The year commenced on an impressive note for Investment Management Industry (forms part of broader Finance sector), however, equities plummeted following the rapid spread of coronavirus in various countries including the United States, before taking the shape of a full-blown pandemic. The situation led to the intensified sell-off in March.
The crisis scenario warranted radical actions by the Federal Reserve, and the Trump administration and Congress, which enhanced the financial market liquidity and aided the flow of credit to consumers and businesses. These actions supported markets, and resulted in gains year to date.
Though most of the U.S. economic data were dismal, some better-than-expected interpretations in the later part of the year bolstered investor sentiment. Further, optimism surrounding the coronavirus vaccine has also been favorable. Therefore, the S&P 500 Index has recorded 14.62% gains year to date on strong rebound in equity markets.
Remarkably, stocks in non-U.S. equity markets have also rebounded, following massive declines in the first quarter. With overall industry inflows and solid investment performance, growth in assets under management (AUM) balance for majority of the industry players is anticipated. Thus, asset managers’ top line is likely to improve, supported by higher performance fees and investment advisory fees, which constitute the majority of their revenues.
Despite the prevailing global concerns, the U.S. economy is witnessing steady improvement. This, combined with growing demand for personalized investment products, is anticipated to open up growth opportunities for the asset management industry.
While asset managers have been facing a number of challenges including stringent regulatory scrutiny, near-zero interest rates and escalating costs; demand for new investment products at lower costs have been supporting the bottom line. Further, with heightened use of technology, asset managers have been able to enhance efficiency and operate profitably. Moreover, the rise in industry consolidation since the beginning of the year amid the pandemic is likely to offer support to investment managers’ profits.
Moreover, though retail investors continue to park funds with investment managers, institutional investors have been shying away. Another factor leading to inflows is that Americans have started saving more (and spending less) as the economy remains uncertain on the prevailing pandemic-related crisis. Hence, the investment management industry is getting more funds from retail investors.
Weakness of the U.S. dollar is also driving the global diversified assets mix. Though active managers are striving hard over passive managers, they have recorded growth in asset classes including international small-cap equity and core fixed income. Notably, fixed income generated positive returns as investors ran for safe-haven assets due to the prevailing global growth concerns and the pandemic induced uncertainty.
Though the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the investment management industry is visible, a second wave of the pandemic in certain countries might result in heightened market volatility once again. Nonetheless, at present, the sector seems to be better equipped to deal with systemic jolts. Overall, investment management companies are likely to come up with a value proposition, under which both performance and fees meet clients’ increasing demands.
Here is how to play the industry:
Stocks Worth Buying Now
While the concerns should not be overlooked, one can consider buying stocks as the industry provides an entry point with stocks being undervalued, currently. With the help of the Zacks Stock Screener, we have zeroed in on three investment management stocks carrying a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) with the market capitalization greater than $1 billion. Moreover, these stocks have recorded year-to-date gains of more than 20% and pay dividends that yield more than 1.50%.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Here are the three stocks that met the criteria:
Boston, MA-based Eaton Vance Corporation EV is engaged in the creation, marketing, and management of investment funds in the United States.
Overland Park, KS-based Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. WDR is a provider of investment management and advisory, investment product underwriting and distribution, and shareholder services administration to mutual funds, and institutional and separately managed accounts in the United States.
New York-based BlackRock, Inc. BLK is a publicly owned investment manager primarily providing services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks.
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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.
