Yield is set to be a more important component of total return for investors during the next few years as the “Fed Put” exerts less influence on markets.

Coming out of the depths of the pandemic, US equity and fixed income markets are facing new challenges this year amid a rising interest rate environment and deceleration in growth.

Ed Perks, CIO of Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions, outlines what factors should likely support economic growth, how he views inflation, why US equities remain attractive, and where income-seeking investors should look for potential opportunities.

Sir John Templeton famously said that “this time is different” are the four most dangerous words for investors.

Ed Perks and Gene Podkaminer of Franklin Templeton’s Multi-Asset Solutions team discuss the attractions of alternative assets that can offer natural portfolio diversification. Over a longer-term horizon, they continue to believe global stocks have greater performance potential than global bonds, or alternatives, but this outlook will not be reached along a smooth path.

With markets starting to make a comeback, our Multi-Asset Solutions CIO Ed Perks looks ahead to second half of the year, including the implications of the US economy opening up, the ongoing impact of the massive monetary and fiscal response, and the risk for a wave of downgrades and defaults.

While US-China trade tensions and other concerns prompt a cautionary stance when it comes to risk assets, Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Solutions’ Ed Perks and Gene Podkaminer nonetheless remain positive about the US equity market in the year ahead, citing a number of long-term growth drivers that still remain in place.

Bouts of volatility hit markets across the globe in the third quarter of 2019 amid continued uncertainties about global growth and trade. Central banks took notice, with the US Federal Reserve easing interest rates for the first time in more than a decade and the European Central Bank also cutting rates and reintroducing quantitative easing.

Given the backdrop of a slowing global economy and shaky investor sentiment tied to trade tensions, Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Solutions’ Ed Perks and Gene Podkaminer are calling for an active investment approach.

Tuesday’s US midterm elections shifted US Congress to split control. Yet, Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Solutions CIO Ed Perks says this expected alteration in the balance of power is unlikely to change his US economic outlook or lead to major changes in US policy. He also explains why he looks at multiple fundamental factors when assessing markets, rather than political outcomes alone.

In 2018, rising inflation, higher US interest rates and escalating trade tensions have led to concerns about global economic growth and bouts of equity-market volatility.

Global growth has been accelerating, but there are a few potential headwinds that could cause it to stall. Three of our senior investment leaders—Ed Perks, Chris Molumphy and Stephen Dover—recently participated in a panel discussion on the potential impact of trade tensions, inflation and other issues on their radar.

The first quarter of 2018 started out like a lamb but went out like a lion as long-dormant volatility began to roar. Issues like inflation fears, trade tensions and geopolitical risks contributed to market turbulence, leaving many investors wondering whether these issues will put a damper on global growth—and end the US market’s nine-year bull run.

January is a month of resolutions and predictions, and perhaps more often than not, both tend to be abandoned come spring. While we don’t have a magic crystal ball to predict where the markets may be headed next, we do have a team of respected professionals who recently assembled to discuss whether they think last year’s economic momentum could continue—and where they see potential threats on the horizon.

Efforts to overhaul the US tax code have been a long time in coming (more than three decades), but this year it finally came to fruition. Congressional approval of sweeping tax reform will impact individuals, businesses—and the entire economy. Ed Perks, chief investment officer, Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Solutions, offers his perspective of the likely economic and market implications.

Despite some uncertainties, economic improvements in developed and emerging markets have supported a positive mood across both equity and fixed income this year.

With markets reacting in part to geopolitical events, it’s hard not to be distracted by news headlines. To help sift through some of the noise, several of our senior investment leaders recently participated in a roundtable discussion of the events shaping the global markets today, the implications for investors and where they see potential opportunities ahead.