Twelve months ago, 85% of economists and market analysts expected the US and global economy to fall into a recession and investors were voting with their feet – equity fund outflows in 2023 ended up being both protracted and significant.

Yet a recession did not transpire and equity markets delivered a decent set of positive returns for investors, especially in the US.

Today, the market is leaning more towards an expectation of lower inflation, no recession and significant interest rate cuts. This is a goldilocks-like scenario that is far from guaranteed, and there are early signs already in 2024 that investors may be stepping back from this narrative.

Documenting a market outlook is always a humbling experience and we don’t claim to hold a crystal ball in our market assessments. The experiences of 2023 are a good example how difficult it is to make precise macro forecasts.

See also: Baroness Dambisa Moyo: Why traditional multi-asset portfolios may lose their shine

The investment arena may appear daunting given these macro-economic uncertainties, but we are seeing many exciting investment opportunities which warrant capital in a multi-asset portfolio. Within equities, overall market multiples appear reasonable – running not too hot, and not too cold – with all major countries better placed than they were a few years ago from a valuation standpoint.

US equities should continue to play an important role in portfolios, although the concentrated rise in the Magnificent Seven has created opportunities to add selected value, which looks especially interesting in smaller, value-oriented companies.

One long-term risk is the lack of earnings growth. Last year we saw stock prices rising in the United States due to multiple expansion, rather than due to earnings uplifts.

One potential reason for the expansion of multiples this year was a belief that central banks would quickly and aggressively pivot to rate cuts. However, markets are currently pricing in five interest rate cuts in 2024, which appears quite optimistic to us.

Financial services, squarely a cyclical value-leaning sector, leaps out as inexpensive with low expectations. Rising rates and the 2023 US banking crisis led the sector to underperform. We believe much of the risk here has been discounted and that US banks are worth a look.

Outside of the US, the broad opportunity in emerging markets has grown more significant during 2023 as those stocks have lagged their developed-market peers.

Much of the performance drag can be attributed to Chinese stocks as investors weighed looming geopolitical and secular growth concerns. The aggregate sentiment toward emerging markets remains bearish in absolute (compared with its own history) and relative terms (compared with developed markets). As a result, we are happy to allocate capital to emerging markets, with a focus on Asia.

See also: Head to head: Will the year of the dragon herald better times for China?

Fixed income is perhaps even more interesting than equities given the level of starting yields – which historically are highly correlated with returns – are near the highest levels since the global financial crisis. Real yields also remain elevated as inflation continues to abate.

An interesting feature of the yield curve is that the inversion remains pronounced and therefore yields on short-dated bonds exceed those of long-dated debt.

For investors with a more cautious mindset or shorter time horizon, we see short-dated bonds having appeal. However, if we do see inflation risks continue to recede, it may not be possible to lock in today’s long-term rates in the future. For investors with longer horizons, we would suggest exposure across the maturity profile and our portfolios’ duration is longer than it has been for many years.

We believe there is no need to stretch for yield. We prefer investment grade risk to high yield, with the latter offering investors relatively tight credit spreads when compared to historical averages. Corporate fundamentals look solid, and near-term refinancing risk is low, but we prefer allocating risk to other parts of the investment universe.

Mark Preskett is senior portfolio manager at Morningstar

This article was written for our sister title Portfolio Adviser

The economist and author tells our sister title Portfolio Adviser there is a “tug of war” debate as to whether rates will return to near-zero levels as inflation falls, then revert to a ‘new normal’ of 2% or lower; or whether the past two decades of ultra-low interest rates were an anomaly, and that they are set to return to a more normalised range of 3-5%.

Depending on which scenario comes to the fore, she says there will be significant ramifications on which asset classes will outperform, and which will struggle, over the medium-to-long term.

“Anything where the opportunity to generate returns is based on a low rate is going to suffer. So, anything that relies on leverage or on taking outsized bets – I believe venture capital falls into this space, for example,” she says. “This is why I don’t think the Targeted Absolute Return sector is winning right now, either.

“Of course, there is a debate as to whether we will return to a low rate environment, in which case these opportunities could become interesting again. But given what happened to markets in 2022, 2023 was a case of going back to basics and asking: ‘in a higher cost-of-capital environment, where will the genuine returns come from?’”

Over the last three full years, equity and corporate bond market returns have varied widely. In 2021, the MSCI All-Country World index achieved a total return of 19.6% while the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Corporate Bond index fell 2%. Then in 2022, global equities suffered with the MSCI ACWI falling by more than 8%, while global corporates also lost more than 6%. Both asset classes achieved positive returns last year at 15.3% and 5.5% respectively, according to data from FE Fundinfo.

