Market Currents

The first quarter of 2022 saw negative returns across the U.S. bond market as persistently rising inflation surprised central bankers and bond investors alike. Dramatically rising interest rates have focused bondholders' attention on fixed-income investments – even provoking some to abandon the asset class entirely.   In this episode of Market Currents, Northern Trust's Katie Nixon … Continue reading As Rates Rise, do Bonds Belong in Real-World Portfolios? →

The war between Russia and Ukraine is a direct conflict between two of the world's biggest commodity exporters, causing disruptions that will be felt for years. As European leaders seek to reduce or eliminate their countries’ exposure to Russian energy supplies and western companies voluntarily exit the country, maybe never to return, the conflict is … Continue reading Does Conflict in Ukraine Shift Global Energy Forever? →

While the U.S. stock market has outperformed European indices for years, it is important to remain aware of the benefits of global diversification. And recently, we have begun to see changes in Europe giving us greater confidence in this view: European economic growth is expected to slightly outpace the U.S. this year, and equity market … Continue reading Another Head Fake, or Brighter Future Ahead? Weighing the Case for European Equities in 2022 →

Several months ago, it appeared as if a return to normalcy from the COVID-19 pandemic could be in sight. Primarily due to the spread of the Delta variant, however, the picture has become considerably more clouded. With individuals, companies, medical authorities and governments all continuing to react to the changing dynamics, and corresponding information and … Continue reading Vax Requirements, Boosters, Variants and Waves: Navigating the COVID-19 Information Deluge →

As economic reopening continues and supply-demand imbalances lead to price increases, investors are understandably fixated on the future path of interest rates — a key driver of future growth and returns. But in this particularly unusual period of economic history, what will the Fed do? Many believe higher inflation is transitory and that the Fed … Continue reading Interest Rates: Grounded or Ready for Take Off? →

As the U.S. economy continues to reopen amid relaxed COVID-19 mitigation measures, pent-up demand is outstripping supply in many cases. One acute example is in the semiconductor chip industry, which provides “the brain” inside a wide range of products that power our modern lives, including smartphones, cars and even washing machines.  In this episode, Northern … Continue reading How Long Will the Chips Be Down? The Global Semiconductor Chip Shortage with Deborah Koch →

Summary: Concerns about inflation have filled financial headlines recently as U.S. consumers reemerge from their homes and take note of higher prices and supply shortages in certain areas of the economy. But will higher inflation last? Or will it quickly revert back to more modest levels seen in recent decades?  In this episode, Northern Trust's … Continue reading Inflation: Is It Different This Time? With Carl Tannenbaum →

Does value investing still work? After many years of underperformance, value stocks have shown signs of life in 2021 as investors' conviction in strong economic recovery has gained momentum.  Is this a turning point for value, or simply a short-term pop? Will value redeem itself, or will investors find their way back to growth stocks … Continue reading Value's Uprising: Fête or Renaissance? – with Michael Hunstad and Chris Shipley →