Beyond Bulls & Bears

Quick Thoughts: US employment insights and implications for investors
Perspectives

Quick Thoughts: US employment insights and implications for investors

Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s latest message on monetary policy signals readiness for rate cuts—Franklin Templeton Institute’s Stephen Dover explains the implications for investors.

Quick Thoughts: 2024 US election—implications for investors
Perspectives

Quick Thoughts: 2024 US election—implications for investors

The US presidential election is often seen as decisive for the economy and overall investor portfolios, but it may not matter as much as people think, according to Franklin Templeton Institute.

Quick Thoughts: Much ado about nothing?
Equity

Quick Thoughts: Much ado about nothing?

Global financial markets experienced significant turbulence in early August. Despite the initial panic, markets have since rebounded, raising questions about the underlying causes and implications of this volatility. Franklin Templeton Institute’s Stephen Dover explores whether the turmoil was merely a fleeting episode, or if it holds deeper insights for investors navigating the complexities of today's economic landscape.

Explore multifactor investing for the rotation toward mid and small caps
ETFs

Explore multifactor investing for the rotation toward mid and small caps

Market momentum has been shifting recently with a rotation away from large-cap stocks. As more investors look to broaden their exposures, Franklin Templeton’s Dina Ting weighs in with a few considerations for diversification through multifactor ETFs.

Alternative Allocations: Lessons learned from institutional allocators of capital
Alternatives

Alternative Allocations: Lessons learned from institutional allocators of capital

Franklin Templeton Institute's Tony Davidow sits down with Mercer Investment Consultant Will Dillard to discuss how institutions are allocating to alternatives, conducting due diligence, and thinking about diversification.

Anatomy of a Recession Update: Economy’s health holds steady
Equity

Anatomy of a Recession Update: Economy’s health holds steady

Jeff Schulze of ClearBridge Investments joins us to give an update on the Recession Risk Dashboard and shares which indicators to keep an eye on for next month. He also provides his perspective on the recent selloffs in the equity market and the potential for some choppiness leading up to the US election.

Assessing equity volatility and recession risk: Is now the time to take action?
Multi-Asset

Assessing equity volatility and recession risk: Is now the time to take action?

Is it time to make changes to portfolio allocations due to the current equity market volatility? The Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions team discusses the factors driving the recent selloff, the probability of a recession in the United States and what their strategy is given market conditions.

Quick Thoughts: Market dislocations—implications for investors
Multi-Asset

Quick Thoughts: Market dislocations—implications for investors

While markets appear to be in a tailspin over recent US economic data, it’s too soon to conclude the US is headed toward recession, according to Franklin Templeton Institute’s Stephen Dover. He weighs in on recent market action and the silver lining in Fed rate cuts likely ahead.

On My Mind: It’s not the end of the world as we know it
Fixed Income

On My Mind: It’s not the end of the world as we know it

Recent data releases appear to give the green light for the US Federal Reserve to begin easing monetary policy in September. However, according to Franklin Templeton Fixed Income CIO Sonal Desai, the key issue remains the nature of the easing cycle ahead—namely its duration, its speed, and the policy rate endpoint.

Flash Insights: July FOMC meeting—Powell runs ahead of the Committee as usual
Fixed Income

Flash Insights: July FOMC meeting—Powell runs ahead of the Committee as usual

Although the US Federal Reserve left policy rates unchanged at its July meeting, changes to the Federal Open Market Committee statement laid the groundwork for rate cuts. However, as the post-meeting press conference progressed, Chair Jerome Powell’s statement turned from balanced to slightly more dovish, according to Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Economist Nikhil Mohan.

Flash Insights: BoJ delivers on both fronts
Fixed Income

Flash Insights: BoJ delivers on both fronts

The Bank of Japan raised its policy rate to more than a 10-year high on July 31, a decision driven by elevated wage growth and the yen’s weakness, both of which pose upside risks to the inflation outlook. Franklin Templeton Fixed Income economists believe that further rate hikes are likely, both this year and next.

Is high US equity-market concentration a reason to turn defensive?
Multi-Asset

Is high US equity-market concentration a reason to turn defensive?

Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions examines whether equity market concentration is a signal to reduce portfolio risk and if it makes sense to rotate within equities.