These returns coincide with varying moves from developed market central banks in a bid to curb rising inflation. When central banks embarked on interest rate rises at the end of 2021, bonds suffered while economic uncertainty weighed on equities. Rate hikes continued throughout the course of 2023, with inflation beginning to fall by varying degrees across the US, the UK and Europe.

“In 2023 there was a lot of discussion about value investing returning to the fore,” Baroness Moyo says. “If we consider the businesses which can survive over the long term and generate real returns above the cost of capital, these types of businesses certainly do look interesting. Which is why what happened in 2023 was odd, because the performance of growth stocks such as the Magnificent Seven was an anomaly in terms of the mood music of markets, given the interest rate moves we had seen.

“In short, it has been too easy to make good returns in bog standard, traditional multi-asset portfolios. You didn’t have to go into long/short portfolios, or venture capital, or anything that required a lot of leverage to make returns. And in fact, it is those areas which have now become higher risk. So, for now, I would argue that it is still very difficult to make the case for people to allocate capital to absolute return strategies.”

See also: Morningstar: Are basic allocation strategies still relevant?

The economist says that, while investors started 2023 “excited about credit”, given interest rate expectations, they are now beginning to hold off and question longer-term themes, given continued economic uncertainty.

AI and decarbonisation

“I would argue that there are two huge key themes. One is AI; hence the Magnificent Seven breaking out of that value anomaly last year. The second one is decarbonisation,” Baroness Moyo – who is also co-principle at the Versaca Investments family office – says.

“The last time we had a catalytic move in the economy on a structural basis was the 1980s, when we saw tech investment opportunities. This is the next one.”

These two themes spell a “real fundamental shift” in how economies will work in the future and therefore which assets will perform well, the economist says, although she adds that the cost of capital “obviously matters” in terms of how people will play these markets.

In addition to historically higher rates, Baroness Moyo says geopolitics have become more volatile – at a time when markets are pricing in interest rate cuts.

“I don’t think anyone over the last year would have accounted for two wars, the announcement of 11 countries joining Brics, swing states – real issues that could now be re-inflationary,” she warns.

“US inflation still stands at 3.1%. Germany is in a recession and Europe is weak, which could signal that rate cuts could be on the docket.

“Geopolitics could be incredibly disruptive, and could mean we live a ‘higher for longer’ environment and that is set to continue.”

Finding dislocations

Alongside moving out of leveraged plays, this uncertain backdrop has also led Baroness Moyo to play equities more “opportunistically”, holding out for market dislocations in favoured sectors such as healthcare, or more attractively-valued companies set to benefit from AI.

“We are mostly looking at AI on a ‘wait-and-see’ basis for the reasons that I mentioned. But if we start to see real productivity gains and genuine possibility for disruption from AI, I think it will be an opportunity.

“What does this mean for us? It means a skew towards taking money out of equities and putting it into cash or bonds, and waiting for opportunities in these much more structured bets such as AI.

“If it is true that, over the next 20 to 30 years there will be a fundamental shift in how the world operates, we want to be a part of that. So, the best thing to do is to dip in and take some money out of markets where we could be losing and put it into bonds, which are earning us 5.5-6%, until there is more clarity around how best to play the AI space.”

That being said, Baroness Moyo has “taken a nibble” at some less widely-held stocks she believes are attractively valued such as US healthcare provider HCA and cloud-based software company Salesforce.

Not-so-magnificent Seven?

When it comes to the Magnificent Seven stocks – many of which have become synonymous with investing in AI such as Nvidia, Amazon and Alphabet – Baroness Moyo is less tempted and says valuations are “too rich”.

“I understand the whole euphoria; it’s the New Year, let’s all get excited. But the market has sold off a fair amount already, coming into the year.

“But when it comes to the Magnificent Seven, which are trading on high price-to-earnings multiples… We had a bad 2021, a mixed 2022 with a big skew to certain stocks. In 2023, my sense was that people were waiting and seeing. And now, I think people are waiting for that first rate cut, then they are going to bank as much of that return as possible.

“So if anything, I’m worried that markets are going to sell off. Not initially, but I think institutional investors could be waiting for a rate cut and a market rally, at which point they will bank their gains tactically.”

