Investing

Despite its recent slide, the US dollar is still overvalued. In time, the greenback could go much lower. This has positive implications for European, Japanese and EM equities, but is a bad prospect for Wall Street, according to Michael Devereux, multi-asset fund manager at Schroders.

In the aftermath of the surprise Democrat win in the Georgia Senate run-offs earlier this month, 10-year Treasury yield surged above the 1%-mark. It seemed investors were anticipating a large fiscal stimulus by the incoming Biden administration. But Nick Maroutsos, head of global bonds at Janus Henderson Investors, does not believe rates will go up much further from here.

Thematic ETFs saw record inflows of €9.5 billion last year, as totale assets in the category almost tripled to €22.7 billion, according to Morningstar’s European Thematic Roundup 2020.

The low-yield environment in the developed world has also lowered Western investors’ return expectations from emerging market debt. As a consequence, projects requiring joint financing by the government and private investors now meet the latter’s return requirements, says Invesco’s Wim Vandenhoeck.

As a very challenging 2020 has drawn to a close, everyone is looking to the future: when can I get the vaccine? When will life return to normal? When will I be able to go to the pub with my friends again?

But for investors, it’s of course important to not only look to the short term, but also to think much further out. Forget what 2021 will look like - what will 2030 look like?

Low interest rates, moderate inflation and a strong recovery in corporate profits. For the time being, the environment for equities remains extremely favourable, according to James Ashley, Head of International Market Strategy at Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM).

Investors should focus on cyclical equities, which benefit from a strong economic recovery. At the same time, they should use options and own some gold and Treasuries to protect their portfolio, according to Andrew Harmstone, head of Global Balanced Risk Control Strategy at Morgan Stanley.

The impending economic recovery may well mean the big tech stocks will cede their market leadership for the time being. But the FAMAG stocks remain attractive on a long-term basis, says Julian Cook, portfolio specialist for US equities at T. Rowe Price. Apart from one though.

An energy revolution thanks to an algorithm and a basic income that is finally on its way? After a year like 2020, things couldn’t get much crazier, but Saxo Bank is playing to this with its 10 “outrageous predictions” for 2021.

A car with two accelerators and no brakes. This is how Philippe Gijsels (pictured right), chief strategist at BNP Paribas Fortis, describes current monetary and fiscal policies. Consequently, he expects 2021 will be a good year for risky assets.