Insights

Listen in as Jim Dorment (head of value and portfolio manager) and Laura Kane (head of ESG research) gather to peel back the layers on key topics facing ESG investors today.

How are E, S and G evolving? takes a look at critical changes in how investors assess each component of environment, social and governance factors. It’s not enough to focus (rightly) on the low-carbon transition—there are issues of labor disruptions caused by the transition to consider as well.  

Performance is the focus of Where will the next wave of ESG alpha come from?, shining a light on the difference between divesting “bad ESG” companies vs. including and engaging companies to find those likely to be voted “Most Improved in ESG.”

The major U.S. stock indexes finished lower and the S&P 500 index broke a four-week streak of gains. Investors began to question the peak inflation narrative as persistently aggressive Federal Reserve rate policy began to seem more likely.

Elevated volatility is here to stay, and that means many risk assets may become oversold, providing opportunities for investors to profit from mispriced risks.

U.S. stocks advanced strongly as the S&P 500 index logged a fourth week of gains. Market sentiment got a lift from upbeat earnings reports and a downside inflation surprise.

Risks are rising: the Fed must thread a narrowing needle-eye to stop inflation without causing a recession. We’ve lightened equity positioning and reduced risk within fixed income segments of portfolios.

Big data is fueling, informing and empowering businesses globally. As growth-oriented investors, we see opportunities in best-in-class companies that are creating the technologies driving big data services.

These are the six major themes influencing positioning across our fixed income portfolios for the second half of 2022.

Shifts in the mortgage landscape are creating a compelling opportunity in GNMAs, which currently offer attractive relative value.

Human behavior is predictable—regardless of the state of the economy, people will get married, have children and buy homes.