The other risk with the Magnificent Seven stocks, says Baroness Moyo, is that they account for a very significant proportion of the S&P 500. According to data from Yahoo Finance, this handful of companies accounts for 29% of the US index’s entire market cap.

“If I look at the Magnificent Seven versus the 493 remaining stocks in the index, and I had to take a bet on either a bigger rally among the Magnificent Seven, or a revenue catch-up from the 493 others, I am going to bet on the catch-up,” she reasons.

“Do I believe that tech is the future? Absolutely. But we are talking about a numbers game here. I am looking at multiples and margins, the ability to grow top-line revenue and the ability to cut costs.

“On that basis, I think it will be harder for those very efficient larger companies, which achieved enormous gains in 2023, to continue that growth. I think a lot of value has been squeezed out of the Magnificent Seven, and a lot of that value is now dependent on how they execute on AI.”

Value in energy

In contrast, Baroness Moyo says the energy sector offers attractive valuations. “Why? Because we’re consuming 100 million barrels of oil every day across 8 billion people. People need energy to live – whether that is from fossil fuels or from renewables. That is an area where I think there have been relatively bad returns, but there is real opportunity for upside.

“For me, value investing is about a compelling sector-based narrative that is based off of basic needs, such as food, energy and transportation. But these companies have to be well-run. You have to be able to look at the margins, the fundamental demand and what that might mean for long-term opportunities, in order to generate risk-adjusted returns above the cost of capital.”

For the economist, this could mean investing in companies which provide fossil fuels and are looking to embark on the transition to net zero, as well as those leading the charge on reducing our dependence on carbon.

See also: Canada Life’s Sriharan: The rules of engagement on asset allocation have changed

Zambia-born Moyo says: “When you have been raised in an environment – like I have – where electricity and water is not automatic, you have a very different understanding of how difficult it is to deliver energy and deliver water.

“In the west, there are a lot of people who have good intentions for us to move and transition into this new equilibrium, which is renewables-based. That’s fantastic. I don’t know anybody who is against that.

“However, we have to be sensible about what the costs of that journey are and how easy it is to execute. It’s 2024 and there are many countries around the world which cannot create energy on a sustainable basis. And I’m not just talking about desperately poor countries – this includes middle-income countries like South Africa. Even California has suffered from energy disruption.

“This, to me, is precisely the dislocation that presents investment opportunities. The vast scale of our energy requirements, the need to transition, and the requirement to find the best companies at actually providing this.”

Has Japan turned a corner?

On a regional, macroeconomic basis, Baroness Moyo is positive on the US and Japan. When asked whether Japan has become a consensus trade, given its recent stockmarket rally, Baroness Moyo says there are two key reasons the market has performed so well. “One is technology and the other is energy – the two big long-term trends driving markets. These are massive pivot points for the world, and I think people see Japan as very much at the coalface of that.”

But people have been predicting a “new dawn” for Japan for decades – since its economy slumped throughout the nineties. Is the recent recovery the real deal? The economist does indeed believe the country has “turned a corner”.

“It’s extremely difficult to run an economy, to get a slow economy moving, and to get businesses and companies to work efficiently. There is a whole potential system of errors – a lot of things have to go right, and we have seen in the past how quickly things can fall apart. Germany was a huge economy doing well, and look how quickly it has come off the rails,” she explains.

“Japan has a lot of things going right for it. It has strong levels of high education, it has a business sector which is sharp and knows how to innovate. It is difficult for a country to put these things in place.

“We have seen it in the UK – I often talk about how, 15 years ago, business was a big piece of the story. Business accounted for a large part of the UK economy; everyone was talking about the banks, Rolls Royce, Marks & Spencer. Today, that is less the case.”

Home market

Indeed, while the Topix has gained 9.2% over the last six months alone, according to FE Fundinfo data, the FTSE 100 has achieved less than one quarter of these gains over the same time frame, at just 1.3%. It has also achieved less than half of the gains of the MSCI All-Country World index over the last five and 10 years. Does the UK market present a value opportunity?

“I’m afraid it will still be a case of ‘wait and see’ for the UK. There is a lot of hope that this is the home of industrial revolution; that we can get back to business and back to clarity. But the business and markets have become so intertwined with politics that there is risk,” Baroness Moyo says.

See also: Facing the inflation dilemma head on

“It is at the point with politics where business has not been able to work without a political overhang creating costs from a regulatory perspective, and from a risk mitigation attitude when it comes to investing.

“In the US, if I talk about AI or the energy transition, the first question people will ask me is how much money they could make if they invest $1 – what return would this generate? When I have the same conversation in Europe, the first question is how to mitigate any risks coming from those themes.

