Beyond Bulls & Bears

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.

Rini Sen |
Alternative Allocations: Private equity—Secondaries anyone?
Alternatives

Alternative Allocations: Private equity—Secondaries anyone?

In recent years, private equity fundraising surged, yet exits slowed drastically in 2022, prompting institutional investors to rebalance portfolios through increased secondaries activity. Franklin Templeton Institute’s Senior Strategist Tony Davidow explains.

Tony Davidow, CIMA® |
A vote for value stocks in 2024
Equity

A vote for value stocks in 2024

At Mutual Series, we do not believe the packed and contentious 2024 global election season will upend the major long-term trends around supply-chain links, energy security and defense—all of which can further support certain value stocks.

Christian Correa, CFA |
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.

Nikhil Mohan |
Measuring bitcoin ETF liquidity through the 2024-25 Detroit Lions
ETFs

Measuring bitcoin ETF liquidity through the 2024-25 Detroit Lions

Trading volumes for spot bitcoin ETFs have been the talk of the industry. David Mann, our Head of Global ETF Product and Capital Markets, offers his take on how best to evaluate the liquidity of these ETFs via his favorite NFL team.

David Mann |
Challenges and opportunities within commercial real estate
Alternatives

Challenges and opportunities within commercial real estate

Franklin Templeton’s Tony Davidow discusses the challenges and opportunities within commercial real estate with Jeb Belford of Clarion Partners.

Tony Davidow, CIMA® |
PODCAST Anatomy of a Recession update: Soft landing chances rise
Equity

PODCAST Anatomy of a Recession update: Soft landing chances rise

In the latest release of the ClearBridge Recession Risk Dashboard, we’ve seen that a particular indicator upgrade was enough to change the overall dashboard—going from red recession to yellow caution—the first time that it’s been yellow since August of 2022. We speak with Jeff Schulze of ClearBridge Investments about this change and his current base case for the US economy.

Jeffrey Schulze, CFA |
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.

Sonal Desai, Ph.D. |
Income opportunities in an evolving investment landscape
Multi-Asset

Income opportunities in an evolving investment landscape

The investment landscape continues to evolve as the Federal Reserve responds to economic data. Ed Perks, Chief Investment Officer of Franklin Income Investors, explores the impact of these changes on the fixed income and equity markets and offers insights regarding opportunities in different asset classes.

Edward D. Perks, CFA |
Great Expectations: Aligning on workplace benefits
Education

Great Expectations: Aligning on workplace benefits

The fourth edition of Franklin Templeton’s “Voice of the American Workplace” survey included the perspectives of both employers and workers. The 2024 survey found US workers are prioritizing higher compensation and the ability to save more for retirement. At the same time, employers’ perceptions of what workers are seeking has diverged. In this piece, our Jacque Reardon shares findings from the survey and potential implications for employers.

Jacquelyn Reardon |
Revitalized Japanese stock market fuels investor optimism
ETFs

Revitalized Japanese stock market fuels investor optimism

Promising signs of growth and reform in Japan are instilling investors with renewed optimism, revitalizing the country’s stock market. Dina Ting, Head of Global Index Portfolio Management for Franklin Templeton Exchange-Traded Funds, delves into these developments and sheds light on Japan’s expanding economic prospects.

Dina Ting, CFA |
AI-powered metaverse applications propelled tech stocks in 2023
ETFs

AI-powered metaverse applications propelled tech stocks in 2023

The metaverse's integration with another transformative technology, AI, boosted the performance of tech stocks in 2023. Marcus Weyerer, Senior ETF Investment Strategist, EMEA, for Franklin Templeton ETFs, delves into the industrial and consumer applications of the metaverse, the role of AI in enhancing these experiences, and the significant growth potential and investment opportunities this virtual world holds.

Marcus Weyerer, CFA |