Outlook 2022: Flying at a Lower Altitude
A compilation of our investment views for 2022.
Equities
Global Equity Performance Exceeds That of High-Quality Bonds
Global equities have returned more to investors than high-quality global bonds in nearly three quarters of the last 30 years. The margin of outperformance during those years has been considerable, averaging 12.5 percentage points. That high historical success rate, along with our view that healthy economic activity will support both positive earnings growth and risk appetite, leads us to expect that equities will yet again outperform high-quality bonds.
China A-Shares Outperform Global Equities
China’s equity markets have lagged global equities sharply thus far in 2021 in the face of a regulatory crackdown. We expect Chinese equities, particularly China onshore A-shares, to outperform global equities in 2022.
Don’t Expect EM ex China Performance to Impress
Emerging markets ex China equities have underperformed their DM peers this year due, in part, to greater economic and political challenges, which have weighed on sentiment toward the bloc. We expect these issues to persist into next year and are skeptical that EM ex China equities can outperform DM equivalents.
Active Equity Manager Performance Benefits as Breadth Widens
A market environment with a wider breadth of winners and losers provides greater opportunity for skilled active managers to distinguish themselves. Given the more balanced earnings contribution across sectors relative to 2020–21 and the widely dispersed equity valuations, we expect the breadth of winners and losers will be wider in 2022.
Market Matters: November 30, 2021
Risk assets sold off in November as pandemic-related developments introduced new uncertainties to the economic outlook.
Market Matters: October 31, 2021
Global equities delivered their highest monthly gains this year in October, driven by US equities.
US Manager Universe Statistics: Third Quarter 2021
This publication presents manager performance for 37 asset classes and substrategies, showing the median, mean, and key percentiles of return. Relevant indexes for each asset class are also included to provide market context.
Hedge Fund Update: Third Quarter 2021
Global capital markets were volatile during third quarter 2021. In September, equity markets gave back most of the gains made earlier in the quarter. Markets are reacting to concerning economic and inflation data, geopolitical risks, and potential central bank tightening. Core hedge fund strategies were mixed but relatively flat during the third quarter.
VantagePoint: China – Reassessing Risks and Opportunities
As the second largest economy in the world, China remains an important destination for global investor capital. Yet, the pace and scope of China’s regulatory crackdown are causing concern. In this edition of VantagePoint, we review the nature of regulatory developments and their impact on the investment opportunity set. We believe that dedicated, strategic allocations to Chinese assets are still warranted. Investors should carefully consider their sector exposure and evaluate managers’ capabilities in the current regulatory and geopolitical environment.