Inflation continues to be the dominant global concern, even in a world of complex geopolitical dynamics that include military conflict in Ukraine, territorial flexing by China, and entrenched societal polarization. We expect the evolution of inflation and commensurate central bank responses to remain the prevailing theme in 2023. While waiting for the wave to break, however, investors must learn to surf.
Given the interplay between inflation and monetary policy, many see a recession as a natural byproduct of tighter financial conditions. History credibly informs such a view, but a US recession may not be a forgone conclusion given a healthy financial system, strong labor demand, and robust private sector. In the Euro area and the UK, heightened sensitivity to external energy supply makes a recession probable, if not already in progress.
The adjustment to a higher inflationary regime has been painful, with the traditional 60 / 40 portfolio delivering historically poor returns in 2022.1 Even so, we think the opportunity set has been reset, with fixed income reasserting itself as a critical driver of diversification and cash flow.
In this edition of the Market Know-How, we explore how investors may navigate the ongoing period of inflation adjustment with emphasis on:
- Adjusting equity exposure in seeking to reflect renewed cross-asset competition by focusing on quality, profitability, and idiosyncratic positioning. In fixed income, add duration to address reinvestment risk.
- Monetizing elevated market volatility and stock dispersion to help improve after-tax performance via direct indexing.
- Diversifying existing exposure with alternative investments to potentially access unique sources of returns.