Commentary

Alts Angle: Disruption Creates Opportunities

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank will likely lead to tighter credit conditions as banks pull back from lending. Private credit managers are poised to fill the void that banks have left and can negotiate favorable terms, according to Franklin Templeton Institute’s Tony Davidow.

Commentary

Alts Angle: Rethinking Retirement With Alternative Investments

Tony Davidow, Senior Alternative Investment Strategist with Franklin Templeton Institute, illustrates the potential impact of adding alternative investments to pursue growth and income—as well as seek to dampen volatility—during the accumulation and distribution phases of retirement.

Commentary

Beyond the Garden Variety of ETFS

Like planting seeds, sometimes new investment vehicles take time to take root. David Mann, Franklin Templeton’s Head of Global ETF Product and Capital Markets, draws parallels between gardening and developing and growing new ETFs.

Commentary

An Overview of US State Budgets and Municipal Bonds

As COVID-era funding boosts come to a close, US state and local governments are facing some challenges. However, they have many tools with which to tackle them, according to Jennifer Johnston, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income’s Director of Research, Municipal Bonds. She provides her latest outlook.

Commentary

What To Do When Stuff Happens

When markets turn volatile, it’s not time to despair. Stephen Dover, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute, offers some judicious perspectives on how to turn volatility into opportunity.

Commentary

Age of AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a key pillar of the digital transformation theme, which is driving significant disruption and spurring new growth. Grant Bowers, portfolio manager with Franklin Equity Group, offers a unique perspective of the challenges and benefits of this evolving and disruptive technology.

Commentary

Preparing for a Pause

There is a disconnect between the Fed’s message regarding taking a pause in hiking interest rates this year and the market’s expectations of rate cuts.

Commentary

A Continued Focus On Fixed Income Versus Equities

The longer-term risks of sticky inflation, monetary policy changes, and slowing economic growth continue to challenge the markets. Within this uncertain backdrop, Franklin Income Investors’ Ed Perks shares his latest outlook and the investment opportunities he sees across fixed income and equities.

Commentary

Fed Pause Won’t Save the Day

If the Fed pauses, will that revive risk assets? Tom Nelson and Miles Sampson of Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions weigh in on the investment implications of the latest US central bank actions.

Commentary

Women Changemakers in The Fintech Industry

In the spirit of being a good corporate citizen working to build a better world, Franklin Templeton is launching a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) webpage that will highlight the company’s DEI efforts.

Commentary

The Fed—Quantitative Tightening or Quantitative Easing?

Can central banks simultaneously provide liquidity to banks suffering sharp deposit withdrawals while also slowing money and credit creation by raising interest rates? In essence, can central banks quantitatively tighten and quantitatively ease at the same time?

Commentary

Value Stocks—Now and Always

The value style is in the early stages of what Mutual Series believes could be a multi-year outperformance relative to growth.

Commentary

The Case for Low-Volatility, High-Dividend Equities

Given market uncertainty and the risk of a US recession, is now the time for defensive stocks? Making a case for low-volatility, high-dividend equities with Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions’ Vaneet Chadha and Michael LaBella.

Commentary

Macro Perspectives—Finding the Path to Normal

As central banks wrestle with how to respond to volatile economic data and banking turmoil, while also fighting inflation, Franklin Templeton’s economists provided their perspectives on what’s next for economic growth, interest rates, inflation and fixed income markets.

Commentary

Three Weeks On, What Did We Learn From the Banking Crisis?

Implications of the ongoing volatility in the banking sector, and what it means for markets in Europe and globally—check out highlights from our most recent discussion with Kim Catechis, Investment Strategist, Franklin Templeton Institute.