“Our only way out of this is to find some kind of balance between these two attitudes. I’m worried that a lot of conversation in the UK is still very top down and government led, where people would rather kill off investing in certain areas, rather than use innovation to solve any issues.”

Emerging markets

Baroness Moyo is also reticent to invest in emerging market equities, arguing there are other areas where investors can generate “considerable returns, above the cost of capital, without the inherent risk”.

“I understand the arguments on paper. The macroeconomic arguments are very compelling. But as a practical matter, life is too short,” she says. “It sounds flippant, but it’s fundamentally true. Investors only have a certain number of years to make returns. That doesn’t mean they can’t ultimately achieve gains and compound those returns. But why take the risk by putting your capital in a market with slowing growth geopolitical risks and FX problems? It’s very hard.

“In my case, I only have 20 years to compound any returns. Why would I waste my time trying to work my money in an uncertain environment? Yes there could be some outside bets but I am willing to leave that money on the table.”

See also: Top five investment themes to look out for in India in 2024

She cites India as an example which is popular among investors. According to FE Fundinfo, the MSCI India index has returned 26.3% over the last year – more than double that of the MSCI ACWI.

“Lots of people say they are going to make billions by investing in India. Good luck to you, but I am willing to reduce my basis-point returns and not have to deal with the risk,” she reasons.

“Would I ever say India is never going to make it? No, it’s not my place to say that. But what I will say is it is extremely difficult to generate predictable returns in that kind of environment. There is a lot of red tape; it is definitely skewed towards locals winning over the foreign partner. It doesn’t have a great track record.

“People have to understand it’s not free money; there are other places you can invest and generate returns with relatively little risk.”

This article was written for our sister title Portfolio Adviser

It marked the second consecutive quarter of economic contraction, after UK gross domestic product fell 0.1% in Q3 2023.

The slight fall in December was mainly attributed to persistently high inflation, structural weaknesses in the labour market and low productivity growth, alongside adverse weather conditions.

Marcus Brookes, chief investment officer at Quilter Investors, said: “These factors affected the performance of the services and construction sectors, which are the main drivers of the UK economy. Retail sales also declined sharply in December, in the face of ongoing high inflation and interest rates as well as changing buying patterns.

See also: Pridham Report: ‘Bruising’ 2023 sees record outflows for UK fund industry

“Some of these challenges are temporary and have already started to ease. The inflation rate held steady at 4% yesterday when many were predicting an increase. Over the coming months, we expect inflation to fall, potentially easing the pressure on UK households, and supporting the recovery of the consumer-driven economy.

“The key indicator to watch is inflation in the services sector, which accounts for the bulk of the UK’s economic activity and employment and reflects the strength of wage growth and consumer demand, which are crucial for the UK’s recovery. As inflation steadies and then reduces, the Bank of England is more likely to cut interest rates to stimulate economic activity and investment.

“The UK economy faces challenges and uncertainties, but it also has many strengths and opportunities. It has a dynamic economy with a skilled and flexible workforce, and the UK is expected to overcome many of the current difficulties and emerge stronger and more resilient in the future.”

Jeremy Batstone-Carr, European strategist at Raymond James, noted the data is evident of deflated activity across all key sectors of the economy, from manufacturing to service and retail as well as construction activity, which was negatively impacted by poor weather.

See also: All I want for Easter is the findings of the FCA’s thematic review

“Nonetheless, while there is an impression of economic stagnation, brighter times surely lie ahead. As winter rolls away, the lagged impact of high inflation and interest rates will work its way through the economy and inflationary pressures will settle, allowing the Bank of England to lower the base rate come summertime,” he added.

Premier Miton CIO Neil Birrell was also upbeat, saying: “Given the modest nature of the contraction, we should not be overly concerned, but today’s figures are nonetheless below expectations.

“This number, on the back of better inflation data, may give rise to some concern over economic strength in the coming year. Most sectors of the economy were weak, but the optimists will point to the fact that there is plenty of scope to cut interest rates should the current trend in inflation and growth accelerate.”

This article was written for our sister title Portfolio Adviser

Inflation didn’t miss by much in the US – 3.2% versus 3.1% predicted. In the Eurozone, inflation climbed to 2.9% in December, from 2.4% in November, but was back down to 2.8% in January. In the UK, inflation rose marginally to 4% in December, up from 3.9% in November, after economists had predicted a slight fall.

