Global Multi-Asset Investment Strategist, True Insights

Jeroen Blokland

Global Multi-Asset Investment Strategist

Build Well-Diversified Multi-Asset Portfolios

True Insights

Our research helps investors build well-diversified multi-asset portfolios and profit from market developments. In addition, our unique and proven Macro – Sentiment – Valuation (MSV) investment framework ensures a consistent flow of new investment opportunities. Together with our market views, these opportunities will be reflected in our live ETF-based Global Multi-Asset Portfolios.

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>US retail sales fell 1.0% in March, the fourth decline in the last five months. We expect the downturn in the housing market to cause another dip in consumer sentiment.</li>
<li>Our earnings-per-share vs. P/E ratio analysis provides little upside. It will demand higher valuations and/or positive earnings growth to allow for meaningful upside.</li>
<li>Sentiment has been the key market driver in recent weeks. But with the VIX Index down to 17 in a weakening macro environment, the impulse may be fading.</li>
</ul>


US retail sales fell 1.0% in March, the fourth decline in the last five months. We expect the downturn in the housing market to cause another dip in consumer sentiment.
Our earnings-per-share vs. P/E ratio analysis provides little upside. It will demand higher valuations and/or positive earnings growth to allow for meaningful upside.
Sentiment has been the key market driver in recent weeks. But with the VIX Index down to 17 in a weakening macro environment, the impulse may be fading.


Changes in Portfolio Weights: Lowering the Weight of Equities

<ul>
<li>We have to go back to 1980 to find a month when small US businesses thought it was an even worse time to expand.</li>
<li>Volatility is falling off a cliff as investors embrace a new kind of goldilocks. </li>
<li>A common denominator drives Bitcoin and Gold higher: their perceived value as insurance against adverse market circumstances.</li>
</ul>


We have to go back to 1980 to find a month when small US businesses thought it was an even worse time to expand.
Volatility is falling off a cliff as investors embrace a new kind of goldilocks. 
A common denominator drives Bitcoin and Gold higher: their perceived value as insurance against adverse market circumstances.


Sentiment Strengthens, While Fundamentals Fade

<ul>
<li>Cracks are appearing in the US labor market, bringing relief for the Federal Reserve concerning inflation. But higher unemployment significantly increases the odds of a US recession.</li>
<li>The increase in Federal Reserve liquidity is keeping markets afloat. But assuming the banking crisis does not worsen from here, liquidity will reverse.</li>
<li>Our Fear &amp; Frenzy Sentiment Index moved away from ‘Frenzy’ but remains in Neutral territory. Futures positioning and equity flows worsened, pushing the Fear &amp; Frenzy Sentiment Index toward ‘Fear.’</li>
</ul>


Cracks are appearing in the US labor market, bringing relief for the Federal Reserve concerning inflation. But higher unemployment significantly increases the odds of a US recession.
The increase in Federal Reserve liquidity is keeping markets afloat. But assuming the banking crisis does not worsen from here, liquidity will reverse.
Our Fear &amp; Frenzy Sentiment Index moved away from ‘Frenzy’ but remains in Neutral territory. Futures positioning and equity flows worsened, pushing the Fear &amp; Frenzy Sentiment Index toward ‘Fear.’


Weekly Market Monitor 14 - Did the Fed Finally Break the US Labor Market?

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

MSCI Emerging Markets Index / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>In our February 6, 2023 EM Strategy, we discussed that we were buyers of the MSCI EM (EEM-US) on a pullback to the 50-day MA. </li>
<li>The pullback went a bit deeper but managed to hold at our $37.50 line-in-the-sand which we discussed in our recent ETF Pathfinder reports (Mar. 6 and Mar. 20, 2023).</li>
<li>The EEM-US displays a bullish 2-month downtrend reversal- add exposure. Signs continue to point to a topping DXY, and a declining DXY has historically resulted in EM outperformance (vs. EAFE).</li>
</ul>


In our February 6, 2023 EM Strategy, we discussed that we were buyers of the MSCI EM (EEM-US) on a pullback to the 50-day MA. 
The pullback went a bit deeper but managed to hold at our $37.50 line-in-the-sand which we discussed in our recent ETF Pathfinder reports (Mar. 6 and Mar. 20, 2023).
The EEM-US displays a bullish 2-month downtrend reversal- add exposure. Signs continue to point to a topping DXY, and a declining DXY has historically resulted in EM outperformance (vs. EAFE).


MSCI EM $EEM 2-Month Downtrend Reversal at Support -- Add Exposure. Upgrading Taiwan to Overweight

Cross-Asset Liquidity Strategist, CrossBorder Capital

Michael J. Howell

Cross-Asset Liquidity Strategist

Implementing Research Using Alt Data & AI

CrossBorder Capital

CrossBorder Capital is a London-based independent investment advisory firm. Founded in 1996, it exploits a gap in the investment arena by focusing on Central bank liquidity. 

It specialises in the monitoring and analysis of global liquidity flows - an important determinant of asset prices, from currencies through to bonds, equities and real estate.

CrossBorder Capital implements its investment strategy and currently manages over US$ 350m.


<ul>
<li>
 China’s PBoC injected a whopping RMB 3 trillion (US$450 billion) into money markets through December and January</li>
<li>Latest data show sharp fall-off in Chinese liquidity from late-February. Nonetheless, it is hard to extrapolate much from this. 2023 still looks to be a year of much more liquidity</li>
<li>The close connection between the PBoC and Chinese business points to a stronger Chinese and World economy in the second half of 2023. Buy cyclicals? 
</li>
</ul>



 China’s PBoC injected a whopping RMB 3 trillion (US$450 billion) into money markets through December and January
Latest data show sharp fall-off in Chinese liquidity from late-February. Nonetheless, it is hard to extrapolate much from this. 2023 still looks to be a year of much more liquidity
The close connection between the PBoC and Chinese business points to a stronger Chinese and World economy in the second half of 2023. Buy cyclicals? 



Global Liquidity – Is China Squeezing Or Easing Liquidity Again?

China

The MSCI Em (Emerging Markets) Index is a free-float weighted equity index that captures large and mid cap representation across Emerging Markets (EM) countries. The index covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country.

MSCI Emerging Markets Index (MXEF INDEX)

Changes in Portfolio Weights: Lowering the Weight of Equities

We lower the weight of equities in our Global Multi-Asset Portfolios as the catalysts for an extension of the rally are fading.

Jeroen Blokland

Sentiment Strengthens, While Fundamentals Fade

Sentiment strengthens, while Fundamentals fade. 30+ charts to get you up to speed on all things Macro, Sentiment, and Valuation, and why you should...

Jeroen Blokland

Weekly Market Monitor 14 - Did the Fed Finally Break the US Labor Market?

Welcome to the weekly Market Monitor, keeping you updated on the week’s most important charts and developments in financial markets.

Jeroen Blokland

MSCI EM $EEM 2-Month Downtrend Reversal at Support -- Add Exposure. Upgrading Taiwan to Overweight

Signs continue to point to a topping $DXY, and a declining DXY has historically resulted in EM outperformance (vs. $EAFE). Many ideas in China/Hong...

Vermilion Research

Global Liquidity – Is China Squeezing Or Easing Liquidity Again?

China’s PBoC injected a whopping RMB3tr into money markets in December and January. Close connection between liquidity and business points to a...

Michael J. Howell