Portfolio Intelligence

Sandy Sanders, CFA, senior portfolio manager at Manulife Investment Management, weighs in on the health of the consumer and why conditions now are very different from previous economic recoveries. He discusses how technology, demographics, and productivity increases could shape an economy that’s rebounding after the pandemic recession. The portfolio manager also outlines various bullish and bearish scenarios, as well as the sectors where he sees the best investment opportunities now.

2020 was one for the record books in terms of market and economic volatility. In the latest Portfolio Intelligence podcast, Co‐Chief Investment Strategists Emily R. Roland, CIMA, and Matthew D. Miskin, CFA, look back at the year that was, and offer their 2021 outlook. The strategists discuss how COVID‐19 vaccines may alter the economic trajectory, what they’re watching in equity markets, why inflation should remain subdued, and where to find yield in a low‐rate environment.

Co-Chief Investment Strategists Emily Roland and Matt Miskin weigh in on the recent market volatility and what investors should focus on in the weeks leading up to the crucial U.S. election. The strategists also update host John Bryson on what the latest economic data is hinting about the growth trajectory during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, Emily and Matt share their highest-conviction ideas for the equity and fixed-income markets, the outlook for the U.S. Federal Reserve, and what credit spreads and currency markets are forecasting for the markets.

An initial round of interest-rate cuts no longer appears to be imminent, given recently uneven inflation data and robust jobs growth that have prompted the U.S. Federal Reserve to put a dovish policy shift on hold. What does this delayed timeline mean for equities and fixed income heading into earnings season? Emily R. Roland, CIMA, and Matthew D. Miskin, CFA, co-chief investment strategists at John Hancock Investment Management, join the podcast and host John Bryson to discuss the need for a patient approach to investing and a focus on fundamentals, given a recent market rally that’s pushed equity valuations higher. Emily and Matt explore monetary policy, the outlook for stocks and bonds, and pockets of opportunity that they’re seeing in mid-cap equities and industrial stocks tied to economic growth in Midwestern states. With an election coming up in November, the strategists also discuss the importance of keeping politics out of portfolios.