Nevertheless, it has been enough to trouble the bond markets. The US 10-year treasury yield is back above 4%, and shorter-dated yields have moved even higher. The UK 10-year gilt yield has moved from around 3.5% at the start of the year to just under 4% today and the 2-year from 4% to 4.5%. This disrupts the view that government bonds are a one-way bet for the year ahead.

See also: It’s time for multi-asset managers to ditch bond proxies

The US Federal Reserve has pushed back on market expectations for a rate cut in March, saying that “the committee does not expect it will be appropriate to reduce the target range until it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably towards 2%”.

Nevertheless, most believe that rate cuts are deferred rather than cancelled. Anthony Willis, investment manager on Columbia Threadneedle’s multi-manager team, says: “Chair Jay Powell spoke positively about the progress made so far but said there was a need to have more confidence on the disinflation path”. The Fed is “not looking for better data, but a continuation of the better data” that has already been seen. Powell said that a March cut is not the most likely case, because the committee is unlikely to have hit that level of confidence by then.

“Futures markets are pricing only a 35% probability of a cut in March – though the Fed will have two more inflation data points to digest by then. Powell’s comments suggest that if inflation remains on track, then even if March is not likely, rate cuts are coming soon,” adds Willis.

See also: Facing the inflation dilemma head on

Jim Leaviss, manager of the M&G Global Macro Bond fund, also believes rate cuts are still likely: “Inflation has started collapsing – both core inflation and headline inflation. The numbers that the Fed looks at – core PCE inflation – are back down towards 2%. It is going in the right direction.”

Inflationary risks

That said, Leaviss also believes there may be longer term risks to the current benign inflation picture, particularly in the US. He points out that there is usually a balancing mechanism for government debt. Governments borrow more when the economy is weak; and when the economy is weak, inflation is falling and interest rates are generally coming down as well.

However, he adds, “this relies on a world in which governments borrow more when economies are weak, not where they borrow more to juice an already strong economy.” The US has seen two quarters of 4-5% growth, and its employment market is very strong. Nevertheless, he believes that widespread disgruntlement with rising prices is likely to usher Donald Trump into the White House, and that tax cuts are likely to be his priority once he gets there.

Tax cuts have historically been a significant contributor to rising debt to GDP. Leaviss says Trump’s election is likely to be inflationary and the US government will have to borrow more at higher bond yields.

Inflation protection?

Charlotte Yonge, assistant manager on the Personal Assets Trust, is also alert to the risks inherent in US borrowing: “The US government is spending money like it’s going out of fashion. This has provided a great fillip to growth. The fiscal deficit – the amount by which government expenditure exceeds receipts – was $1.3trn for the first three quarters of 2023, or nearly 5% of GDP.  We have never seen this level of government spending outside of a recession or its immediate aftermath.  On a gross basis, the fiscal outlay relative to the size of the economy is approaching a level consistent with the peak in government support provided during the Second World War.”

She believes this phenomenon is consistent with a multi-decade long trend and is not unique to America.  It is both a symptom and a cause of lower pain thresholds on the part of electorates around the world. She adds: “We expect that the next recession will see a fiscal response on top of a monetary one, such that the benefits extend beyond owners of capital to labour as well. This, as we saw with Covid, is likely to mean inflation for goods and services on top of asset price inflation.  Governments’ increased readiness to respond to economic hardship will help define the shape of the next recession and subsequent rates of inflation.”

The consequence of this shift is likely to be more volatile and structurally higher inflation than we have experienced over the course of the last 10-15 years. In response, the trust now has around 40% in index-linked bonds, mostly in the US. This is well above the trust’s long-term average of around 30%.

For Leaviss, the bond market is still good value, and they are keeping a watching brief on the election outcome. He adds: “The Fed says that long-term interest rates, based on demographics, technology, globalisation, and those long-term factors that determine how much we save and invest, will be around 2.5%. The treasury market thinks it’s more like 5%. We’ve never seen this degree of dislocation.” As a result, he is focusing on longer duration government bonds, believing this is where the opportunity lies.

Bonds markets have re-set since the start of the year and now reflect less optimism on rate cuts and falling inflation. Inflation is unlikely to bounce back significantly, but there are always unpredictable elements, such as the oil price, and markets are jumpy. It can still be the year of the bond, but investors will need to be selective.

This article was written for our sister title Portfolio Adviser

What struck me most was the question around inflation. The markets are strongly focused on the impact of disinflationary pressures, such as falling food and manufacturing input prices and an easing of wage growth.

