Key News To Note UK inflation and interest rates Data released on 16 Aug shows that UK inflation has slowed to 6.8% in July compared to the 7.9% in the previous month. Lower gas and electricity costs were the main drivers behind the sharp decline in headline UK inflation to 6.9%. Core inflation (which excludes… Continue reading Market Overview August 2023
Category: Financial Markets
What Are The World’s Largest Hedge Funds Investing In?
Technology stocks remain incredibly popular in 2023 where many of the largest US investment funds are being blocked from buying more, due to diversification rules. The S&P500 index has grown 18% this year, however seven large technology stocks have accounted for the majority of the gains. For example, Fidelity’s $108billion Contrafund, could not buy any… Continue reading What Are The World’s Largest Hedge Funds Investing In?
Yield Curves and a Possible UK Recession
The yield curve is generally considered to be the number 1 indicator in predicting a recession. By definition, it tracks interest rates across different time periods, from one month to 30 years, and the slope of the curve helps predict future interest rate changes and economic activity. It is known that the longer you borrow… Continue reading Yield Curves and a Possible UK Recession
US Largest Banks Beat Expectations
JP Morgan, Citi, and Wells Fargo comprise the three largest US banks, and they all have surprised everyone with very good results on Friday due to a surge in profits. The key catalyst of the profits has arisen from charging more for loans due to the successive Federal Reserve rate hikes. It wasn’t long… Continue reading US Largest Banks Beat Expectations
Market Overview on February 2023
2023 so far January and February have seen an erratic start to 2023 for most of the major financial markets assets classes, with markets torn between two competing factors. These are the still hawkish positions from the global central banks in raising interest rates to fight inflationary pressures, and the concerns that national economies could… Continue reading Market Overview on February 2023
Key Macro-Watch in the first week of February 2023
Macroeconomic/ geopolitical developments The MASSIVE week for market data and events resulted in an extension of the 2023 “risk on” theme from January into February. Wednesday’s FOMC decision to hike rates 0.25% as expected was met with a perception of a slightly more dovish tone from Fed Chair Powell. In addition, both the Bank of… Continue reading Key Macro-Watch in the first week of February 2023
【博思金融月度总结】2023年1月
在挥别2022迎来2023年之际,全球股市第一个月的 “成绩” 如下——标普500指数上涨6.18%,道琼斯工业指数上涨2.83%,纳斯达克指数上涨10.68%。欧洲方面,德国DAX指数上涨8.65%,英国富时100指数上涨4.29%。 通胀继续下行,美联储鹰派口径不变 1月12日,我们如过去的数月一样,在美国CPI数据出炉的第一时间关注并解读。可以确定的是,通胀已经确实地掉头向下,并且下降的趋势已经持续了数月(见下图红圈)。 美国12月CPI数据收于6.5%,远低于上月的7.1%。去掉能源和食品的核心CPI收在5.7%,低于上月的6.0%。 从细分来看: 能源整体同比上涨了3% (10月数据为13.1%) 食品整体同比上涨了4%(10月数据为10.6%) 住房成本同比上涨了5%(10月数据为7.1%) 总的来看,仍然是能源(油价)在拖低通胀。让人意外的是,住房出现了反弹,环比上涨了0.8%,和10月的高点持平,这主要是受到酒店的影响。因为12月是传统的 “休假月” ,酒店价格指数从上月的下跌0.7%变为上涨1.5%。不过,让人长舒一口气的是,租房成本并没有变化。