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>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

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>The 3-month annualized change of all six CPI measures in our US Inflation Monitor fell compared to February.</li>
<li>Given the levels of inflation and its poor track record, the Fed will want to put one extra hike in to be ‘better safe than sorry.’</li>
<li>The odds markets will win this battle with Powell are increasing, but only because so is the likelihood of a recession.</li>
</ul>


The 3-month annualized change of all six CPI measures in our US Inflation Monitor fell compared to February.
Given the levels of inflation and its poor track record, the Fed will want to put one extra hike in to be ‘better safe than sorry.’
The odds markets will win this battle with Powell are increasing, but only because so is the likelihood of a recession.


The Market’s Triumph over the Fed: Winning by Losing!

<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?

Marketing Director, Asia Frontier Capital

Asia Frontier Capital

Marketing Director

Investing in high growth Asian frontier economies.

Asia Frontier Capital Ltd. is a pioneering fund management company based in Hong Kong that specializes in investing in high growth Asian frontier economies by managing the AFC Asia Frontier Fund , AFC Iraq Fund and the AFC Vietnam Fund.

The AFC Asia Frontier Fund invests in public equities of Asian frontier countries that are seeing increasing consumption due to favorable demographic trends, rising incomes and high GDP growth. The fund invests in listed equities of companies that have their principal business activities in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The AFC Asia Frontier Fund is positioned to take advantage of the continuing economic shifts in these countries and offers high returns combined with significant diversification opportunities. This fund is directed by the founder and CEO of Asia Frontier Capital, Thomas Hugger, who has been investing in frontier markets across Asia and Africa for more than 20 years.

The AFC Iraq Fund was launched on the 26th June 2015 and aims to achieve long-term capital appreciation for investors by capturing value and growth potential in the post conflict high-growth & resource rich Iraq market. The fund emphasises long term investment horizon to truly capture the opportunity in Iraq. The fund's investable universe consists of locally listed companies that have their principal business activities in Iraq as well as foreign listed companies that have the majority of the business in Iraq as a whole including the prosperous Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI). The AFC Iraq Fund offers access to investments in post conflict recovery potential of Iraq, including the KRI, and/or stability in its territory. The AFC Iraq Fund is managed by Asia Frontier Capital (Iraq) Limited, Cayman Islands under the executive leadership team of Thomas Hugger (CEO & Fund Manager) and Ahmed Tabaqchali (CIO) who have more than 47 years of investment experience as well as an extensive background covering global, emerging, frontier and MENA markets.

The AFC Vietnam Fund invests exclusively in listed Vietnamese equities to capture value in growth companies with a focus on the small to medium size companies. This market segment offers a unique investment opportunity as the valuation gap between large- and small-cap stocks in Vietnam is presently much wider than in comparable neighboring markets and the valuations are significantly depressed versus their regional peers. The fund adopts a fundamental-quantitative approach and employs an in-house earnings model to identify attractive companies where we see high growth opportunities. In conjunction with targeting the maximum upside potential the portfolio has been structured to mitigate corporate government and liquidity risks. The fund invests in a diversified portfolio of 70-90 attractively valued companies to carefully control concentration risk.  This approach allows the fund to sell, or buy, positions without having a significant market impact. The fund is directed under the executive leadership of Thomas Hugger and Andreas Vogelsanger who have more than 50 years combined experience managing investments in frontier markets, Asia and around the world.

For more information about the fund, management team and investment strategy please contact us at info@asiafrontiercapital.com.

<ul><li>The AFC Iraq Fund was up an estimated 4.1% in March, outperforming its benchmark, the Rabee Securities RSISX USD Index, which was up 2.3% for the month.</li><li>For the year, the AFC Iraq Fund is up an estimated 27.7%, outperforming the index’s increase of 21.5%.</li><li>The market’s and the fund’s solid performance, on the back of last month’s super performance, enhanced by a revalued currency, underscores the underlying strength of the market’s recovery that is in the process of looking through and discounting the currency’s volatility as discussed here recently.</li></ul>

The AFC Iraq Fund was up an estimated 4.1% in March, outperforming its benchmark, the Rabee Securities RSISX USD Index, which was up 2.3% for the month.For the year, the AFC Iraq Fund is up an estimated 27.7%, outperforming the index’s increase of 21.5%.The market’s and the fund’s solid performance, on the back of last month’s super performance, enhanced by a revalued currency, underscores the underlying strength of the market’s recovery that is in the process of looking through and discounting the currency’s volatility as discussed here recently.

AFC Iraq Fund March 2023 Update: "The Budget, and the Stock Market's Next Move"

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Unsurprisingly, the (required) equity risk premium on bank stocks has increased, but especially in the case of US banks, it is not at extreme levels. </li>
<li>The forward P/E ratio of European bank stocks has dropped to distressed/recessionary levels, while the forward P/E of US bank stocks is 'seriously low' at 8.</li>
<li>However, based on the Price-to-Book ratio, bank valuation is average.  Given elevated contagion risks and increased regulatory scrutiny, bank stock valuation alone is insufficient to overweight the sector.</li>
</ul>


Unsurprisingly, the (required) equity risk premium on bank stocks has increased, but especially in the case of US banks, it is not at extreme levels. 
The forward P/E ratio of European bank stocks has dropped to distressed/recessionary levels, while the forward P/E of US bank stocks is 'seriously low' at 8.
However, based on the Price-to-Book ratio, bank valuation is average.  Given elevated contagion risks and increased regulatory scrutiny, bank stock valuation alone is insufficient to overweight the sector.


Banks Vs. Market: A Closer Look at Equity Risk Premia and Other Valuation Measures

United States

The MSCI World Index is a free-float weighted equity index. It was developed with a base value of 100 as of December 31, 1969. MXWO includes developed world markets, and does not include emerging markets. MXWD includes both emerging and developed markets.

MSCI World Index (MXWO INDEX)

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

The Market’s Triumph over the Fed: Winning by Losing!

Winning by Losing! The odds markets will win this battle with Powell are increasing, but only because so is the likelihood of a recession.

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

AFC Iraq Fund March 2023 Update: "The Budget, and the Stock Market's Next Move"

The AFC Iraq Fund was up an estimated 4.1% in March, outperforming its benchmark, the Rabee Securities RSISX USD Index, which was up 2.3% for the...

Asia Frontier Capital

Banks Vs. Market: A Closer Look at Equity Risk Premia and Other Valuation Measures

Given the high uncertainty related to contagion risks and increased regulatory scrutiny, we think bank stock valuation alone is insufficient to...

Jeroen Blokland