Yet on the other hand, many market participants believe we will see structurally higher inflation over the long term. This tension between the near-term and long-term outlook for inflation presents significant challenges for asset allocators in 2024.

This is particularly relevant as investors undertake their ritual start-of-year reassessment of the asset allocation mix. The debate around inflation continues to influence their stance around fixed income allocations.

At face value, the case for fixed income is compelling. Growth is weakening, albeit with significant regional dispersion. Developed market inflation continues to fall markedly. In the UK, headline inflation has fallen from a peak of 11% in October 2022 to 4% in December. From a valuation perspective, starting yields across the risk spectrum are attractive and while credit spreads remain tight, all-in yields should offer a significant cushion against spread widening from here.

But despite the constructive set-up, investors largely remain unconvinced. Why?

We think there are three key factors at play:

• The damage that high inflation caused to multi-asset investors in 2022 will remain front of mind. I expect a high sensitivity — whether warranted or not — to inflation will remain for the coming years. Investors are often sensitive to recent events, as we witnessed in the post-GFC era, where investors remained highly wary of the risk of another credit crisis.
• In the near term, the path back to central bank inflation targets is unlikely to be smooth. This may prompt many investors to hold back on duration overweights on the expectation of better entry levels.
• The secular view around inflation remains uncertain. Many argue that the forces that kept inflation at bay in recent decades have been replaced with a new set of secular forces that will keep inflation higher and more volatile over the coming years.

Is inflation gone or will it stay higher for longer?

The “higher-for-longer” view may be hard to square with the fact that inflation has already fallen much quicker than most expected, driven largely by falling goods and energy prices. We expect this disinflation trend to continue over the coming quarters as central bank policy remains tight, growth slows and labour markets soften.

While services inflation remains sticky, wage growth is slowing and housing inputs in the US, mainly via rents, are showing signs of moderating. However, there are convincing reasons why inflation should be higher and more volatile going forward. Given secular geopolitical trends, we expect a move away from globalisation towards regionalisation, which is likely to reduce efficiency within supply chains and push up costs.

The energy transition has already shown its impact on supply and demand dynamics in commodity markets and while the pace of decarbonisation and the mitigating impact of technology remains uncertain, at the very least the path for commodity prices should be more volatile going forward.

What complicates the implications for asset allocation is that without a clear near-term catalyst or an ability to quantify these secular risks, it is challenging to incorporate a secularly higher view of inflation into near-term asset allocation preferences in the face of significant cyclical disinflationary pressures.

Over the coming quarters, disinflationary forces look set to remain strong and, short of some kind of unforeseen geopolitical event or a reacceleration in underlying inflationary pressures, the direction of travel for developed market inflation into the end of the year should be lower, even if core inflation remains above central bank targets for some time.

To my mind, anything sustainably below 3% core CPI would be enough to remove some of the uncertainty and volatility in risk-free rates that has plagued asset allocators over the last two years. This is a world in which a more normal correlation relationship between equities and bonds can reassert itself, but that relationship is likely to be weaker than in the previous cycle owing to heightened inflation risk.

What are the implications for asset allocation?

Cash had an effective but short-lived reign as king of the asset classes. Given the generational reset for multi asset investors in 2022, and a likely fall in short-term interest rates over the coming year (barring any surprises on inflation) the set-up for risk assets versus cash for long-term investors is constructive.

An active asset allocation approach can help investors smooth the path of returns. The amount of risk investors should take in asset allocation timing depends on their time horizon and risk tolerance but deploying cash allocations gradually into traditional asset classes such as fixed income and equities through periods of market volatility can help investors manage risk while deploying cash. Higher starting yields mean that investors don’t need to get too creative about seeking returns from the defensive bucket within portfolios, and for the growth bucket, while spots of the market appear fully valued, global equity valuations are not wildly expensive.

This is not to say that investors should ignore potentially disruptive structural forces. Inflation may well raise its head again over the coming years but without defined catalysts and timelines, I think investors should approach these risks with moderately sized strategic allocations to areas such as real assets and inflation-sensitive parts of the equity market, which can help ride out inflation-induced volatility.

Facing the inflation dilemma head on

Time in the market beats timing the market for most investor types. Those waiting for the all-clear on inflation might be waiting a long time or miss the proverbial boat as markets adjust quickly. By firmly embedding diversification into their strategic asset allocation, investors can face the inflation dilemma head on with a well-diversified portfolio, rather than waiting for the perfect entry point that may never come.