigation.
Getting in Gear for The New Neutral – What Does It Mean for Investors?
by William Benz of PIMCO,
Smart beta is increasingly important when returns are likely to fall short of what most investors need and expect. Active managers can use multiple tools to help generate higher returns. With outcome-oriented strategies, investors can align their portfolios toward meeting specific risk and return objectives. Investors with more aggressive income or return needs may benefit from bespoke, multi-asset solutions. ?
Euro-Sterling Credit: Yield and Spread Still Appeal
by Ketish Pothalingam of PIMCO,
Framed by ongoing renormalisation in Europe and stronger UK growth, euro-sterling investment grade credit markets are in a favourable part of their respective cycles as corporates continue to deleverage, default rates are expected to remain low ahead and market liquidity has improved across Europe. We believe the sterling credit market provides a more balanced credit market and offers investors the opportunity for better total carry versus euro and global investment grade credit markets.
Unconstrained Bond Investing in The New Neutral
by Mohit Mittal, Saumil Parikh of PIMCO,
At our recently concluded Secular Forum, PIMCO investment professionals from around the globe gathered in Newport Beach to discuss and debate the secular outlook for major world economies. With insight from guest speakers and new MBA/PhD hires, PIMCO coined the phrase The New Neutral to define its secular three- to five-year outlook for the world economies. In his most recent Investment Outlook, Bill Gross further elaborated on The New Neutral.
Time (and Money) in a Cellphone
by Bill Gross of PIMCO,
Our modern age is becoming more virtual than physical, which I find increasingly depressing if only because Ive failed to keep pace. I dont even own a cellphone. Still, it doesnt take a Boomer to observe that the reality outside as opposed to inside a computer or a cellphone should be the preferred experience. Scientists claim we are all just bits of information with billions of 1s and 0s, glued together to form a beating heart. Even so, Im sticking with live chirping as opposed to Angry Birds for now. Virtual reality seems just a tad UNreal to me.
Multi-Asset Investing: Is Now the Time for Emerging Market Equities?
by Mihir Worah of PIMCO,
Although emerging markets (EM) will continue to grow faster than developed markets (DM), we believe the difference may be lower than what has been seen over the last five years. Higher earnings yields in EM equities offer partial compensation for risks, but careful analysis is warranted to assess the true valuation differential. A modest allocation to EM equities may be warranted based on relative price-to-earnings multiples and our expectation that policy rates will stay lower for longer than markets expect, which makes higher-yielding EM assets more attractive.
Is There a UK Housing Bubble????
We see the UK experiencing a very traditional monetary cycle involving lower mortgage rates, higher house prices and then hopefully higher transactions. The Bank of England can address rising house prices either by raising financing costs via the banking system or by raising interest rates. Markets will watch BoE activity closely. Our expectation is for a gradual and modest interest rate cycle, with low rates in the UK economy for years to come. Housing may be an overvalued asset, but one that is secularly supported by low rates.
The Crimean Conflict Has Affected Commodities Markets, Just Not Where You’d Expect
Since the end of February, when the Crimean crisis started to escalate, grain prices have responded to nearly every up and down of the crisis. Wheat is up 21%, and corn is up 10%. We believe investors looking to take a view on the future price of wheat or corn should do so through the options market. In this case, we think being long puts on wheat is an attractive way to implement our short wheat view.
Five Things Your Credit Manager Shouldnt Be Doing (But Probably Is)
by Christian Stracke of PIMCO,
Questionable behavior among credit managers is back, but the good news is that we believe the credit markets still offer plenty of opportunities to potentially generate attractive returns. Smart, rational credit investing that avoids some managers nave reach for yield, and sticks instead to a deep focus on the long-term sustainability of companies balance sheets, may still reap rewards.
What's the Game Changer for Gold?
by Douglas M. Hodge of PIMCO,
In the coming days, PIMCO will publish its annual Secular Outlook. A cornerstone of our investment process, it sets the direction for how we will invest our clients assets over the coming three to five years. Of course, we revisit our outlook and investment conclusions each year to ensure their continued resonance and efficacy. Similarly, we have a regular strategic business planning process and conduct intermittent reviews. And, like our secular process, we often invite an outside expert or two to spark our thinking and challenge our priors.
Europe, Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold Sweet Spot for Credit Investors
by Eve Tournier of PIMCO,
European economies are improving, yet the regions low growth and low inflation will keep the central bank engaged. As such, European duration should be safer versus other major developed economies. Given recent European Central Bank comments pointing to a further easing bias, we believe it makes European assets relatively attractive, especially in sectors with deleveraging fundamentals, positive technicals and attractive valuations.
Managed Futures: Positive Trends Ahead??
Trend-following, the primary approach used in managed futures strategies, seeks positive returns by capturing momentum across major asset classes. Despite exceptional performance in the 2008 financial crisis, trend-following strategies were less successful in subsequent years, in part because massive central bank interventions increased market correlations, suppressed volatility and curtailed left-tail events.
The ?Whites of Their Eyes?: The Fed?s Changing Reaction Function
by Scott Mather, David Fisher of PIMCO,
While the unemployment rate has historically been one of the Federal Reserve?s key measures of spare capacity, and thus inflation risk, those eagerly awaiting each month?s employment report for signals on the Fed?s likely response may be barking up the wrong tree. The central bank still attempts to estimate the natural rate of unemployment, but conflicting signals from the labor market have clearly made the Fed less willing to trust its models. The result: Inflation will be more important than employment in the Fed?s decision-making process.
Achoo!
by William Gross of PIMCO,
There?s nothing like a good sneeze; maybe a hot shower or an ice cream sandwich, but no ? nothing else even comes close. A sneeze is, to be candid, sort of half erotic, a release of pressure that feels oh so good either before or just after the Achoo! The air, along with 100,000 germs, comes shooting out of your nose faster than a race car at the Indy 500.
Results 1,101–1,150
of 1,645 found.
