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.

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>Understanding the ISM Manufacturing Index has been a tricky affair in recent months. Based on regional PMI data, the ISM (48.7) was anticipated to breach the 50 mark (50.7).</li>
<li>The gap between the current 10-year US Treasury yield and the ISM Manufacturing Index is huge!</li>
<li>In addition, the latest ISM numbers suggest a 26% downside for the S&amp;P 500 Index. Yikes!</li>
</ul>


Understanding the ISM Manufacturing Index has been a tricky affair in recent months. Based on regional PMI data, the ISM (48.7) was anticipated to breach the 50 mark (50.7).
The gap between the current 10-year US Treasury yield and the ISM Manufacturing Index is huge!
In addition, the latest ISM numbers suggest a 26% downside for the S&amp;P 500 Index. Yikes!


ISM Manufacturing – the Ugliest Macro Indicator for Stocks!

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Bitcoin rose nearly 20% this week, and the impact of spot Bitcoin ETFs is huge, but with a twist.</li>
<li>This week's US personal income data provides yet another chart showing that the recession is already behind us. But will the US consumer keep spending?</li>
<li>That new The Economist cover does not bode well for stocks, but the moving average does. Yet, sentiment remains in Frenzy.</li>
</ul>


Bitcoin rose nearly 20% this week, and the impact of spot Bitcoin ETFs is huge, but with a twist.
This week's US personal income data provides yet another chart showing that the recession is already behind us. But will the US consumer keep spending?
That new The Economist cover does not bode well for stocks, but the moving average does. Yet, sentiment remains in Frenzy.


The Weekly Market Monitor – Please Give a Warm Welcome to BITCOIN

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>The last week was a very busy one. The coming week has some announcements and implementations but is a relatively quieter one.</li>
<li>The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sse-science-and-technology-innovation-board-50-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29279:1" rel="noopener">SSE STAR50 (STAR50 INDEX)</a> and STAR100 Index changes for March will be implemented at the close on Friday, the 8th.</li>
<li>Another week of inflows for the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ishares-msci-emerging-markets-223f5da3-7054-4e4f-bc55-b7f0852c2581" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31998:1" rel="noopener">iShares Emerging Markets ex-China (EMXC US)</a> ETF as creations cross US$2bn for 2024. ETF AUM has gone from US$420m in 2021 to US$11bn now!</li>
</ul>


The last week was a very busy one. The coming week has some announcements and implementations but is a relatively quieter one.
The SSE STAR50 (STAR50 INDEX) and STAR100 Index changes for March will be implemented at the close on Friday, the 8th.
Another week of inflows for the iShares Emerging Markets ex-China (EMXC US) ETF as creations cross US$2bn for 2024. ETF AUM has gone from US$420m in 2021 to US$11bn now!


Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: STAR50/100, FXI, NIFTY/NEXT50, S&P500, KOSPI, Goodman, Ecopro BM

<ul>
<li>First, Japan entered a recession, and a week later, the Nikkei hit an all-time high after 34 years. Any idea why this is?</li>
<li>The Institute of International Finance (IIF) has updated its global debt chart. Be aware that it does NOT show the true underlying trend.</li>
<li>You are only allowed to trade Chinese equities if you are going to buy them. China will have a serious long-term issue in attracting fresh capital.</li>
</ul>


First, Japan entered a recession, and a week later, the Nikkei hit an all-time high after 34 years. Any idea why this is?
The Institute of International Finance (IIF) has updated its global debt chart. Be aware that it does NOT show the true underlying trend.
You are only allowed to trade Chinese equities if you are going to buy them. China will have a serious long-term issue in attracting fresh capital.


The Weekly Market Monitor – The 34-Year Wait Is Over!

Head of Research and Global Chief Strategist, Steno Research

Andreas Steno

Head of Research and Global Chief Strategist

Macro and Geopolitical Research House

Steno Research

Steno Research is a new macro and geopolitical research house. We are based out of Copenhagen, Denmark, but have an international team and a strong network of sources and partners around the world. The team is lead by Andreas Steno, previous global head of strategy at Nordea Bank, and Mikkel Rosenvold, former chief consultant in the Danish Ministry of Finance.

<ul><li>Hello everyone, and welcome back to our weekly Positioning Watch.</li><li>Markets were caught on the wrong side of expectations last week with PPI coming in substantially hotter than expected, but equity sentiment has remained decent outside of some profit taking in Tech, as the cocktail of better liquidity conditions and a brightening economic outlook is likely to prevail – and positioning provides very decent opportunities to trade the potential comeback for cyclical assets.</li><li>As this week’s chart of the week we present to you what looks to be the theme of Q1 2024, and the reason why right now is not a good time to be contrarian: momentum is king, and “go with the flow” currently performs WAY better than cherry-picking the good old value stocks.</li></ul>

Hello everyone, and welcome back to our weekly Positioning Watch.Markets were caught on the wrong side of expectations last week with PPI coming in substantially hotter than expected, but equity sentiment has remained decent outside of some profit taking in Tech, as the cocktail of better liquidity conditions and a brightening economic outlook is likely to prevail – and positioning provides very decent opportunities to trade the potential comeback for cyclical assets.As this week’s chart of the week we present to you what looks to be the theme of Q1 2024, and the reason why right now is not a good time to be contrarian: momentum is king, and “go with the flow” currently performs WAY better than cherry-picking the good old value stocks.

Positioning Watch – Low FX volatility provides cheap leverage for a rebound in manufacturing

United States

The S&P 500® is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap U.S. equities and serves as the foundation for a wide range of investment products. The index includes 500 leading companies and captures approximately 80% coverage of available market capitalization.

S&P 500 INDEX (SPX INDEX)

ISM Manufacturing – the Ugliest Macro Indicator for Stocks!

Even though some structural changes can explain part of the lackluster performance of the ISM Manufacturing Index, 26% potential downside should be...

Jeroen Blokland

The Weekly Market Monitor – Please Give a Warm Welcome to BITCOIN

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

Jeroen Blokland

Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: STAR50/100, FXI, NIFTY/NEXT50, S&P500, KOSPI, Goodman, Ecopro BM

This recap highlights Insights covering Asian index rebalances (announcements/ forecasts/ IPO Fast Entry/ M&A driven changes). We also highlight...

Brian Freitas

The Weekly Market Monitor – The 34-Year Wait Is Over!

Investments highlighted: Nikkei 225 Index, Japan 10-year yield, DAX Index, Chinese Equities, Walmart, Nvidia, Bitcoin, Gold, Treasuries.

Jeroen Blokland

Positioning Watch – Low FX volatility provides cheap leverage for a rebound in manufacturing

Hello everyone, and welcome back to our weekly Positioning Watch. Markets were caught on the wrong side of expectations last week with PPI coming...

Steno Research