Category: Quarterly Letter

The Calm Before the Storm?

I spent the past weekend at my alma mater to watch them play their biggest rival. Football weekends there are filled with celebrations, traditions, and of course, tailgating. Saturday was a quintessential Midwestern day to be outside: sunny, low 70s, light breeze — no better conditions for food and drinks in the parking lot. About three hours before kickoff, however, massive thunderstorms rolled in which sent fans scurrying for cover and threatened to delay the game. For fans who hadn’t checked the forecast, they were ill-prepared to stay dry and enjoy the game as it rained for the duration of the match. Nonetheless, the stadium stayed full for the entire game, a testament to the home team’s performance as well as fan loyalty. That said, I saw plenty of cold and wet attendees in the concourse after the game — those who weren’t equipped for the conditions undoubtedly wished they had been better prepared for what the environment brought Saturday.

On my drive home Sunday, I couldn’t help but worry if as investors we find ourselves right where I was Saturday afternoon, wondering if the conditions were too good to be true for a mid-October day in the Midwest.

Policy Uncertainty Blurs the Outlook

As we enter the second half of the year, Liberation Day-induced market volatility seems like a distant memory with the S&P hitting another all-time high on July 10th and non-U.S. stocks significantly outpacing their U.S. counterparts through June 30th. Meanwhile, the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law by President Trump on July 4th with varying expectations on its impact to growth but a consensus view that it will push the deficit higher.

In this edition:

  • Tariff and policy uncertainty
  • Risk factors and market indicators
  • Equity market drivers
  • Currency and regional trends
  • What to watch in the second half

Bracing for Stagflation

As markets swirl and stagflation fears mount, what should investors do?
Our newsletter last week outlined the broad context of President Trump’s new tariff policy as well as the most notable market impacts. Granted, the news seems to change daily, as does the market’s reaction; trying to pen a targeted newsletter is an almost worthless endeavor because by the time the ink has dried, markets have shifted due to another policy pivot. In the short term, the omnipresent cloud of uncertainty will continue to drive market volatility and investor sentiment. The best recipe for investors to weather this storm is patience and discipline, both of which can be difficult to come by in the current environment.

As we step back and take a longer-term view of the future, however, the threat of stagflation is becoming more realistic. Coined as a combination of the words “stagnation” and “inflation,” it is an economic backdrop characterized by high inflation, slow economic growth, and in some cases, high unemployment.

In this edition, we examine which asset classes are most exposed to stagflation and which can offer shelter.

New Year, New President…Same Outlook?

From an investor’s perspective, the current environment feels lot like it did twelve months ago: U.S. equity markets returned over 20% the prior year, fixed income is (still) offering attractive yields, and overall portfolio performance was positive for most programs. Nevertheless, nothing lasts forever and sentiment can shift on a dime. It is also likely that some of President Trump’s policies will have an impact on markets, with the specific impact varying by the policy and asset class.

In this edition:

  • U.S. Economy and Policy Expectations
  • Fixed Income: “If you liked it last year, you’ll like it this year”
  • U.S. Equity: Concentration risk still looms
  • Non-U.S. Equities: Positive earnings outlook, policy uncertainty
  • Real Assets: Real estate bottoms, infrastructure demand robust
  • Private Markets: Private equity on the rebound, private credit still compelling

The Market Doesn’t Care

With the election less than two weeks away, polls indicate a very tight race not only for president but for control of the House and Senate as well. Given that margins in some of the swing states are likely to be razor thin, final election results will not be determined until several days after November 5th. There is no debate that the candidates and their expected policies are vastly different, but as investors, should we care who wins? Does the market care?

In this edition, we examine a variety of historical data cuts to determine what market impacts might be expected based on the outcomes of this year’s elections.

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

When it comes to baseball, successful hitters have little trouble hitting the ball when they know what pitch is coming. But when pitchers can vary the speed as well as the spin and curve of the ball, hitting becomes exponentially more difficult. An effective curveball can make even the most accomplished hitter look feeble.

As we look at the second half of 2024, we are reminding our clients to “keep their eye on the ball.” Indeed, the first half of the year has been pretty “hittable” as far as returns are concerned, with the majority of asset classes positive through June 30. However, curveballs such as Fed policy, equity index concentration, exchange rates, and a capricious election could quickly flip the script and send investors back to the dugout shaking their heads.