我们用Zillow Observed Rent Index来对房租做个前瞻,可以看到,虽然各地区的同比租金仍在增长,但环比来看,80%以上的地区包括纽约、波士顿等地已经出现下跌。从这个方面讲,通胀已经见顶下滑的逻辑仍然成立。 在通胀数据发布的前一天,鲍威尔和旧金山联储分行的主席在瑞典的一个央行会议上讲话。英国央行的理事,欧洲央行的成员也有参加。鲍威尔的讲话并没有带来新的信息,他仍然坚持抗通胀是美联储现在的政策重心。旧金山联储主席则不仅表示利率应被提高到5%以上,且还应保持11个月以上。这明显比目前的市场共识更“鹰” 。当前主流观点是美联储会在今年3月的会议上暂停加息。 现在,让我们来整理一下美国市场的投资逻辑: 总的来说,2023年上半年,或者至少第一季度,市场的确定性已经较高,催动市场的第一个利好因素就是久居高位的通胀终于连续多月下降,并且没有迹象表明它会反弹。在这个前提下,美联储的加息步伐将不会更加激进,只是利率将维持在高位的时间长短问题。虽然市场目前似乎显得过于乐观,认为利率会随着通胀的受控而立即下行,这也许并不会如预期发生,因为政策的制定必须考虑到稳定性和滞后性等特殊因素。另外,我们也看到市场的 “领头羊”们纷纷为经济的(至少是轻度)衰退做好了准备——产品降价、裁员、成本控制。因此,对于确定性较高的2023年上半年我们对美国市场持乐观态度。 复苏更迅速,欧亚市场更受青睐 高盛在一月上旬发布了其对欧洲市场的分析报告,称不再认为欧洲2023年会继续衰退。从下图可以看到他们新旧两种预测的变化。旧的预测认为欧洲在今年第一二季度将陷入衰退,GDP出现负增长。但新的预测已经修正了这个观点,转而认为今年全年的GDP增长都将为正,全年在0.6%。 高盛改变观点的主要原因有三个: 1)欧元区年底的经济数据比预想中要更强劲。根据S&P Global 公布的采购经理人指数PMI,12月欧元区的反弹超预期,总体的指数来到了49.3,高于预估的48.8。 2)因为能源价格飙升而高企的通胀下降比预想的快。天然气价格下降明显,在12月跌了48%,月内从每兆瓦时148欧跌到77欧。 3)中国对清零政策的放开和迅速过峰。在去年12月清零政策放开后,中国的过峰似乎比预想更快。并且,官方多次宣布要刺激经济,且已经有一些政策开始推出。中国的恢复将有利于欧洲,特别是德国的出口,从而拉动整体的欧洲经济发展。 亚洲方面,中国今年的经济很大可能会比去年更好。清零政策的提前退出,政策层面的加大刺激,监管层面的松动迹象都让中国市场至少在短期内显示出更高的确定性。 现在,让我们来整理一下全球市场的投资逻辑: 在2023年来临之际,我们在多个市场都看见了 “确定性增强,经济(缓慢但正在)恢复” 的迹象。因此,全球布局的投资组合更能够保证不错过各个市场复苏带来的红利,并保持投资组合的分散性和多样性。当然,大前提是 “经济逐步恢复”。让我们以经济是否衰退对投资做分情况讨论: 1)如果2023年不像我们预测的那样,比2022年更好,反而陷入更深的滞涨泥潭。在深度衰退的市场我们可以选择确定性较强的短期国债或投资级别中短期公司债券。首先我们认为市场要在2023年进入深度衰退大概率是因为通胀反弹并长期不可控——>央行继续加息并更加激进——>经济最终放缓至负增长——>政策的滞后性使衰退继续加深。 为了保证向上倾斜的利率曲线(及其所代表的健康稳定的经济),加息不可能是无限制的,在利率上升到一定时候,债券价格也会见底。因为到期还本付息的特性,在深度衰退的市场投资短期国债或投资级别公司债,持有到期可以在票息收入以外获得资本利得。 2)如果2023年经济轻度衰退,但实现 “软着陆” 。全球着眼,股债搭配的投资组合可以在提供稳定收入的同时,寻求可能的高回报。选股方面我们始终建议回归基本面——选择盈利能力优秀,股本回报率(ROE)高,成本控制得力,管理层执行力强的公司。看好医疗、公共事业、能源版块。可适当配置股息率较高的传统型股票增强收入的确定性。 3)如果2023年供应链有序恢复,劳动力市场雇主和受雇者匹配,通胀转向,经济复苏强劲。全球着眼,股债搭配但偏重于股票是我们在这种情况下的建议。看好高科技、半导体、REITs版块,因为2022年这些股票大多数经过了估值修正(纳斯达克指数去年全年表现为 -30%+),接近或已经达到了合适的估值区间。 作者:施玮(博士)
BFL Focus: Technical Outlook and Sector Overviews of the UK Stock Market
Where To Next For UK Stocks And The FTSE 100? In this article we are going to look at the prospects for the FTSE 100 into the balance of the third quarter and onto year in 2022. The UK benchmark index has been relatively a performer compared to its European and US counterparts throughout this… Continue reading BFL Focus: Technical Outlook and Sector Overviews of the UK Stock Market
Bank of England Focus – Where Next for Rates?
The Bank of England meets this week on Thursday 4th August and there is growing expectation for a rate hike of 0.5%. A rate increase of this magnitude has not been seen for 27 years, since February 1995, but has been a reaction to still climbing inflation which is currently running at 9.4% in the… Continue reading Bank of England Focus – Where Next for Rates?
The Race for the Next UK Prime Minister – Revisited
Since our last blog on the race to become the next UK prime minister (PM), BFL Explainer: The Race for the Next UK Prime Minister, the candidates have been whittled down from eight to the last two. These are Liz Truss, the current Foreign Secretary and Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer. In… Continue reading The Race for the Next UK Prime Minister – Revisited