The Aiguille du Midi, neighboring popular Mont Blanc in the French Alps, is famous for having the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, a vertigo-inducing ride that is equal parts scary and awe-inspiring.
Rick Rieder and team outline how to think about portfolios as we enter 2023.
For years leading up to the pandemic, low inflation and stable growth created a favorable environment for investors that supported sustained periods of robust stock and bond returns. With inflation virtually non-existent, economic downturns were met with monetary and fiscal stimulus that provided a backstop for financial markets.
An astounding $200 million dollars per day, every day, is spent gambling in Las Vegas casinos.
We see central banks on a path to overtighten policy.
Russ Koesterich, CFA, JD, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, of the Global Allocation team discusses whether markets have bottomed or not.
Millennials were more comfortable with the stock market this year, a May survey found. We explore the outlook for equities through a generational lens.
Growth stocks enjoyed a supercharged post-COVID rally before higher rates and inflation dealt a heavy blow in 2022.
The list of assets that have risen year-to-date is both short and odd: energy, broad commodity indexes and the dollar.
Over the last few months, the Federal Reserve (Fed) has changed its angle of attack quite dramatically, in an attempt to battle surprisingly and stubbornly high inflation.
Balancing acts. As the Fed walks the line between curbing inflation and averting recession, anxious investors are seeking to balance the two risks. Amid the uncertainty, we believe stock selection matters more.
After a lower-than-expected July inflation print led many investors to rejoice at the prospect of inflation having peaked, the recent August print showed that consumer prices continued to rise year over year – albeit more slowly than prior months.
This year has been a tough one for retirement savings. Inflation is high, markets are volatile and it’s hard to know where we’ll be in a few weeks, months or even a year.
Most consumers wait for things to go on sale before buying them, look for promo codes prior to purchasing something online, and suggest that discounts are the greatest influence on their purchase decisions around the holidays...
Russ Koesterich, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, of the Global Allocation team explains why investors should expand their definition of quality in today’s market environment.
We met with the portfolio managers of BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities to have a wide-ranging discussion on their approach and why it’s so well suited to the current market environment.
What to do in equity portfolios at the midyear point? Fundamental Equities CIO Tony DeSpirto assesses the backdrop and identifies three favored sectors.
Over the last year, we’ve experienced heightened macroeconomic uncertainty with several events impacting society and financial markets.
The ECB and the Fed both need to quickly normalize policy from the emergency settings adopted when the pandemic first hit.
The geopolitical crisis in Ukraine creates a stagflationary shock for global economies. The plan to fight inflation just got far more complicated for global central banks.
Russia’s tragic invasion of Ukraine has layered on existing supply imbalances, causing geopolitical uncertainty and a global energy shock.
Russ Koesterich, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of the Global Allocation team, discusses the case for the cheaper segments of growth stocks.
Inflation and hawkish central bank talk have spooked investors and led to bond losses not seen since the 1980s in developed markets (DMs).
Seeking resilience. 2022 started with rising interest rates, high inflation and unthinkable violence and human tragedy in Europe.
War in Europe comes at a time when the global economy was just emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fed last week signaled a large and rapid increase in its policy rate over the next two years and struck a surprisingly hawkish tone, indicating it’s ready to go beyond normalizing to try to tame inflation.
Market Update from BlackRock's municipal bond team.
When an iceberg comes into view, investors must be wary of the danger, but Rick Rieder and team argue that it's also important to recall that calmer seas may lie beyond.
Market volatility is a given, but that doesn’t make its inevitable appearance any less stressful.
Nearly four years ago, we wrote a market commentary titled “A New Waze of Investing” in which we highlighted the incredible technological innovations that were changing our everyday lives and our perspectives on long-term investing.
Energy sector leaders quickly shifted from the “green” economy in 2020 to the “brown” economy in 2021.
Impact investing is gaining interest as a growing share of investors seeks tangible progress on environmental and social goals alongside financial returns.
Rick Rieder and team identify 11 themes that could drive returns in 2022, as the greatest monetary experiment since the advent of flat currency enters its next phase.
Russ discusses the recent volatility and how to hedge the risk in the current environment.
What might equity investors expect in 2022? Active stock picker Tony DeSpirito reviews the potential positives and impediments in his Q1 market outlook.
It’s well studied that factors like debt and financial uncertainty impact the way people feel about retirement and prepare for it. In this series, BlackRock explores insights from our 2021 DC Pulse research and additional work with the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) to recognize inequitable effects and find ways to build a better retirement for all.
We are entering a new market regime unlike any in the past half century: We see another year of positive equity returns coupled with a down year for bonds. But we have dialed back our risk-taking given the wide range of potential outcomes in 2022.
Supply chain issues are making headlines, particularly as consumers are seeing prices rise and delivery times lengthen amid product and component shortages. International equity investors Gareth Williams and David Vos offer four Investment takeaways.
Historically, fourth quarter tax loss selling of closed-end funds (“CEFs”) has been prevalent in the market. CEFs may be more susceptible to tax loss selling given they trade on a stock exchange and market prices (investor return) can deviate from underlying net asset values (“NAVs”) (fund return).
The busy retail season is in full swing, but what can investors make of the longer-term outlook for consumer stocks? Sophie Steel of BlackRock Fundamental Equities looks beyond the seasonalities to three factors that are reshaping the opportunities across consumer sectors.
Rick Rieder and team examine the parallels, or lack of them, between the economy, markets and policy of the 1970s and today.
BlackRock Portfolio Manager, Russ Koesterich, CFA, JD discusses his preference for the US dollar over a long Treasury hedge in the current markets.
Portfolio manager Michael Fredericks reflects on markets and investing to generate income while managing risk over the last decade.
The bonds that held market expectations and central bank policies closely together during the COVID-era are starting to break. BlackRock's quant bond experts discuss the latest developments in inflation dynamics, liquidity in the financial system, and changes in China's policy reaction.
Achieving “net zero” by 2050 will require a shift in the global energy mix, from both a supply and consumption perspective. This has implications for portfolio allocations and alpha generation but there are diverse perspectives on the emergent risks and opportunities related to this shift.
The results of hiring high quality, skilled workers can impact several business functions for companies. But is there added potential for talent acquisition strategies to lead to positive social outcomes and improved financial results?
It’s well-studied that factors like debt and financial uncertainty impact the way people feel about retirement and prepare for it. In this series, BlackRock explores insights from our 2021 DC Pulse research and additional work with the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) to recognize inequities and help find ways to build a better retirement for all.
This Halloween season, Rick Rieder and team shed light on today's market ghosts, ghouls and goblins and how to build a resilient investment portfolio around them.
September lived up to its reputation as a bad month for stocks. Global equity markets declined more than 4%, making September the worst month since the start of the pandemic. Beyond seasonal weakness, many attributed equity losses to higher interest rates.
Matters of money can pull at both our intellect and our emotions. And when markets get shaky, that’s when the internal tug-of-war kicks into high gear. Two investment pros share strategies for keeping calm and investing on.