With that said, here is our scouting report for the second half of the year, organized by asset class. We share not only “down the middle” themes but also the curveballs that could flummox performance. A well-prepared investor is no different than a well-prepared baseball player: Insight and realistic expectations provide the foundation for a successful season!

Mind the Gap

Any ride on the London Tube reminds riders to mind the gap: Beware the space between train car and platform as you board and depart the train. A recent trip to London brought this phrase back to me and it seemed like a perfect description of how to look at financial markets this year, with the “gap” serving as the difference between expectations and reality, most particularly in terms of interest rate cuts.

In our market preview, we identified the Fed pivot as a primary driver of financial markets this year, most especially how expectations of cuts would line up with actual Fed policy. Going into the year, the market had priced in at least five cuts, which helped fuel a furious fourth quarter rally and investor optimism for 2024. One quarter in, however, those expectations have been turned on their head. Hotter than expected inflation and jobs reports in March have created a “higher for longer” narrative with the market expecting no more than two cuts during the second half of the year. Some economists have taken an even more bearish stance, suggesting there will not be any cuts. Overall, rates rose across the curve during the quarter as current U.S. debt levels sustained the long end of the curve while the short end was relatively unmoved.

Intuitively, many investors would expect such a big change in rate expectations to weigh heavily on markets, both equities and bonds. In that sense, equity performance was surprising during the first quarter, as the upward trend from 2023 continued. Predictably, bonds suffered as rates rose, but below investment grade sectors were profitable. To be fair, though, it should be noted that equities have endured a difficult start to this month, down 4.6% through April 22 as the higher for longer narrative has gained momentum.¹

Going forward, what should we watch for from asset classes as we venture into a market environment that looks much different than what we were expecting only three months ago?

2024 Market Preview: A 40 Degree Day

A former colleague once described his brother-in-law to me as a “40 degree day.” The puzzled look on my face revealed my unfamiliarity with the term, so he went on to ask me: “When does anyone get upset about a 40 degree day?” I laughed and shook my head — it was genius, the perfect way to describe something more forgettable than memorable…not especially good or bad, just average.

Given what markets have been through over the last four years — COVID, outsized returns both good and bad, record inflation, sky-rocketing interest rates, geopolitical conflict, and elevated volatility — I know I’m not alone in hoping that 2024 market returns will resemble a 40 degree day. Indeed, an “average” year of returns across markets will equate to positive portfolio performance for most asset allocations and allow investors to satisfy their risk and return goals.

Of course, there are potential stumbling blocks to a “normal” year. In particular, we will closely watch the Fed pivot and the disparity between expected and actual rate cuts, geopolitical conflicts, and the U.S. presidential election.

With that as background, we offer our annual outlook across asset classes, highlighting trends and themes for the year ahead. Happy reading and here’s to a year of normalcy!

Portfolio Trick or Treat

Coming into 2023, investors were cautiously optimistic about 2023 market returns; cautious considering the broad losses across asset classes during 2022 but optimistic about more attractive valuations and the inherent upside potential stemming from these price points. Nine months into the year, which of these opportunities have been “treats” for investors, and which have been “tricks”?

In this edition:

  • The biggest trick of them all: Investment grade fixed income
  • But not all of fixed income has been a trick…
  • Tricks come in all sizes: U.S. small-cap equities
  • Trick, treat, or both? U.S. growth stocks
  • Currency movements still tricky
  • More treat than trick: Emerging markets
  • If you’re not surprised, it’s not a trick: Commercial real estate

Halftime Adjustments

For anyone who regularly reads these letters, recall the market preview edition opined on the outlook for asset classes in 2023, particularly the likelihood of each delivering positive returns for the upcoming year. Given that we are halfway through the year, we would like to use this letter to make “halftime adjustments” to our outlook; with NFL training camps set to open later this month, we couldn’t resist the urge to borrow a football term. We hope this is a quick beach read as you enjoy your summer vacations and prepare for the second half of the year.

This edition re-assesses the outlook for fixed income, equities, and real estate for the second half of 2023.

Read > Halftime Adjustments

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.