JP Morgan fund increases short positions in equities

The exuberance in the equity markets is a little too much for the managers of JP Morgan’s €6 billion Global Macro Opportunities Fund. “This was the reason for the investors to increase the number of short positions in shares, via options on the S&P 500 and individual short positions in a few individual titles. We’ve reduced the risk”, said Nicola Rawlinson in an interview with Fondsnieuws, Investment Officer Luxembourg’s Dutch sister publication. 

Southeast Asia Covid bargains

Equity markets in most emerging markets are lagging the US and Europe significantly this year. The reason for this is the stricter rules for listed companies in China and the continuing impact of the coronavirus. While the former is an ongoing source of uncertainty for investors, the latter creates buying opportunities, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Inflation no longer driving market corrections

BlackRock calls the new status quo in the global economy ‘New Nominal’. “The ’New Nominal’ is the situation in which higher inflation no longer causes sharply rising interest rates, and dangers for corrections in the stock markets are lower,” said Lukas Daalder, chief investment strategist at BlackRock, in an interview with Investment Officer Luxembourg’s sister publication, Fondsnieuws.nl. The reason is the 2021 Mid-year Outlook that was published last week.