Discusses geopolitical factors affecting economic response to COVID-19 across the U.S., Europe, and India
Identifies macro trends accelerated by the pandemic, including the increasingly desperate search for yield
Showcases the real asset opportunities that remain and the appetite for ESG investments
TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945
TORONTO and BOSTON, July 29, 2020 /CNW/ – Manulife Investment Management today released its biannual Global Intelligence report, a firmwide outlook highlighting notable perspectives from its private and public markets investment teams – and read in nearly 200 countries. Key themes in the report include what we expect during the stages of economic recovery, disruption within emerging markets like India, the opportunities for timberland assets amid expanding carbon offset markets, the myriad challenges in addressing the pandemic’s impact on the European Union, and how emergency central bank measures have obscured looming bond market risks.
“As the global economy recovers from the fast and dramatic downturn experienced earlier this year, we believe market volatility will continue and accelerate the macro trends already at work, including an increasingly desperate search for yield,” said Christopher P. Conkey, CFA, head of public markets at Manulife Investment Management. “While we remain optimistic that calmer waters lie ahead, complex risks continue to affect investment behaviors. The latest edition of Global Intelligence provides information to help clients assess the landscape with clear eyes, a long-term perspective, and the support of expert teams.”
“While private markets have not been immune to the global pandemic’s economic impact, we still see nuanced opportunities to suppress risk and improve returns on a variety of private market assets,” said Stephen J. Blewitt, head of private markets at Manulife Investment Management. “We’re helping investors find opportunities that provide diversification, dependable cash yields, inflation protection, and low correlations with mainstream financial markets, as reflected in this latest report.”
Notable asset class themes, shifts and guidance within Global Intelligence include:
“India at the crossroads of disruption—a tipping point for growth” — Senior Portfolio Manager Rana Gupta and Research Analyst Koushik Pal share how the pandemic has accelerated digitization and reconfiguration across areas of the economy including grocery retail and durables manufacturing.
“Timberland Investing and the promise of carbon markets” — Global Head of Timber Investments Thomas G. Sarno, Managing Director of Economic Research Keith A. Balter and Director of Forest Economics Mary Ellen Aronow discuss how timberland owners can find a new, more diversified revenue stream as the carbon offset market grows and ESG factors assume more significant roles within investors’ portfolios.
“How emergency central bank measures have obscured looming bond market risks” — Senior Portfolio Managers Roshan Thiru, CFA, and Daniel S. Janis III explore how central bank intervention policies designed to contain market fallout have obscured risk for fixed-income investors.
“The three stages of the global economic recovery” — Global Chief Economist & Global Head of Macroeconomic Strategy, Frances Donald, discusses a three-stage recovery, each with its own set of key themes, bringing about different kinds of opportunities and risks.
“Assessing Europe’s response to Covid-19″ — Senior Strategist Stuart Thomson, CFA, examines the state of the geopolitical landscape in Europe and the challenges of addressing the pandemic’s impact on the European Union.
For more information and to view the report please click here.
About Manulife Investment Management Manulife Investment Management1 is the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than 150 years of financial stewardship to partner with clients across our institutional, retail, and retirement businesses globally. Our specialist approach to money management includes the highly differentiated strategies of our fixed-income, specialized equity, multi-asset solutions, and private markets teams—along with access to specialized, unaffiliated asset managers from around the world through our multimanager model. Our personalized, data-driven approach to retirement is focused on delivering financial wellness in retirement plans of all sizes to help plan participants and members retire with dignity.
Headquartered in Toronto, we operate as Manulife Investment Management throughout the world, with the exception of the United States, where the retail and retirement businesses operate as John Hancock Investment Management and John Hancock, respectively; and in Asia and Canada, where the retirement business operates as Manulife. Manulife Investment Management had CAD$832 billion (US$586 billion) in assets under management and administration.* Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit our website at manulifeim.com.
* MFC financials in CAD. Global Wealth and Asset Management AUMA as of March 31, 2020, was $832 billion and includes $195 billion of assets managed on behalf of other segments and $139 billion of assets under administration.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
