Beyond Bulls & Bears

On My Mind: The twin roots of rising rates
Fixed Income

On My Mind: The twin roots of rising rates

Franklin Templeton Fixed Income CIO Sonal Desai discusses why rising investment and persistently loose US fiscal policy are simultaneously pushing in the direction of higher long-term real interest rates.

Quick Thoughts: Investment Ideas—Getting cash off the sidelines
Fixed Income

Quick Thoughts: Investment Ideas—Getting cash off the sidelines

Is it time to move out of cash? Stephen Dover, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute, recently hosted a discussion with Julien Scholnick, Portfolio Manager, Western Asset Management, and Joanne Driscoll, Portfolio Manager and Head of Short-Term Liquid Markets, Putnam Investments, to answer this question and examine the opportunities within the fixed income space.

Quick Thoughts: Spring cleaning
Multi-Asset

Quick Thoughts: Spring cleaning

Stocks, bonds, currencies and commodities have made significant moves in the past few months. Find out what factors to consider when deploying or redeploying capital from Franklin Templeton Institute’s Stephen Dover.

On My Mind: The Fed, the Treasury and a fistful of dollars
Fixed Income

On My Mind: The Fed, the Treasury and a fistful of dollars

Franklin Templeton Fixed Income CIO Sonal Desai discusses why persistently loose fiscal policy, relentless price pressures and resilient economic growth may cause a problem for the US Federal Reserve—and explains the implications for bond yields.

A story about the drongo, the meerkat and debt markets
Alternatives

A story about the drongo, the meerkat and debt markets

A look at private credit, and why increased activity in the broadly syndicated loans space is not necessarily a bad thing for direct lending, and vice versa, from Benefit Street Partners Managing Director Anant Kumar.

Flash Insights: March inflation—Yet another reason to delay easing
Fixed Income

Flash Insights: March inflation—Yet another reason to delay easing

March US consumer prices rose faster than expected. The reacceleration in supercore inflation suggests the strong inflation readings at the start of the year may not have been mere blips. Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Economist Nikhil Mohan expects the Federal Reserve will likely begin rate cuts in September, but inflation trends may affect the timing of the cuts.

Sharpen your pencils—It’s budget season
Fixed Income

Sharpen your pencils—It’s budget season

State budget offices and municipal bond analysts evaluate the economic and fiscal outlook for the next fiscal year. In this document, we examine how California, New York and Illinois have different budget situations and how they plan to balance their budgets using various tools.

On My Mind: Fed Chair Powell—I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…
Fixed Income

On My Mind: Fed Chair Powell—I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…

Franklin Templeton Fixed Income CIO Sonal Desai believes that the Fed's March policy meeting was not as dovish as some commentators and market participants have claimed, and that the Fed is still pragmatic and cautious about inflation and rate cuts. In her view, getting inflation down to 2% will be harder and take longer than Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell expects, and she predicts that rate cuts will come only later—in the second half of the year.

Quick Thoughts: The Fed—Steady as she goes
Perspectives

Quick Thoughts: The Fed—Steady as she goes

Thoughts on the US monetary policy path ahead from Franklin Templeton Institute’s Stephen Dover and Rick Polsinello.

Flash Insights: Bank of Japan—A “watchful” adjustment
Fixed Income

Flash Insights: Bank of Japan—A “watchful” adjustment

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised interest rates for the first time since 2007 and has eliminated the yield curve control framework. Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Economist Rini Sen expects the bulk of further tightening will likely come in 2025 as the BoJ seeks to reach a sustainable 2% inflation target by end of fiscal year 2025.

Flash Insights: Food for Thought—February CPI continues to prove stubborn
Fixed Income

Flash Insights: Food for Thought—February CPI continues to prove stubborn

Stubborn core and supercore inflation will mean that the Fed will want some more evidence that their preferred measures of inflation are moving sustainably lower according to Nikhil Mohan, Franklin Fixed Income economist. Read our latest views.

Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Macro Views: Just a little patience
Fixed Income

Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Macro Views: Just a little patience

Franklin Templeton Fixed Income economists are seeing evidence of sticky inflation across the Group of Three (G3) nations. While central banks in the United States and eurozone are gauging when to embark on monetary easing, the Bank of Japan will likely hike in April. All three will continue to monitor wages (and their impact on services inflation) and the balance of risks to economic growth.