Beyond Bulls & Bears

Quick Thoughts: Investment Ideas—Is the Muni Comeback Still in the Making?
Fixed Income

Quick Thoughts: Investment Ideas—Is the Muni Comeback Still in the Making?

Making the case for municipal bonds today with Stephen Dover, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute.

Quick Thoughts: Global market outlooks—Too hot, too cold or just right?
Perspectives

Quick Thoughts: Global market outlooks—Too hot, too cold or just right?

The US economy has been more resilient than many pundits had anticipated over the past year—but can this resilience continue? Stephen Dover, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute, recently hosted a discussion with economists from across our firm to explore where the risks and opportunities for investors lie today and into year-end.

What’s next for gilts and the United Kingdom?
Fixed Income

What’s next for gilts and the United Kingdom?

Gilt prices have been struggling this past year due to surging inflation and interest-rate increases. David Zahn, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income’s Head of European Fixed Income, shares his outlook for the UK economy and why he thinks now is a good time to consider investing in gilts.

Stress testing the foundations: Analyzing the vulnerability of US banks to falling commercial real estate values
Fixed Income

Stress testing the foundations: Analyzing the vulnerability of US banks to falling commercial real estate values

The commercial real estate sector’s continued challenges could potentially impact US banks. Franklin Templeton Fixed Income’s Shawn Lyons discusses the ongoing commercial real estate crisis and how US banks are safeguarding themselves against these issues.

On My Mind: Restrictive? We’ll know it when we see it.
Fixed Income

On My Mind: Restrictive? We’ll know it when we see it.

The Fed sent a strong signal that interest rates will remain higher for longer, as our Franklin Templeton Fixed Income CIO Sonal Desai has long predicted. The Fed also started to acknowledge that the natural real rate of interest is higher than it thought. She shares her latest insights on the policy outlook and the implications for investors.

Opportunity in investment-grade credit
Fixed Income

Opportunity in investment-grade credit

Investment-grade credit is currently offering impressive yields, with relatively less risk than other fixed income sectors, according to Josh Lohmeier of Franklin Templeton Fixed Income. He makes a case for investing in the space today.

Weathering the storm: Exploring climate change adaptation and the investor’s imperative
Fixed Income

Weathering the storm: Exploring climate change adaptation and the investor’s imperative

The Franklin Templeton Fixed Income team believe that issuers that think critically about the environment in which they operate could outperform throughout the full market cycle compared with those who are slower to adapt.

Quick Thoughts: Quiet shifts in corporate debt may explain this year’s big economic surprise
Fixed Income

Quick Thoughts: Quiet shifts in corporate debt may explain this year’s big economic surprise

The resilience of US growth, earnings and markets has been the big surprise of 2023. Stephen Dover, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute, opines on the factors at play—and whether they will last.

Quick Thoughts: Jackson Hole—Limited visibility, bumpy landing
Fixed Income

Quick Thoughts: Jackson Hole—Limited visibility, bumpy landing

In the wake of the Federal Reserve’s annual gathering in Jackson Hole, Stephen Dover, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute, conveys one clear message: interest rates aren’t coming down anytime soon.

On My Mind: The structural shift that wasn’t
Fixed Income

On My Mind: The structural shift that wasn’t

Markets seem to be coming around to our Franklin Templeton Fixed Income CIO Sonal Desai’s view that the Fed will have to keep interest rates higher for longer, but now runaway fiscal deficits pose further upside risk to yields in the long term, she warns. She shares her latest insights on the fiscal and monetary outlook and the implications for investors.

Quick Thoughts: The sovereign debt wave—an existential threat
Fixed Income

Quick Thoughts: The sovereign debt wave—an existential threat

The Sovereign Debt Wave is at a historic peak and appears set to continue growing. With higher inflation and reduced liquidity, some countries will be able to continue to issue debt easily, while some will not. Franklin Templeton Institute’s Stephen Dover and Kim Catechis discuss the different factors that will affect long-term investment returns for sovereign debt.

Navigating inflationary seas—a study of central banks in the United States, Europe and Asia
Fixed Income

Navigating inflationary seas—a study of central banks in the United States, Europe and Asia

With inflation still front and center and tight labor markets, how will central banks react to the challenging market environment? Join the Franklin Templeton Fixed Income (FTFI) economists as they discuss their views on central banks’ strategies and formalized policies in the latest installment of the FTFI Fifteen—a video series designed to cover relative market topics in about 15 minutes.