Secure lifetime income is a top wish-list item for defined contribution plan participants, and it has benefits for plan sponsors too. But there are very different ways to deliver it.
There's been a lot of focus, especially in the media, around things like renewable energy and electric vehicles. But if you think about the challenge of reducing emissions, we're going to have to do that across a diverse set of solutions, including things like heating and cooling, manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture.
Companies supporting efforts to create a more secure and stable world could provide equity investors with an attractive source of long-term returns.
Earnings haven’t been consistently rewarded in equity markets recently. That could change faster than you think.
A new approach to environmental, social and governance (ESG) research could ease investors’ frustrations with sourcing and evaluating the data required for objective credit analysis. Thanks to a surge in company reporting, ESG metrics can now be quantified and incorporated into analyses that were historically rooted in fundamental research alone.
Investors who stay too long in cash may find they’ve missed out.
Investors face an urgent challenge in understanding, analyzing and managing biodiversity risks.
The Fed poured cold water on a March rate cut, but the underlying message still has rates coming down—by a lot. Waiting for the starting point can be risky for investors.
Emerging-market equities have a bad rap. But a lost decade may have set up promising conditions for a recovery.
Emerging-market (EM) assets were resilient in 2023, gaining ground despite conflict in the Middle East, concerns over slowing economic growth in China, and the US dollar’s strength against other regional currencies. Now, with the Fed signaling rate cuts in 2024, the news could get better.
Many investors limit their mandates to credits rated BBB or higher. But they could tap high-quality high yield—without adding to overall risk.
Falling inflation hasn’t yet translated into good feelings among US consumers. Based on the latest data, that might be changing.
Investors who wait too long to get off the sidelines may find they’ve missed out.
Defensive equity strategies that limit downside losses but lag too much in up-markets may be missing the mark. Is there another way to reduce volatility?
Investor sentiment toward China has soured after a tough year for the economy and stock market. But the painful economic transition is also creating real opportunity.
Rate cuts don’t happen in a vacuum—staying nimble with asset allocation can help investors adapt.
Still doing “T-bill and chill”? As a strategy, rolling Treasury bills may have worked well so far this year, but history suggests it’s time for municipal bond investors to get off the sidelines and back into the market—and soon.
As equity investors hunt for opportunities, why should they consider climate-focused investing?
AB’s Chief Responsibility Officer previews areas of research focus for our Responsible Investing teams in 2024.
Private credit has in a little more than a decade evolved from a niche asset class to a key component of a diversified investment portfolio. We think it will be even more important in 2024 as banks’ reluctance to lend widens the opportunity set for investors.
Bond yields are up—that’s good news for income investors, but secular forces still pose headwinds for inflation-adjusted returns. We think an efficient way to generate income is by carefully assembling mixes of interest-rate and credit building blocks—and incorporating private-market exposure for additional diversification and return potential.
It’s hard to chart a course through equity markets in times of uncertainty. Here are our thoughts on some of the big questions on investors’ minds today.
So it was a very strong year for broad equity benchmarks around the world, but it perhaps didn't feel like a great year for many investors. There's economic uncertainty for sure.
The tide has turned for bonds. Here’s what we think is in store for 2024.
US equity market returns have been disproportionately driven by the so-called Magnificent Seven (Mag 7) stocks this year. Their dominance has created style imbalances within large-cap benchmarks that deserve closer attention from investors.
As European inflation rates converge with targets, markets expect rate cuts. But central banks are set on a decisive victory over inflation.
Investors are warming to opportunities stemming from climate change, and other takeaways from COP28.
For multi-asset income investors, adapting portfolios for equity defense, credit potential and duration exposure should be on the docket for 2024.
A secure lifetime income solution can seamlessly continue the “do it for me” structure that has helped DC plan participants save in their working years.
Investors need to understand the potential physical damage from natural hazards before they can assess their financial implications.
Generative artificial intelligence has a reliability problem. Here’s how investors can gain confidence in portfolios that deploy the technology.
Recent labor agreements in the auto and airline industries spotlight the profitability conundrum facing US companies—and equity investors.
Equities have an important role to play in a diversified allocation today, to help hedge against inflation and to navigate a lower-growth environment.
A robust growth backdrop, a key input for cross-asset positioning, benefited from pent-up demand and an accommodative fiscal policy stance.
Technological turning points in the past have taught important lessons about how to identify long-term winners from transformative innovation.
A new psychological contract is transforming the modern workplace, highlighted by an increase in collective actions and changing employee expectations.
Healthcare stocks have underperformed the global market this year. But taking a closer look under the sector’s hood reveals a more complex picture. In key industries, earnings growth forecasts are healthy and valuations look attractive.
Just six metrics can effectively assess sovereign issuers’ sustainability and provide guidance for both issuers and investors.
We’ve always intended for the unique collaboration between AllianceBernstein (AB) and Columbia University to serve the broader asset-management industry. Asset owners and managers alike are eager to explore the complex issues of climate change and its potential effect on investments and investment decision-making.
Weakness in US equity markets since July reflects ongoing uncertainty about the macroeconomic outlook. Despite the concerns, stocks with quality and defensive features have performed relatively well and could help portfolios surmount shaky conditions ahead.
Following a strong first half of 2023, third-quarter returns were more challenged across almost all asset classes. One outlier was high-yield debt, which often serves as a way to de-risk equity exposures when stocks are under pressure.
The data science wave is here, and bond managers must adapt traditional investment processes to harness new technologies and amplify human talent.
The world is becoming an increasingly diverse place, especially the societies that we live in and we invest in. It’s not just about social equity that companies need to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion; it’s really about business fundamentals.
Human behavior can lead to irrational investment decisions, but a well-planned low-volatility strategy may be the antidote.
Investors are accustomed to getting a snapshot of the market by looking at the latest index statistics. But today, average spreads and yields for investment-grade corporate bonds are deceptive. A look under the hood reveals that intermediate-maturity corporates are a much more compelling opportunity than long-maturity ones.
Tight lending standards and rising yields, along with concern about an approaching turn in the business cycle, have put opportunistic credit in the spotlight. But what, exactly, does opportunistic credit mean? Here’s how we look at it—and what we think it may offer investors.
It feels like Groundhog Day, with yet another challenging quarter for muni investors. The index was down about 4%, bringing year-to-date returns to –1.4% for the year. So what happened in August and September?
Drugmakers don’t have to dominate a healthcare portfolio. Equity investors should cast a wide net across the sector to find innovation and growth.
The muni yield curve has been inverted before, but not for any meaningful length of time—until now. With yields on short-term muni bonds still significantly higher than those on intermediate-term munis, what’s an investor to do?
