Quarterly Recap Q2 2025: Business as Usual

Table 2 below shows US sector performance. We have seen a tug-of-war between sectors over the past several quarters. One quarter ‘growth’ themes will have leadership, only to lose to ‘defensive’ and ‘value’ sectors the next quarter. The trend continued with ‘growth,’ being led by Information Technology, posting the best returns for the quarter. While this back-and-forth trend may seem like noise, we believe there is an interesting point to note. When ‘growth’ has recently given up leadership, we believe it is often due to sentiment surrounding the sector, rather than earnings driven. This is why recently, after quarters of lower or negative returns, we have seen strong reversals the next quarter. This is not to say that the ‘growth’ mega trend we have seen over the last decade is “unbreakable,” but instead to emphasize the importance of bottom-up research and the quarterly earnings “check-ups” we perform.

Looking at the bottom of the table we see the Energy sector, in another reversal of Q1. In a Weekly View a couple months ago, we discussed how cooling oil prices were a positive for markets overall, but would present a headwind for energy markets. We see that in Energy’s second quarter returns. Towards the end of the quarter, we saw a spike in oil prices, due to tensions in the Middle East. However, they were not sustained and prices below $70 per barrel, along with potential for rising input costs, still present challenges for the sector, in our view.

Finally, we saw Health Care, Consumer Staples, Utilities, and Real Estate post returns below the S&P 500. These ‘defensive’ sectors posted a strong first quarter on the back of tariff concerns. We view these sectors moving back towards the bottom of the table as the market is looking past tariff concerns.

International Stocks: International Equities and Currencies Continue to Rally

Moving to Table 3 (below), with the exception of the UK and China, each international market in our global universe outperformed the S&P 500 for US investors. The major thing to highlight with these returns is the strength of international currencies, outside of China. Without strong currency returns, the actual equity returns of international markets trailed the US. We view this currency rally partially as a counter-trend rally, coming off the back of close to all-time dollar strength. However, the looming threats of tariffs are also affecting dollar sentiment. If the Trump administration put hardline tariff policy back on the table, we could see this trend in dollar weakness continue. To further give us confidence in international equities, we would like to see this currency trend continue, along with stronger earnings from international companies, which we have not observed in our quarterly earnings “check-ups” as of yet.

Looking at individual markets, the strongest performing market was Canada. While the Canadian dollar did appreciate relative to the US dollar, local equity returns made up the majority of the US investor’s return. We believe that gold and silver price appreciation contributed largely to this strong equity return. Miners of these minerals are present in the Canadian stock index and had strong quarters.

After a strong first quarter, Chinese equities posted the worst return in our global equity universe. On the equity return side, the Trump administration did not walk back tariffs on China like it did on other international trade partners. Compounding this is the fact that the Chinese currency is pegged relative to the dollar. Therefore, while other international markets’ returns were boosted by a weakening dollar, Chinese equites were not.

Looking Forward: Continuing to Watch Earnings

While the market has successfully looked through concerns over tariffs, it is important to note that this is still a dynamic situation. Just this past week, the Trump administration announced 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports and copper. This is important to note not to stoke fear and volatility back up, but instead to reiterate the importance of having and following an investment discipline. As we discussed last quarter amidst heightened volatility, we were looking to first quarter earnings season to inform our scenario analysis and guide our reinvestment path. Earnings remained resilient, and in line with that we reinvested the portfolios. Despite markets having calmed, we continue to lean on our scenario analysis to guide us. Specifically, we continue to believe that it is important to analyze companies’ earnings reports and outlooks to identify the true extent of tariff effects. By relying on this discipline, we can be convicted as we make moves, rather than doing so from a place of emotion.

By Dan Zolet, CFA, Associate Portfolio Manager

Originally published at RiverFront Investment Group

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Risk Discussion: All investments in securities, including the strategies discussed above, include a risk of loss of principal (invested amount) and any profits that have not been realized. Markets fluctuate substantially over time, and have experienced increased volatility in recent years due to global and domestic economic events. Performance of any investment is not guaranteed. In a rising interest rate environment, the value of fixed-income securities generally declines. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. Investments in international and emerging markets securities include exposure to risks such as currency fluctuations, foreign taxes and regulations, and the potential for illiquid markets and political instability. Please see the end of this publication for more disclosures.

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