Equities vs Fixed Income: Return drivers explained

Checkpoints is a comprehensive monthly chartbook highlighting major top-of-mind themes that could shape financial markets in the near term. In addition to the broader macroeconomic discussion, Checkpoints delivers detailed views on major asset classes, including global equities, fixed income and real assets.

We expect market leadership to broaden beyond mega-cap tech in U.S. equity markets. For growth heavy portfolios, the narrowing gap between growth and value signals a potential need to add value investments to reduce concentration risk and improve diversification.

Tensions between the U.S./Israel and Iran have recently boiled over into a military conflict, which has given many investors the jitters. However, our research shows that equity market pullbacks resulting from geopolitical events are often short lived with the S&P 500 typically higher in the months following these events.

The U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, resulting in the elimination of Iran’s leadership, is a serious development for regional political and global energy price stability as it could set off moderate to material demand-supply imbalances.